Page 29 of Legends: Easton
“Let me walk you out.”
Bailee smirked. “Not necessary. I can take care of myself. I’m a cop, remember?”
She turned and headed for the door. Easton barely refrained from following her. His desire to leave grew stronger, and he couldn’t tear his eyes from the door.
“Go.”
Easton’s head snapped in front of him to see Jackson lingering at the bar. “Thought you were dancing with your wife.”
“Bathroom,” he explained. “Luke told me about your girl. Go. We’ll close up.”
“She’s not my girl. And I can help close up. I figured this could be an early night for us anyway.”
“Which means there’s no reason for you to hang around. Go. And Ray said to tell you they like her.”
“Shit, man, it’s not like that.” Easton ran a hand through his hair.
“I know.”
Easton could see in his brother’s dark eyes that he did understand the position Easton was in. That made him relax a bit. Jackson was the unspoken head of the family, next to English, and Easton respected the hell out of him. He was the glue that held them together. That had been English’s job at one time — still was, in Jackson’s mind — but as adults, Jackson easily shouldered that responsibility without realizing he did it.
“You going or not?” Jackson grumbled.
Easton’s eyes floated to the door. Bailee was probably long gone by now, but he found himself nodding anyway. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”
He didn’t bother to see if his family saw his retreat. They’d give him shit about it later, and he’d handle their curiosity and incessant teasing then.
Once he stepped outside, the humidity hit him square in the face, stealing the air from his lungs. The area was dark, and he waited for his eyes to adjust as he tried to catch his breath.
His eyes zeroed in on the car he was well familiar with since it had been parked in his neighbor’s driveway for days. He saw no outline of someone in the driver’s seat. She left the bar, but her car was still in the parking lot. Where the hell did she go?
He heard an unfamiliar noise, and he listened intently to figure out what and where it was. The next time he heard the sound coming from the alley by the bar, and the fine hairs on his neck stood on end.
The alley was where English was attacked and left for dead years ago, and the idea that something similar had happenedto Bailee froze the blood in his veins. He sprinted around the building and sized the situation up quickly.
One guy. Tall. Solid. Beard. Bailee. Hair in disarray. Jeans torn. Sprawled on the ground. The guy loomed over her.
Bailee was scrambling to her feet, and Easton sprang into action. He sprinted down the alley and lowered his frame to blindside the man with a tackle that took them both down. He landed a punch to the guy’s jaw, but the guy used his considerable size to toss Easton off.
Easton rolled and jumped to his feet, but Bailee was ahead of him. She slammed her heel into the man’s knee, and he uttered anumphhof pain. She followed up with a knee to his stomach before he pushed her away. Before Easton could react, the man whipped something out from behind him, and Easton detected the outline of a weapon.
“Don’t move,” the man growled, and Easton noted the hint of an accent.
Easton threw his hands up but edged closer to Bailee, ready to shield her from a bullet if the guy decided to shoot. Instead the guy turned and bolted from the alley. Easton was ready to sprint after him when Bailee placed a hand on his arm.
“Let him go.”
He whirled around to face her. “What? The guy attacked you. I’m not letting—”
“You have to. I think I need help.”
He moved closer. Though he couldn’t see her clearly, he sensed something was off.
“Bailee, what—”
Again, she didn’t let him finish, but instead of interrupting him, she swayed before falling forward into Easton’s arms. He caught her easily and lowered her to the ground. He checked her pulse, finding it steady but weak. He felt something wet and sticky against his palm, and a coppery smell assailing his nostrils.
He reached for his cell, almost dropping it in his haste. The number was saved at the top of his favorites, and he placed it on speaker as he gently felt around her head and limbs for injuries.
