Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
But she was quick to make excuses even as we were walking in, promising to be back ‘soon’ to help out some more.
She was met with a chorus of You do so much. It’s good to take a break and Take some time to recharge. We’ll be here when you’re ready to be back.
Clearly, everyone had heard and was worried about her shop. And, by extension, her.
Aurelio walked out ahead of us, and I was just opening the door to let Traveler walk through when his voice rang out, loud, clear, panicked.
“Get down!”
I didn’t stop to think, I shoved Traveler back and to the ground.
“Get down!” I called to everyone inside as I crawled over Traveler’s body with my own just as the shots rang out.
Screams rang out at the loud pops, the sounds of glass shattering, the thuds as bullets lodged in walls and furniture. And hopefully nothing and no one else.
Traveler’s fingers were digging into me, her breathing fast and uneven. I knew if I pulled up, I would find her eyes wide and panicked.
But I couldn’t push up.
I kept my body pinned to hers until the last bullets had flown, and there was nothing but labored breathing and quiet cries.
Only then did I lift my weight.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Are you?” she asked, eyes a little watery.
“I’m fine,” I assured her, scooting backward so she could sit up. “Aurelio,” I said, heart seizing.
“Go,” she said, scrambling up. “Is anyone hurt?” she called, going toward them even as I rushed outside, my gun in my hand before I even stepped onto the sidewalk.
“I’m alright,” he called.
There he was, crouched down beside his rear tire, his gun out, but he was pressing it and his hand to his shoulder.
“Are you hit?” I asked, checking the street.
“Graze. Anyone in there hit?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet. Traveler is checking,” I said. “Did you see anything?”
“Black car. No plates. Dark tint. Nothing,” he said, shaking his head.
And this street wasn’t the kind that had cameras all around.
“Everyone is okay,” Traveler called from the doorway. “Shaken but okay. Oh, God. Are you shot?” she asked, blanching as she looked at the blood on Aurelio’s hand.
“Hey, we’re headed to the hospital anyway,” Aurelio said, trying to lighten shit during a very fucking serious situation.
“We gotta go,” I said, checking out my car. Bullet holes lined the side, the windows were spiderwebs, but not completely shattered.
It would drive just fine.
“Yeah,” Traveler agreed, rushing on unsteady legs toward the passenger side, and climbing in.
“Come on. I’ll drive,” I told Aurelio.
“Nah. We’re putting innocents at risk keeping our cars here,” he reasoned, walking toward his driver’s side, then disappearing inside.
We booked it out of there, and I was sure none of us breathed easily again until we were out of that area and on more main streets.
“You alright?” I asked, my hand landing on Traveler’s thigh, giving it a squeeze as we sat in the hospital parking lot.
“I’m… numb,” she admitted. “And during the short periods when I’m not numb, I’m worried about Aurelio.”
“Aurelio is fine. It’s not the first time or worst he’s been shot.”
“That… doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“This isn’t your fault,” I assured her.
“Isn’t it?” she asked, finally looking over at me.
“Trav, no,” I said, brows pinching. “You haven’t done anything to deserve this. Smart-mouthing people doesn’t give them the right to try to murder you, for fuck’s sake. And, let’s be real, if there is anyone to blame for this…”
“I know,” she said, sucking in a deep breath as she glanced up at the hospital.
We didn’t say it out loud.
But, clearly, the person to blame was her father.
“Let’s get this over with, so we can get safely back to the hotel, yeah?” I asked. “We can talk about it over a shitton of takeout.”
“It’s a plan,” she agreed.
I tucked my gun back into my waistband, not wanting to be without it after a fucking drive-by, then Aurelio and I flanked Traveler as we moved inside.
“Please go get checked out,” she pleaded before taking up the stairs to the ICU to see her father.
“I’m fine,” Aurelio told me as we both dropped down into the waiting room seats.
“I figured,” I agreed. He’d even managed to clean the blood off his hand on the ride over. “What the fuck, man?” I asked, exhaling hard.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Shit is even more serious than I thought if they are willing to shoot up a soup kitchen full of innocent people.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “It’s a miracle no one was hit.”
“I’m gonna have a car service pick us up from here,” Aurelio said, reaching for his phone. “We can’t have those cars parked at the hotel looking like they do. They’re too easy to spot. The hotel might have some semblance of security, but we could easily be picked off there too.”