“I’ve seen a few news pieces on teens dying,” she said. “This cartel is responsible?”

“The drugs are tainted.”

Julie drew in a breath that rasped through her lungs like acid. Kids were her soft spot. They always had been. Kids who wanted to believe in the adults around them, and often did so with trust that wasn’t deserved. “Then consider me in for the count. Whatever I have to do, I’ll do it without hesitation.”

“You just have to get me to the judge and play the role of my unsuspecting, trusting love.” He glanced at her pizza. “And eat.” The strong line of his always sexy mouth curved, “You’ll need your strength to practice that role later.”

At that moment, getting lost in Luke sounded pretty darn good, and maybe she’d even let herself play the role of the blind, smitten lover. Playing the role, whatever it might be, had gotten her through a lot in life. In fact, maybe she simply needed to stop thinking so much with Luke.

“A few games with you might be just what I need,” she said, leaning forward and picking up her pizza, and glancing at his. “But I suggest you eat, too. I’m not going to be easy on you.”

They finished up their pizza, and stepped into the chilly night air, walking back toward her building where Luke had parted, and a chill slid down Julie’s spine that had nothing to do with the temperature. Suddenly, she was more than a little aware of how that area of town, while highly populated during the day, was almost empty at night. So much for not thinking too much.

Luke seemed to sense her unease, pulling her under his strong arm, his big body warming her. “Nice to walk these streets when you aren’t getting pushed and shoved, now isn’t it?”

She slid her arm under his leather jacket, craving the feel of his hard body, his strength, next to hers. “Tonight, I think a crowd and some pushing and shoving might feel good.”

“Crowds give a false sense of security,” he said. “You never know what’s hiding in a crowd.”

“If you were a doctor you’d have a horrible bedside manner.”

He smiled down at her. “I did pretty good with your cut,” he reminded her, and boy did he. She barely remembered it an hour later. “How’s it doing?”

She lifted her band-aid. “Other than the really lousy style statement, better.”

“Maybe we should stick to takeout,” he said. “No cleanup.” He motioned to a side street by her building. “The garage was full. I had to snag a meter.”

“There are a lot of medical offices in the building and it gets busy on Mondays,” she said. ”I should have told you to park in my spot that I never use.” The hair on the nape of her neck stood up, and she could feel the slight, barely there stiffening of Luke’s spine beneath her palm.

“I never mind a walk,” he said, but his tone had changed, tightened. He lifted a hand to indicate the truck. “There we are.” He clicked the locks open as they approached, and she was aware of the full paid-parking area they were passing, that sense of something being under the bed, or in this case, the cars, making her want to run. And her imagination was exactly why she didn’t watch scary movies.

Luke opened the door for her and helped her inside, his voice low as he handed her his phone. “Blake’s on speed dial. Tell him we have an unwelcome visitor and keep him on the line.” He started to hand her the keys. “Don’t turn anything on. In fact, don’t touch anything. Just call Blake after you lock the doors.” He shut the door.

Chapter Fourteen

Luke wanted to get Julie the hell out of here, but he had to deal with the very real possibility his vehicle could have been tampered with. They had company, and it wasn’t the kind that came around on holidays, irritated you, and left. Luke sauntered away from her door, his posture deceptively relaxed, a whistle on his lips. The paid parking lot to Luke’s right, filled with at least thirty vehicles, was like that crowd he’d said was dangerous. There were lots of places to hide, but the guy under the Jeep several feet back wasn’t as good as he thought he was.

Luke walked around the back of the truck, out of Julie’s sight, his skin twitching, his nerve endings were so on edge. He pretended to walk toward the driver’s door, shrugging out of his coat as if he meant to throw it on the seat, when he actually wanted the ease of movement getting rid of it gave him.

He dropped down to the ground, removed the gun under his pant leg, and let the coat lie on the ground, already moving forward. Luke was in the parking lot, using the vehicles for cover before the man could have processed what was happening.

He found cover by a sweet little ride, a Mustang Shelby, using the wheel to hide his feet and squatting under the vehicle to look for the would-be attacker, now turned into Luke’s prey.

He listened and watched. There was a scrape and then a shadow. Luke lunged forward as the guy darted between vehicles, grabbed the man by the shirt, fully intending to slam him against a car and find out who’d sent him and who his target was tonight. Was it him or Julie or both?

“Release him,” came a low, accented order.

Luke rose to his feet and pulled his capture to his chest, and pressing the gun to the man’s temple. The other man shot Luke’s human shield right between his eyes. The shooter took off running.

Shit shit shit. Luke’s heart lodged in his throat at the fear he’d done exactly what had been planned, and left Julie alone in the truck. He tossed aside the dead guy, and with his finger on the trigger, guarding his back, he ran for the truck, scared like he’d never been scared in his life.

The instant he rounded the cars and saw Julie looking desperately through the window, he exhaled the air lodged in his throat with his heart.

She opened the door and he blocked her exit.  “Oh God, what-?”

He held up a silencing finger and her eyes went to his gun and then widened. She nodded. He took the phone, knowing his brother would be one the line. “One down and another armed and missing and I’m not risking the truck being hot, not to mention we’re also sitting ducks. I’m headed south and into the subway.” He hung up, knowing his brother would get the right people here, his hand sliding to Julie’s hair. “Stay close and do exactly what I say.”

“We could run for the building.”

He shook his head. “That’s where they expect us to run. The subway is two blocks. We’re safer there. Take off your shoes and carry them. They’ll slow you down and make noise.” She nodded and stuffed them in her purse before sliding it over her shoulder cross-ways. She gave him a nod of readiness, brave when most would not have been.

He lifted her out of the truck and squatted, hoping they looked like they were just blocked by the door. “We’ll be fine.” He didn’t wait for her reply. He tugged her around the door, and took off running with her pulled close to his side. The next three minutes were eternal. When they finally hit the subway stairs, he stuffed his gun in his pants and Julie slipped on her shoes. They kept running and he lifted her over the entrance machines, not about to take time to buy a ticket. They ignored the screams of other riders and kept going.

Luke herded them onto a train a second before the doors shut, uncaring of where it was going. With Julie’s hand in his he walked to the far end of the car, away from the other ten or so riders, and grabbed a pole to hold on to.

Julie wrapped her arms around him, and staring down at her, all he could think was how easily she could have died tonight. He lowered his mouth and kissed her, needing her right then as he had never needed her in his life.

When he finally got her back to his place, he’d already talked to Blake, and knew he and the task force, were already at the truck and dealing with fallout and investigation.

Luke led Julie to the couch and sat her down, going down on one knee. “You okay?”