“Should I call nine one one?” Lucy asked. Daisy’s mouth rounded in an O.
“No, it’s fine. I just need to go. I’ll text you later.”
I let Connor lead me away, giving them a wave and forcing a smile, but as soon as I was sure we were out of sight, I jerked hard on my arm.
Connor grunted and held tight, hustling me, with a little force and a lot of determination, through the shoppers and sightseers. People were looking, and I felt self-conscious to the point of horror. I couldn’t let him drag me around like a rag doll without him even explaining where we were going.
“Let go of me,” I hissed, trying to wriggle free.
Connor stared ahead and continued walking. As if I was a piece of furniture he had to move from one point to the other. “Yes, boss,” he barked into his cell, pacing faster, “she’ll be there before takeoff.”
“Get your hands off of me. I mean it,” I demanded.
Wait, takeoff?
What the hell did Troy have in store for me now? I was really in no mood to find out. I was done playing nice with Troy’s crew.
I jerked my arm hard enough to catch Connor off guard and ran in the opposite direction of both him and my friends. Since running was my passion and Connor was about as wide as he was tall, outrunning him in the crowd was easier than I hoped. I was half way to the street I wanted before I twisted my head to see if he was behind me.
I saw his pink, furious face as he tried to catch up. I picked up my pace, worried about what Lucy and Daisy might be thinking after that little scene. They probably thought I was going to get killed or something. And maybe they weren’t so wrong.
I cut into a side street, where the pavement narrowed and bumped into a wide shoulder full force. The impact propelled me backward, but a warm hand steadied me, righting me before I hit the ground.
Brock.
I shook my arm free of him. “He sent you, too?” I seethed, feeling my body temperature rising. Goddammit, Troy Brennan.
“What?” Brock looked puzzled. “Sparrow, I’m here to do some shopping with my son. Kindergarten is only half-day and I decided to take the afternoon off. No one sent me. Is something wrong?”
I glanced over my shoulder. Connor was getting close, waving his fist in the air like he was about to break me to pieces. And Sam was right there as well, clutching his father’s palm and looking at me like I’d gone completely mad.
“Oh, hi.” I looked down at him and forced a reassuring smile.
“Hi.” He nuzzled into his dad’s pants leg shyly.
“Okay, gotta run.” I was anxious to resume my escape. My heart slammed against my chest when Brock grasped my shoulder.
“Don’t run,” he said. “Connor is an idiot, but he’s not going to hurt you, even if he certainly looks like he’d like to. I know why he’s after you, and I can promise you, it’s not something bad. Do you trust me?”
His hand was still on my shoulder. I blinked. Did I trust him? Why would I? I don’t know anything about this man, other than the fact that he looked like the closest thing to Adonis.
“Umm, no,” I answered honestly.
He laughed, the kind of laughter that you felt dancing in the pit of your stomach, even though you weren’t the one who laughed. I eased, my muscles relaxing.
“That’s right,” he said, looking at his son. “Never trust strangers, Sam.” He patted Sam’s brown hair, and then he pulled me into a sudden hug.
I froze, but this wasn’t an intimate embrace.
“Listen,” he whispered, his mouth close to my ear. “You’re starting a new chapter in your life. I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to make you feel at home at Rouge Bis. Go back with Connor. Go to Troy, but make sure not to get too involved with him. Lay low, play your part, and I’ll make it worth your while. Deal?”
I felt the tears I’d held inside for so long threaten to spill, but raised my chin. “You’re doing it again. Being nice to me. You’re his friend.”
“No, Sparrow, I’m not.” His voice was even lower now, almost inaudible. “I’m on his payroll. That’s all.”
When he released me, Connor was already too close for me to run again.
Brock’s expression changed to unruffled, and he gave me a light shove in Connor’s direction. “I think you’ve lost something. Here, she is.”
I stumbled straight into Connor’s arms.
Flushed, confused, and most of all, angry as hell, my bodyguard scanned Brock up and down. “She ran,” he spat.
“That tends to happen when people have legs.” Brock’s tone was clipped. Tough. Different. Like Troy. “Don’t let it happen again.”