Page 112 of Betrayed

Andrew, no middle name, Janerek.

“Here, sit,” he said as he helped me into the back seat.

I stared at all the things on his waist. Before I could identify half of what I was looking at, his rifle blocked my view. He moved it around, then took it off and handed it to someone.

I kept staring.

“Blake, are you okay?” he asked, tilting my face up, so I was looking at him instead of his war-ready belt.

I nodded, then shook my head and laughed. “What’s all that?” I asked, hiding my fear and anxiety behind the question.

AJ asked, “You really want to know?”

I wasn’t sure, but I needed something to focus on.

“Rifle magazines, pistol magazines, and a tourniquet.” He pointed to each thing as he identified it.

“Oh.” What else could I say? I’d seen people wear things like it in the movies but never in person.It looks a lot scarier up close and personal.

“You okay?”

Knowing he was asking about my reaction to everything that had happened, not his belt, I took a second to think about it.

Am I okay?

“I think so.” I stood up, so it was easier to see his face. Okay was a stretch, but I’d get there, eventually.

How easy it’d been for me to say violence was never the answer when I’d never been in danger. It was the scariest, hardest lesson I’d ever learned.

But now I understand—sometimes violence is the only answer.

When he wrapped his arms around me and squeezed, I yelped.

“Sorry,” he said, pushing me away by my shoulders. “Give me a sec.”

I stepped back and watched him strip off his belt. Once again, he handed it off to someone, but I never took my eyes off AJ. The sirens wailed louder; the cops would be here any minute.

Then I’d have to give them my statement.Tell them my father is a criminal. Tears flooded my eyes.

When AJ opened his arms, I rushed back in and planted my face in his sweaty chest and inhaled.

My nose wrinkled involuntarily. He didn’t smell like the same sweaty man I sat next to on his bed.

“Andrew, were you nervous?” He’d seemed so calm.

“Nervous? Nah,” I felt his chest shake with a chuckle, “I was scared shitless.”

I pulled back and looked into his dark eyes. There were a million things I wanted to say, but a parade of flashing lights and wailing sirens made it impossible.

There was only one thing I wouldn’t wait to say, “Thank you for saving me, Andrew.”

Chapter 52

AJ

Ikissed her forehead before pulling her close again.The cops will hate us for the mess we created.They’d be arresting anyone still alive, inventorying guns, and identifying dead bodies for hours. Per SSI standard operating procedure, we let John handle the lion’s share of communication with the local LEOs. It was easier for everyone if we only had one point of contact, and his thirty years of experience in the Parker County Sherriff’s Department made him the perfect point man.

The officers questioned Meg and Blake first, then everyone from SSI, including Jamie and Jay, who’d joined us.

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