Page 23 of Under His Guard

Luke

I grunt as Clara rounds the corner and runs right into me. She looks panicked, and I notice the way her hair looks disheveled.

Shit. I knew it.

Gripping her by the shoulders, I lower my face into her view, trying to get her to focus on me.

“Clara! Whoa, whoa. It’s Luke.”

Her eyes go wide before she calms slightly. Her hands come to my forearms, and her thin fingers dig in.

“Luke?” She shakes her head. “Oh my God!”

Clara crushes herself against me in a hug. But she pulls away too soon, looking over her shoulder, her eyes frantic.

I follow the trail of her gaze toward the back of the building. “Are they here?”

When she snaps her attention back to me, my chest squeezes at the obvious fear in Clara’s expression.

“Yes,” she says in a hushed whisper. “I don’t know how this is happening. It’s that guy from the hospital.”

I grind my molars, quickly moving Clara away from the building and toward the busier area in front of the antique store.

Cars were still passing randomly by here. The Cobras wouldn’t want to risk being seen.

I take the good doc by the shoulders again, putting myself front and center before those green eyes of hers. “It’s okay. Did you call the police?”

“I got through on the phone in my kitchen for a few seconds. The guy grabbed my cell. I—wait. How are you here?”

Confusion knits Clara’s brow, and she shakes her head.

A small amount of guilt creeps up my spine, and I close my eyes before admitting the truth.

“I followed you.”

When I look back up, Clara gapes at me, her brows hitting her hairline as her stare widens again.

She takes a step back, and I have to remind myself I have no right to her touch—as much as I want it.

“You what?”

Straightening up to my full height, I sigh.

“I knew they would try something. Just be glad my instincts were right. They won’t come out here. They don’t want witnesses or another person to deal with, for that matter.”

“You followed me.” Clara’s head jostles as she tries to contain the emotions clearly building inside her. “You followed me. From your apartment. When I specifically said, don’t follow me.”

Her frustration boils over, and I let her have a bit of space as Clara starts to pace in a small circle. Her hands go to her hips as she walks, and I can see a slight tremble.

“Dammit! Why is this happening? What even is my life right now?! I’m supposed to be enjoying a rare evening off, for fuck’s sake!”

She’s still in her scrubs, and it’s not exactly warm outside. That knowledge makes me want to offer my coat, but I know she won’t take it.

“We did everything we could for that patient.” She groans, stopping in front of me. “Who the hell are these guys? Why are they out for blood?”

With a sigh, I look around the corner, checking for any sign of them. But I think they’ve heard us talking at this point and fucked off to avoid getting caught.

Which is, of course, too bad. Some jail time is exactly what the Cobras all need.

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