Ford Security

by Clara Kendrick

  As expected, the SUV turns into the same lane, crashing against another white SUV, but that doesn’t seem to slow him down. Whoever it is, he’s got a vendetta against me, and I’d at least like to know why. How are you going to put me through hell without an explanation? Just up ahead, there’s a narrow alley stretching through the opening between two rows of brick buildings. Even though I’m planning on turning into that alley, I wait until the last possible second to make my intentions known.

  I slam on the brakes and whip the car into the alley. The back tires spin out and the car floats sideways until the rear fender scrapes against the hard brick. There’s an almost unbearable sound as the metal scrapes against the hard surface. I straighten the wheel and race past another narrow intersection with my sights on the surface street just ahead.

  The SUV cuts into the alley, barely able to fit in the narrow space but he does it like a pro. The mirrors on either side of the SUV are shredded to bits, scraping against the brick. I close my eyes and pray for the best as we exit the first alley, jumping over the curb, and then into the next alley.

  “Shit,” I grind out when I see the SUV doing the same, barely escaping being clipped by a semi-trailer. I pound my fist against the steering wheel and start looking for my next out. We blaze right past an intersection of narrow passageways and I regret not trying to make a hard right turn. Just as we’re about to exit the alley, another black SUV careens into the alleyway just ahead of me. One foot slams against the brake and for a split second, I try to figure out what to do. There’s a car behind me and a car in front of me.

  I throw the shifter into reverse and hold one hand against the back of Anna’s seat as I cock my head over my shoulder and race backwards in reverse. It’s going to be a close call trying to whisk us into the intersecting alley before the SUV gets to us first, but it’s a risk I have to take.

  The man behind me speeds up, accelerating faster and faster down the alley. Just when I spin the steering wheel sideways and back into the intersection, the SUV plows into the front of the car.

  The car, half situated in the alley and half situated in the intersection is thrown back sideways so that the back of the car slams against hard brick. I look over to check that Anna is okay and she’s handling this surprising well. I mean, she’s certainly not a pro or anything, but wild eyes and silence is better than screaming, I suppose.

  Once again, it’s pedal to the metal as I begin to accelerate in reverse down the narrow passageway. Sparks fly through the air as the metal of the car scrapes against the brick exteriors. I’m starting to think going to get this car back was a huge mistake, but at least now I have a valid excuse as to why Dom is short one more car.

  I hear the sound of gunfire first, and then see it second. Bullets begin peppering the front windshield. I scream at Anna, “Get down.”

  She does as instructed, ducking underneath the dash with her hands held over her head. The glass shatters just as we reach the end of the alleyway and reverse out into flowing traffic. We’re slammed at the side, sending the car into a tailspin until we’re lodged against the alley, effectively blocking it.

  There are remnants of glass everywhere and the engine has stalled. Though I’m slightly disoriented from the crash, I have enough of my wits to realize that the SUV is still barreling straight towards us. Anna raises her head, and it’s like I’m watching her in slow motion. She’s so damn innocent, certainly too innocent for what’s about to happen next.

  My lips tremble as I try to force the words from my throat, but it’s too late. The SUV collides into the passenger side of the car, sending us rolling sideways into the road where traffic has come to a stop. My hands brace against the roof as we roll upside down and hang from our seatbelts.

  I’m trying to catch my breath, trying to figure out a way to get the both of us out alive, but my mind is racing a mile a minute. Boots crunch against broken glass. My eyes shift to the side to get a glance at the road outside. Three sets of boots, all marching towards the car.

  Upside down, Anna’s hair flirts with the roof of the car. She reaches for her belt and unclicks it, sending her to tumble against the roof of the car. I do the same, relieving the belt from around my chest and drop down. I pass her a quick glance and catch that she’s three seconds away from a panic attack.

  I reach across the short distance between us to comb one hand through her long brown hair and then hold her firmly by her head. “We need to get out of here,” I say, my lips moving a mile a minute. “As soon as you hit the pavement, I need you to run into the alley just up ahead and don’t look back no matter what.”

  She nods, in complete understanding of what I need her to do. She’s been around men like this before, but it’s always been in controlled settings. This is the real world though and I don’t think she has any idea of the danger we might be in. I jut my feet outwards and kick the door open. I make quick work climbing through the wrecked door and then spin and grab her hand to assist her outwards.

  She looks at me, kneeling on her knees. Her chest heaves, she moves to speak, but words don’t come out.

  “Go,” I remind her and push her forward.

  She climbs to her feet and races across the city street with her head bowed down and her hands held over her head. I’m right behind her, using my body to shield her. Just as we cut into the alley, I crane my head over my shoulder to see three men giving us chase.

  “You need to go faster,” I say to her, thankful that she changed out of her heels before we left. No matter how sexy she always looks in them, looking sexy doesn’t mean a thing if you’re dead.

  I push one hand firm against her back to drive her forward faster. Her shoes patter roughly against the cracked pavement beneath us but all I can hear is the commotion from the scene behind us and her heavy breathing. She cuts around a corner and just before I do the same, I take another glance behind me to notice the three men all running with pistols in their hands.

  I’m always looking for my escape route and right now is no different. Even in the heat of the moment, it’s imperative to be able to think. I race in front of her, not because I plan to leave her behind, but because I’m about to make my next move and I need to know that she’s right behind me.

  There’s a metal door to our right, stained with rust from years of abuse. On the door is a sign that reads, Parker’s Book Haven. Now, I’m not usually one to step foot into a library, but right now it might just be the thing that saves both of our lives.

  I come to a stop and drop my hand against the doorknob. It twists slightly but it doesn’t budge. It’s locked. I catch Anna out of the corner of my eye, staring nervously down the narrow alley and waiting for the men to round the corner. Once they do, it might as well be game over.

  With my palm still around the doorknob, I brace the weight of my body against the door and throw myself against it. The door thumps but it doesn't open so I attempt to force it open again. The weight of my strong body is enough to force it open on the second try. I reach back, grab Anna's hand and pull her inside before closing the door quickly behind us.

  We find ourselves in a dark stock room with the mild scent of musk and dust. It's quiet back here, but places that sell books tend to be quiet just like libraries. Knowing the men could soon follow us inside, I search through the dark space and settle my eyes on a metal shelving unit.

  I grab the shelving unit forcefully and drag it backwards until it's blockading the door.

  I turn to grab Anna's hand once more. “We need to go.”

  She is still shaken from the car accident so she doesn't say much, but she simply nods. With her small hand interlocked with mine, I pull her forward and towards a door where light slips under the cracks. I pull the door slightly open and take a peek at the bookstore inside. It’s quiet and there aren’t a lot of customers. From my vantage point, all I can see is one customer sitting at a table reading a book and an employee standing behind a cash register.

  I pull the door open enough f
or both Anna and I to slip through and close it quietly behind. We pass a series of bookshelves and cut into the historical romance aisle. At the front of the store, there are floor-to-ceiling windows with a small circular table and two chairs at each. As we pace down the long aisle of romance books, I take notice of three men racing down the sidewalk outside. I reach for Anna and pull her close, push her right up against the bookshelf. They are the same men that were previously following us down the alley.

  These are dangerous people. Whatever they want doesn’t matter at this point, but they’re obviously not worried about being brought to justice if they’re capable of doing this in broad daylight. For that matter, I must have really pissed someone off. Now, I'm just hoping that they don't see us.

  I dig into my pocket, grab my phone and dial my brother's number. I place the phone against my ear and listen to the ringing. With each ring that passes and he doesn't pick up, I grow more and more annoyed that he is never there when I seem to need him. Ever since the Seth Grimm incident, he's been different.

  “You've reached the voicemail of Zach Richards, the superior Richards twin. You know what to do.”

  “Shit,” I huff under my breath and force my phone back into my pocket.

  My eyes drop to meet Anna’s gaze. And I swear when I look at her, all I can see is her innocence. Her innocence that is now threatened to be stolen away from her. I don't know where this day is going to lead but whatever happens, I know that she will not be the same person that she woke up as. Whoever these men are, whatever they want, they are going to irrevocably change her life.

  I just hope she has the strength and the endurance. I just hope she the willpower to survive.

  I cock my head to look out the window once more to see that the men are gone, but if my intuition is right, I know they are coming right back.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  ANNA

  His gaze is lost, staring out the large picturesque windows. The world outside looks calm, if not busy, but I know it’s anything but. There’s a world of danger out there and I’ve more than had my fill of an adventure.

  I turn my attention back to Zane. He stands tall above me and with his body pressed against mine, it’s like he’s my shield or my protector. His muscles are strong beneath the thin fabric of his shirt and though we’re in the midst of crisis, I can’t help but to massage him gently with my hand held firmly against his steel chest.

  His gaze drops to meet mine and it’s almost like he misses a breath. From underneath my palm, I can feel his heart racing. It’s funny that I almost think it’s racing faster than mine.

  Almost.

  It would be impossible for a talented, measured and experienced man like him to ever feel the same level of fear that I'm feeling right now. I have been around many dangerous men, but they have always been in a controlled setting, usually in the basement of the factory. Down there, in what I called earlier nothing more than a musky tomb, I was safe.

  But I don't feel very safe right now, even with Zane standing before me, even with his body pressed so close to mine. I feel like I'm living a bad dream. I wonder if this is what he felt like the first time he encountered danger like this. That was a good twenty years ago, and I'm not even sure he would be able to remember the first time he was afraid of anything. It's not just him either. All of the other men at Ford Security are amazing at what they do. They have the kind of strength only the willfully strong can possess. They're strong and capable, and protective as hell not just to the people closest to them but to everyone they encounter.

  I drag my hand across his chest, reveling in the way his heart races beneath my touch. In my deepest fantasies, it's my touch that is making his heart race and not the danger we found ourselves it. In my fantasy, he pushes me even deeper against the bookshelf and he pins his knee between my thighs. And then he kisses me, drops his mouth right against mine and pulls me inside out with his tongue. And then…

  I shake my head gently, realizing that this is not the time to be thinking about my wildest fantasies. Fantasies that will probably never come true. Right now, I need to be thinking about getting out of this situation alive. I swallow nervously and cock my head upwards so that I can get a good view of him. His eyes are still staring out the picturesque windows.

  I think he notices me staring at him. He trains his head down to look me in the eyes and I just about melt. I just about melt all the way into the hard surface of the floor. He's so tall, so handsome, so brave and strong. He's everything I've ever wanted in a man, but I'm too much of a pussy to ever actually say anything.

  The eye contact almost becomes uncomfortable, not because I don't enjoy him looking at me, but because I'm not used to having a man like him looking at me the way he is looking at me. He drops his head slightly, drops it just enough so that his eyes level with mine. And his lips too. He breathes hot fire, scorching the flesh of my lips with hot desire. And I think to myself, I think that maybe my fantasy could become a reality. He drops his head just a little more, just like he's about to kiss me. His lips hover above mine, and I feel his breath against my own mouth. I find my heart racing even faster than before, probably racing even faster than his.

  This is my chance. This is my perhaps one opportunity to take matters into my own hands. I've been dreaming of this moment since I first started at Ford Security. I've always believed it was nothing more than a wild fantasy of a naïve, sheltered woman.

  One of his hands drops against the top of my head, his fingers comb through my hair, pushing it out of the way so that it’s not in my face. His lip wrinkles into some kind of a beautiful smile and if I thought I was melting into the floor before, I'm really about to turn into a pool of mush. I'm honestly terrified, but I'm not going to lie—the adrenaline rushing through my veins brings about a euphoric feeling. Combine that euphoric feeling with the feeling of dread hanging high over my head, and it's a potent combination of mixed feelings.

  Here in this bookstore, here with him, even in the midst of the excitement outside, I still somehow feel safe. He exhales sharply, the gentle breeze of his breath brushes against my lips. His steel body is still in front of me, the hardness of his muscles almost delicate underneath my soft touch.

  I shake my head and cast away all of my thoughts, retreat from his touch just slightly enough so that there is a few inches of space between us. It's only with this breathing room that I am able to screw my head back on straight.

  And again, this certainly isn't the time to open up about my feelings, particularly not when out of the corner of my eye, I see the three men approaching the front door of the library.

  “I think they're coming back,” I whisper under my breath and swallow a gulp. Once more, his eyes shift back to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The first of the three men pull open the door. And when they walk inside, I swear I can feel their footsteps as their boots collide with the floor. Zane grabs me by my shoulder and drags me backwards. He places one finger against his lips, shushing me as he lets go of me.

  Zane twists and begins stepping slowly and quietly down the aisle. I follow his lead, cock my head over my shoulder to get a good look at the three men. They all basically look the same. Each one is a little over six feet tall, with dark black hair that is slicked back over their heads. Each has deep, dark hunted eyes. I contemplate whether or not those three men might be triplets, but I quickly come to the understanding that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who they are. All that matters is that they are either trying to kill us or take us, and I'm not sure which one would be worse.

  I overhear the first of the three men talking to the bookstore attendant, questioning whether or not she has seen a younger woman with a man. I take pleasure in the smallest of things, such as being referred to as young when I’m anything but. She shakes her head incredulously and stammers out that she has not. There's a fearful look scribbled across her face, almost like she knows that these are not good men. But isn't that something we all possess? The innate ability to look evil
right in the face and recognize it for what it is.

  The man stands in front of the woman while his two goons begin searching through the store. Looking through an empty space on the shelves, I lock eyes with one of the two men searching for us. I throw myself downwards, ducking out of the way and pray under my breath that he didn't see me. When I cock my eyes over to Zane, he also drops low to the floor.

  My heart is racing, pounding, about to beat right out of my chest. But there's something about the way Zane looks at me, something about the way he's able to calm me, something just right about him that allows me to catch my breath and focus on the task at hand, which at the current moment is simply escaping without being noticed.

  He twists back on his feet and begins heading towards the same back door that we came in through. He looks over his shoulder once more to make sure that I'm following him and in the process he accidentally knocks a large book off of one of the shelves. It lands with a thud against the hard floor.

  We both freeze in place, and I swear I can hear both of our hearts beating in tandem. This is how I die, I think to myself in the brief moments of silence that follows the collision of the book against the floor. I hope against all odds that somehow the man didn't manage to hear it, but any doubt I could potentially have is erased the second the bullets start flying.

  Zane lunges backwards to protect my body with his own. He pushes roughly against my back, driving me forward and closer towards the door. Bullets tear through books and chip away at the bookshelves while the few customers in the store scream in the background. Bullets shatter the windows, tearing apart every single thing they touch.

  The back door is within my reach so I jump to my feet and rip the door open, Zane follows closely behind. I twist on my feet as he closes the door behind us and hold his hand tightly around the doorknob. I'm still trying to catch my breath, still trying to come to terms with the danger I’ve found myself in when bullets began to tear through the door.