Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
I’d reached the neighborhood below the actress’s house just as JJ had called out an order for someone to put down their weapon. I’d hugged the shadows of the tree-lined sidewalk until I’d made it to where his voice had come from.
There’d been no preparing myself for what I’d seen.
JJ standing in the entrance of an alley, weapon drawn but no cover to protect himself. The kid I’d ordered to call 911 had been crouched on the ground and there had been a man pointing a gun in the boy’s direction. I’d expected JJ to take his shot while the gunman was momentarily distracted by the kid’s presence, but he had merely stood there, his finger on the trigger. My heart had nearly stopped when the gunman had aimed his weapon at JJ.
And still, JJ hadn’t pulled the trigger.
I had my brutal military training and the chaos of combat to thank for what had happened next. I’d managed to step into the street about a hundred feet behind JJ and had pulled the trigger before I’d even come to a stop. My shot had cleared JJ’s body by a few inches before hitting the gunman in the head. As badly as I’d wanted to get to JJ, my training had forced me to go to the gunman to kick his weapon away from him before confirming he was dead. It was only then that I’d been able to get to JJ.
“JJ,” I repeated as I stroked his ashen face. I could hear sirens in the distance. I hoped to God that an ambulance was among them.
“Cass?” he murmured in confusion. Before I could confirm it was me, JJ moaned and grabbed his head, his fingers pressing against the scar that began at his temple and presumably ran the length of his head.
“Fuck,” he whispered as he bent over in pain.
“Breathe, JJ,” I said uselessly because I didn’t know what else to do. “Just breathe.”
I supported JJ as he crouched down. He didn’t sit, but he did cover his right eye with his hand. Fear consumed me just like it had when I’d held his nearly lifeless body in my arms. This time, though, JJ responded to my words. He began taking in deep breaths and holding them before letting them out.
“That’s it, baby,” I said as I rubbed his back. I kept silent after that as I let JJ work through the pain. Sweat dotted his brow, and his body twitched now and then. It seemed like hours had passed before he whispered something that I couldn’t make out.
“Cass?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” I responded. I couldn’t help but press my temple against his as I silently thanked whatever deity had been watching over him.
“What… what?” JJ asked as he tried to stand. He couldn’t do it on his own, so I wrapped my arm around his waist and supported his body until he stood up. I kept my hold on him until he finally started to become aware of his surroundings.
I removed the arm I had around his waist but didn’t fully lower it. I shifted my body so I was facing JJ. He still had his hand pressed against his eye and temple. His skin was ashen but with every deep breath he pulled in, the color began to return. I still had my arm behind him to catch him if he started to fall. I was surprised when his fingers wrapped around my other arm and squeezed it so hard I was sure I’d have bruises later. I didn’t give a shit. My discomfort was a drop in the bucket compared to what he was dealing with.
“The kid?” JJ grated.
“He’s fine. Gunman’s down,” I added.
He should have asked me what I was doing there, but he didn’t. He remained silent, his fingers still clutching my arm.
“Are you hurt?” I asked and then cursed myself for my own stupidity. “Anywhere besides your head,” I clarified.
I’d already checked JJ over when I’d reached him and hadn’t seen any external wounds, but what if he had internal ones? Was the pain in his head a result of hitting it at some point or something else?
JJ didn’t answer me but after a handful of seconds, his breathing became less labored. The sirens were closer now. I knew what would happen next, but I didn’t care. I just needed JJ to be okay.
“Where’s your ID?” I asked.
“Left inside pocket,” he bit out.
I grabbed his official Targes ID and put it into his free hand. I bent enough that I could place his weapon on the ground several feet in front of him. I did the same with mine.
“Hold it up,” I said to JJ as I turned him so we’d be facing the police cars when they arrived. “Remember to keep your arms up so they can search you,” I added before I grabbed my own ID. Since every officer on the force likely knew my face, I wouldn’t need the damn thing. The authorities didn’t and wouldn’t see me as an innocent man. I was still the murderer who’d gotten off on a technicality caused by one of their own and now they had the reason they needed to put me back where they thought I belonged.