Kiss Across Chaos (Kiss Across Time #10) - Tracy Cooper-Posey Page 0,39

life replaced the memory with the events of her new, altered timeline. She could recall the words she had written with complete clarity because she had re-read them so many times, usually while wishing she had written in far, far greater detail about how she’d felt, what she’d seen. Why hadn’t she captured the moment in the alley with cinematographic precision, so that she could get the memory back?

But now, she had the moment back. It was this moment, right now. This was a mirror moment to that moment in the alley when she had nearly died, when she would have died. Aran had been just as he was now—a tall, implacable pillar of power. Dangerous, in the way that only those who dealt in danger would recognize. To the people shuffling past them on the sidewalk and sending them irritated glances, Aran would look like any other man out for a stroll with his wife.

The little man, though, failed to read the moment correctly. He thought he had the power. He thought he had control. He grinned at Aran’s mild suggestion that he move on. He fingered the front edge of his grubby jacket and pulled it open just enough to show them the butt of what looked like a nickel-plated Colt revolver hanging in a holster under his arm. “Walk,” he said flatly.

Her breath shortened. Jesse recognized the panic pooling in her middle. Now she understood what she had meant in her essay to herself, when she had spoken of being used to conditions that no longer applied.

The last time she actually remembered being threatened with a gun, she’d had an AK under her arm, and a backup on her ankle, a knife in her boot and one hanging down the back of her fatigues on a string. She wore combat boots and a helmet, and a sniper laid a half-mile away, watching them through her scope, her rifle covering their asses if this went sideways.

None of those conditions existed here. That was why she had got shot. That was why Aran had thrown her pistol into the Columbus River and told her to learn to live without a gun.

This was the reason why. This moment right now, when a stinky man who thought he was the king of the street was reaching for his pistol right here on Canal Street.

“Very well,” Aran said, lifting one hand in a gesture of surrender that was utterly fake. He glanced at Jesse. “Come along,” he told her. He didn’t offer his elbow. He wanted her to have both hands free.

They turned and walked along the sidewalk and the little man followed them. His footsteps told her he was several paces behind them—too far to spin and take him out. He could fire before she reached him. The bastard was practiced at this.

Jesse could see the little alleyway just up ahead. It wasn’t the one they had arrived in, but it would do. They couldn’t do anything about the man out here on the street, even though he was free to gun them down if he wanted to.

Her spine tried to crawl up into her skull.

She put one foot in front of the other, trying to unfreeze her brain. She didn’t have a gun, so what else could she do?

Nothing came to her. All her combat training involved having at least one weapon at her disposal. All she had was lace-covered hands.

Moving slowly, she slid the gloves off and pushed them into her pocket.

“Into the lane,” the man behind them said, as they reached the alley.

“Good god, it stinks in there,” Aran protested.

Jesse nearly smiled. Nearly. He was disarming the man mentally. Letting him think that the last thing they wanted was to step in there.

“Oh, dear…” she added in a weak voice, bringing her hand to her nose. Although the stench was powerful. Urine, horse shit, mold, damp and years of neglect and garbage piling up in the corners and along the edges. It was making her eyes water, just standing at the mouth of the alley. “I won’t go in there. I just can’t. I’ll…I’ll faint if you make me.”

“Tell your lady to shut up,” the man growled to Aran. “Go in there, or I’ll shoot you right now.”

“You can’t just shoot us!” Aran protested. “We could scream. The police—”

The man laughed nastily. He was enjoying himself, Jesse realized. “You think my family don’t have this street sewn up? No cop is coming to save you. Now get in