straight at us. Of course. Aiden’s right-hand man in both the ATF and the Lorde’s organization. Why wouldn’t the badass hottie be right here and right now? His dark gaze encompassed everyone at once.
“Hi,” I said before Kelsey could. “What’s going on?” I was the only person, besides Kurt, who knew that Saber was ATF.
He caught sight of Kurt on the bench. “Just meeting a buddy.”
“Oh. All right.” I couldn’t say anything else without giving up too much information, so I started to move again.
“Hi.” Saber looked at Kelsey. “Are we still on for Friday?”
Teddy and John both tensed.
Kelsey nodded.
I just kept walking.
Chapter 31
After a long day at work, I slipped my shoes back on. We’d lost several corporate clients after Jolene’s newest article had gone to print that morning. Apparently dead bodies in the actual office was too much for people. I really wished she would move back to Boston. She’d dated Aiden in high school, and she’d been a jerk even then. Apparently the years hadn’t made her any nicer.
She made it really difficult to stick to the rules of the sisterhood.
I shut down my office and headed out after sending the documents to Krissy and the court that would hopefully get Kelsey off the hook. I felt good about the case for the first time. Krissy had seemed genuine, and this was one more situation I could put to bed.
John met me at the door and walked me out, his presence mellower than Bud’s. We drove home companionably, and after he searched my cottage, he had me lock the doors while he scouted the property. I liked him. Maybe he and Kelsey would go out. Although I liked both Saber and Teddy as well. Kurt, I wasn’t sure about. Plus, he was heading back to LA.
My phone rang and happiness swept me as I saw it was Aiden. “Hi.”
“Where are you?” he asked, urgency in his tone.
“Home. Why?”
“Do you have a detail on you?” he asked.
I looked around. “I have one here. Why? What’s going on?”
“The ME’s office and morgue in town just blew up.” It sounded like Aiden was on the move. His voice got muffled for a second. “Both Sasha and Bev’s bodies were there.”
I gasped. “Was anybody hurt?’
“I don’t know yet. It’s after hours, so hopefully not.” The sound of an engine revving came over the line. “I’m hitting the Lordes apartments for my go bag and weapons. You pack a bag for a week. Don’t argue with me.” He hung up.
I stared at the phone. What did this all mean? If Barensky had just blown up the two bodies found around me, then he knew of my current connection to Aiden and that Aiden was ATF? Was that what it meant? I didn’t know. All of it was so crazy. Quickly, I changed into shorts and a tank top before grabbing my duffle bag.
Gunfire from my back porch had me jerking around. Only one shot had been fired. I ran for my purse and pulled out my gun before heading to the sliding glass door. John lay on the ground beyond my deck, and I could only see his feet. I started to turn to reach for my phone when a woman stood on the other side of the door, pointing a Glock at me.
I froze. If I lifted my hand, she’d shoot. Did I have enough time to jump out of the way?
She motioned me toward her with her other hand. I squinted. It was Kay—the Lordes’ old lady who’d tried to kill me in an accident. The brunette who’d been with Bev. She cocked her head in warning and then turned, pointing the gun at John.
I tucked my gun in the back of my waist and walked to the door, my heart thundering. Panic tried to catch me, to hold me still, and I shoved it away to slowly open the door. “What are you doing?”
She pointed the gun at me. “I’m not going to let you kill me.”
I walked onto the deck and felt the warm heat of an August evening. “Did you kill him?” Without waiting for an answer, I hurried across the deck. Blood covered John’s left leg, and he was out cold.
“No. Just shot him in the leg.” She pressed the gun to my ribs. “I don’t know why he passed out.”
I tried to edge away from the gun and think how to handle this. The day fuzzed and I breathed deep to focus. “He passed out