Page 84 of The Hitman and the Psychic

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. If only she was right. But she didn’t know that Stone worked for a mobboss, and I was beginning to understand that he didn’t just take care of security.

He’d basically confessed to shooting someone, even though it was self-defense. Then there was his reputation, and the way he’d fought Joint. All of that pointed to a lot more that I didn’t know about. Did I want to be involved with someone like that?

Still, a deep yearning filled my heart. I was falling for him. And she was right, it wasn’t just physical. This went much deeper. He could break my heart. After Brandon, I wasn’t sure I could be that vulnerable again. Was I ready to take a chance with Stone? Even if it was just one night?

It was starting to get dark, and we needed to leave. I wasn’t sure about the plan to draw Johnny out, but we needed to plant all the security cameras tonight if it had a chance of succeeding. I hoped my psychometry kicked in, so we’d know if it would work before we went through with it.

“We need to go.” I turned to Felicity. “Thanks for the talk. I’ll think about everything you said.”

“I love you, Sis.” She pulled me into a quick hug. “You know that saying from our favorite movie.A life lived in fear—”

“—is a life half-lived. I know. I love you, too.” I grabbed my jacket and stepped toward the patio.

“Before you go, I’ve got some leftovers for you.”

Glancing at Stone, I nodded her way before stepping onto the patio. I caught his eye with a wave. He nodded and brought Gracie with him so I could give her a hug. As we told everyone goodbye, Gracie gave Stone a big hug and kissed him on the cheek, raving about her cool dragon egg. Sheesh! Even a seven-year-old wasn’t immune to his charms.

We made it to the car before Felicity yelled at me from the front door. “You forgot yourleftovers!”

I turned to Stone. “I’ll be right back.” I left him standing beside the car and hurried back to the porch. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. If I was leaving with him, I’d be a little scatter-brained too.”

I shook my head and took the plate of food.

“If you get a minute, please call me. I need details.”

“You’re the worst.” I playfully swatted her arm before turning to leave. With a wave, I hurried across the lawn to the street.

Before stepping onto the road, I noticed a car coming down the street. I wasn’t sure they could see me, so I stopped to wait for them to pass. The car came to a stop about fifty yards away, and their high-beam lights flashed on. I waited a couple more seconds to make sure they could see me before starting across.

The sound of rolling tires on the pavement confused me. I jerked my gaze to the car and terror seized my heart. It was picking up speed and heading straight for me.

Chapter 21

Serenity

Before I could scream, Stone tackled me, hurtling us out of the way. The momentum threw us to the ground, where Stone took the brunt of the fall. I rolled with him until we came to a stop in the gutter.

Stone shifted off of me. “You okay?”

“I think so.”

“Serenity!” Felicity shrieked from the house. “Oh my God!” She ran down the lawn towards us.

Stone jumped to his feet, but the car was long gone. Bending down, he helped me stand. I clung to him, my legs shaking. “What the hell was that?”

Stone’s hold tightened. “Someone just tried to kill you.”

Felicity reached us, her gaze traveling over my body. “Holy hell! Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m all right.”

“That car nearly hit you! I thought…” She covered her mouth with her hand. “If Nate hadn’t—”

“What’s going on!” Mom rushed to my side.

“What happened?” Dad yelled, coming up behind her, followed by Ryan and Will.

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