He’d promised her he’d be careful, and she had to trust that he would. Which was tough for her, but she did trust that he knew how to do his job. And that wasn’t the only thing he knew how to do.
Post-coital bliss was the understatement of the century. Jesus, Price was great in bed. She didn’t know if he was more skilled than any of her other lovers, or just the chemistry between them was better that she’d ever experienced before.
Or both. Or… hell, she didn’t really care so long as he kept her coming like clockwork. All. Night. Long.
A delicious shiver went down her spine. She could get used to this. She’d never clicked with anyone this deeply, this fast. It was terrifying and exhilarating and she knew she had the stupidest grin on her face and didn’t even care, but it faded as quickly as it had formed.
The other worry she’d been suppressing all day came back to her in a rush now that she didn’t have her own work to distract her. Price and she had had sex last night without a condom. And she hadn’t dated anyone in almost a year, so she wasn’t on the pill. Terror and panic should be careening through her… but they weren’t. That was what freaked her out a little. It wasn’t that she didn’t want kids. She’d always wanted a couple of them before she’d gotten married, but the idea of breeding with Scott had always made her a little wary. He was a selfish man, she’d just never realized how selfish. Until it was over.
But… would having Price’s child be that terrible? Well, she wasn’t having a heart attack at the thought, and that said something right there. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she didn’t even notice Jericho until he grabbed her.
His fingers wrapped around her arms in a tight grip, desperation in his silver gaze. She’d never noticed before how brilliant the color of his eyes were. “You must save your soul mate. Now. You don’t have a moment to lose, Aubrey.”
She stared at him. Creepy nutso boy was back.
“You have to believe, Aubrey. You have to believe in something.”
Her heart gave a hard thump, and her worry for Price over his job came roaring back. Her stomach gave a vicious twist. So far Jericho hadn’t been wrong. Not once. Did she really believe in what he said enough to go tearing across town in search of Price? And what if she didn’t and something bad happened to him? Her chest squeezed tight, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. Something bad could happen to Price. Oh, God.
The truth slammed into her in one unholy wave of terror. She was in love with Price, and there was no way in hell she was taking any chances with his safety. She’d rather look insane running around town after him than let anything happen to him.
Jericho shook her hard. “14 Plumleigh Avenue, on the corner of Larkspur. Believe me, Aubrey. Go!”
She went, her legs and arms pumping as she raced across the square and over the five blocks to get to the address Jericho had given her. Her breath rasped out in painful pants. If this had to do with Price’s job, he would kill her for interfering. Did she care? Not really. He could kick her ass if it meant he was alive, breathing and healthy enough to get it done.
She skidded to a stop outside of 14 Plumleigh. The front window was broken out, the roof sagged on the porch, and the house looked as if it should be condemned. Her breath whooshed out in relief when she saw Price, alive and well, through the broken window. He wore a black bulletproof vest as he walked down a dark hallway toward the back of the house. She swallowed, blinking back tears.
Thank God, Jericho was wrong.
Through her tears she saw a slim man step into the hall behind Price. He wasn’t wearing a uniform and he carried a silver pistol. Her breath seized when he lifted the weapon to point it at Price’s unprotected head.
“Price, behind you!”
Both men spun toward her at the same time, guns raised. She dropped to the pavement and covered her head with her arms. The cement scraped the skin off her elbows and knees. Two deafening booms echoed over the quiet street, and she flinched, curling tighter into herself. Please, God, don’t let Price be hurt. Please, God, let her have warned him in time. Please, God. Please, God. Please, God.
Her ears buzzed, and her whole body shook as shock rocketed through her system. She needed to get up and check if Price was okay, but the message her brain was sending to her quivering muscles didn’t seem to be getting through.
She panted against the cement, small rocks and dirt rubbing against her cheek.
“Aubrey.”
Relief flooded her system as she heard Price’s voice shout from a distance. A very far off distance. It sounded like he was yelling from the end of a long tunnel. Tingles broke down her arms as someone grabbed her and flipped her over.
Price’s face hung over her, abject terror drawing the skin tight over his cheekbones. His big hands slid over her body in efficient movements. “Aubrey, are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine.” Though her tone sounded vague and soft to her ears. She shook her head to try to clear it. Swallowing, she laid a hand along his jaw. “Are you all right?”
“Hell, no. I’m not all right.” Molten rage flashed in his gaze and the muscles in his jaw clenched beneath her fingers. His hands shook as they brushed the dirt off her cheek. “What were you thinking yelling like that? It was crazy amounts of stupid.”
Matching anger whipped through her, stripping away the strange lethargy that weighed down her limbs. She pulled away from him and sat up, poking a finger into his chest. “I was thinking that I was saving you from getting shot. Excuse the hell out of me if that was stupid. My mistake.”
“That wasn’t what I—”
Pushing to her feet, she swayed a bit and he caught her against his chest. She wanted to stay there in his arms forever. Where they were both safe and okay. Her heart turned over, and she had to close her eyes. The anger drained away as quickly as it had come.
“Chief, I—” Another man spoke from behind her, but he cut himself off. “Never mind, I’ll ask Sergeant Barkum.”
She blew out a breath and forced herself to step away from Price. “So, I’ll… um… see you tonight. If you have time, of course.”
He sighed, reluctantly letting her go. “One of my men is going to have to ask you about what you saw and did.”
“Oh, fun.” She rolled her eyes to hide the tears of relief. “I just love doing police reports.”
Sergeant Barkum ended up taking her statement, and for once in her life, she lied to an officer of the law. What was she going to do? Tell them she had her own personal homeless oracle? She played the shocked, confused, didn’t-remember-a-thing card for all it was worth. She consoled her guilty conscience by reminding herself she’d done nothing illegal to find out Price was here and in danger.
When the sergeant finally finished with her, she turned to leave only to be drawn up short when Price called her name. He gave her an odd look. “Mrs. Chambers says she saw you running like a crazy woman through town. How were you going for a run down this street and just happened to see me?”
“I told the officer, I honestly don’t remember. I was at my shop and then I was here and then there were bullets.”