Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(11)

“Get the fuck out of my way.”

He shoved me to the ground, and the force took me down, but I whipped my leg around and tripped him. His hands slapped against the pavement, and a medium-sized switch blade bounced from his pocket. I sprang from the ground and stepped on his hand as he went for it, hoping to break a few of his bones.

“Fucking bitch! Get off,” he spit through clenched teeth. He pulled his hand from beneath my sole; I wasn’t heavy enough to hold it down.

I glanced at Vance who directed Oliver and Camille to a safer location behind him and was punched on the top of my hip bone. A split second later, I took another hit below my navel. Dropping next to him, pain exploded under my skin and shot down my legs. I rolled on my back in agony and clutched my abdomen. “Vance,” I choked.

The man was up and had grabbed his knife, continuing toward Camille and Oliver. Vance had already moved toward him with his gun drawn. The instant the man saw Vance, he held up both hands as if to surrender. He retracted his blade and motioned to put it in his back pocket. From Vance’s angle it looked like he had, but from mine, I saw it was a sleight of hand trick. It remained tucked into his palm.

“Vance,” I croaked, but my voice was barely audible against the sound of the fountains.

“I should shoot you for what you just did, asshole! Get outta here!” Vance was pissed, but since he’d shot and killed a man months ago, he wasn’t eager to relive the experience. “Go! Before I change my mind.” He hesitated for a second but lowered his weapon.

The fire burning beneath my skin raged like an inferno, and my abdomen cramped like I was having a period from hell. I fought to see past the pain. The man didn’t back down from Vance, but he didn’t advance either.

“Back off and we’ll be cool,” Vance warned. “Or I’ll wipe the ground with your ass, pony boy.”

I clawed at my holster, but my weak fingers fumbled with the snap. The man lunged at Vance. He raised the knife and slashed downward across Vance’s torso. Vance curved his spine, but not enough to escape the blade’s wrath.

“You sonofabitch!” Vance said, holding a hand to his shirt. Blood seeped through his fingers. “I’m going to make you pay for that.”

He raised his gun, and I drew mine.

“Get on the ground!” I shouted.

The man stopped when he saw both guns aimed at him. He held up his hands, eyes amused, and took a few steps backward. He retracted the blade and continued moving away from us. He eased the knife in his back pocket and showed us his empty palms. “You wouldn’t shoot an unarmed man, would you?”

I couldn’t see his mouth, but I bet he was smiling. He sprinted away from us. Crossing the street, he dodged a car whose horn blared and headed up the sidewalk. He hopped in an awaiting vehicle and sped off. I ran to Vance. His hand was covered in bright red blood.

“Jesus, how bad is it?” I tried peeking at the wound hidden beneath his hand.

He clutched his shirt and brushed me off. “He just nicked me. I’m fine. We need to get them out of here.”

We hurried over and got Camille and Oliver back to the car. I took the wheel while the others loaded in. The moment I was seated, the pain I’d been enduring from the gut punch began to subside a little.

“Get him to a hospital,” Oliver said.

“No, I’m fine,” Vance said. “We’ll get you two to safety and then worry about me. It looks worse than it is.”

“Are you sure?” Oliver asked.

“Yes. Go, get them out of here.” Vance pointed to the road ahead.

“Then… then…” Oliver grunted. “You’ll need to drive around and make sure that photographer doesn’t follow us. He got an eyeful tonight, but no one knows where we’re staying yet, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

I nodded and pulled onto the street, checking my mirrors. After getting into a gentle flow of traffic, a car cut off a cab behind us.

“Cut up to Main and get over onto Sixth,” Vance said.

“Worry about you. I’ve got this.” Although Vance was the self-proclaimed tactical driving expert, I wasn’t half bad. He had a hard time letting go of the reins though.

I wound through the streets, crossing up various roads and doubling back when I could. The car, an older model Saab without a front plate, kept up with us most of the way, but got lost behind a Metro bus in a construction zone. I drove back toward the river, throwing in a few extra zigs and zags, slowing my speed after confirming I’d lost him.

“Good job,” Vance said.

“Thanks. How’re you?” I glanced out of the corner of my eye at his shirt. It had gotten bloodier.

“Still fine.”

“You guys okay back there?” I asked, checking on them in my mirror. Oliver and Camille held hands and leaned toward the middle of the back seat.

“Yes, we’re fine,” Oliver said.

I pulled into the garage below the building, using Oliver’s key card to get past the electric arm, and parked in his spot. Once inside the elevator, Oliver and Camille stepped toward the back, and Vance and I blocked the doors. Camille waited until they shut to break down.

“Oh my God! What the hell was that?” Her arms trembled at her sides.

“It’s okay. Crime can happen anywhere any time. We were lucky it wasn’t worse, but Vance and Diana handled it.”