Chapter 3

ABIGEAL

IT HAD been a few days since the staged shooting.

After I ran off that night, I’d heard people running after me, yelling for me to stop. I already had a head start though, and I ducked into an alleyway so they ran past me.

The night had been a success though; Morgan had called to tell me that rumors were circulating about the founders of Sunset Corp, Blaine Daniels and Jordan Alonso, being concerned for their safety after Blaine almost lost his life.

He’d asked what exactly I hoped to achieve with this, but I brushed him off. He’d find out soon enough.

For phase two of my plan, I was sitting in a popular lunch spot near my target’s workplace, knowing he was a regular there. I took a seat near his usual spot where I was sure to be noticed and ordered food off the menu.

I had to admit that I’d been eating better since this whole thing started. Perks of an expense account.

I didn’t have to wait long. I was halfway into my meal and had just raised forkful of pasta to my lips when I felt my skin tingle. I glanced up to see him staring directly at me, surprise coating his ridiculously handsome face.

For a moment, my heart picked up as I remembered the way I’d been entrapped by his blue eyes before I quickly shut it down.

I heard him murmur something to the people he’d come with and walk up to my table, drenching me in the scent of his cologne.

“If it isn’t my hero” his voice floated to me, amusement lightening the tones. “Do you mind if I join you?”

I gestured to the empty seat across from me. “It’s yours if you want it, sir.”

He sat and looked at me for a disturbingly long period of time. “I’d wondered if I’d ever see you again. You ran off before I could thank you.”

I cleared my throat, drank some water. “I’m sorry. It’s just that…everything happened so quickly. I was in shock. I just wanted to be back in my home, where it was safe.” I injected a slight tremor into my voice, knowing it worked when his eyes shone with empathy.

“I understand how you might have felt. Still, I’m really grateful to you. I might not be here if it weren’t for you. Allow me to thank you in some way.”

I shook my head. “That isn’t necessary, Mr...”

“Daniels. Blaine Daniels.”

“Mr. Daniels. I was simply in the right place at the right time.”

He shot me a smile that made me look away for a second.

“You saved my life. I think it’s fair if you just call me Blaine, don’t you?”

“As you wish. You don’t need to do anything for me.”

“So you’ve said. However, I won’t be at peace until I’ve done something for you in return. At least let me pay for your lunch.” As he said this, a waiter came over, practically groveling at the chance to take his order.

“It’s okay, I already paid.” I replied, finishing up my dish and draining my glass of water. “It was really nice seeing you again under different circumstances, Mr. Daniels.”

I stood up and walked out the door.

Disappointment started to trickle through me as I walked into the midday pedestrian crowd, but it disappeared when I heard his voice at my ear.

Like I’d hoped, he’d followed me out. “You’re robbing me of my lunch, miss.” Added to the amusement in his tone were hints of curiosity.

“By all means, go back to it. Why are you following me?”

“Because I don’t think you lost my card. I think you just decided to not reach out.”

“I already told you I don’t need a reward.” I increased my pace, my eyes searching the crowd for one particular person. My target more than matched my pace.

“I didn’t say you could only call for a reward,” he said.

I spotted the person the same time he spotted me and started walking towards me.

“I have other business to attend to, Mr. Daniels, so if you would excuse me.”

“Didn’t I just say you should call me Blaine?”

A man in a large coat came towards us and I followed his movement. I saw him pull out a glistening knife, going directly for my target’s gut.

I let it get really close, then shot out a hand and caught the man’s wrist. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I said loud enough for people nearby to stop and stare.

My target stopped too, his eyes growing wide at the knife barely a whisper away from his belly. The man looked up at us in alarm, then frantically started trying to yank his wrist out of my grip. He succeeded on the second try, slicing my wrist in the process, and took off running.

“Hey!” Blaine yelled and both of us started sprinting after the guy with the knife. I could see him in front of us, although blocked by a sea of oblivious people who we tried to sidestep instead of shoving them aside like he was doing.

When we finally escaped the crowd, I caught sight of him fleeing round a corner. With more space to run, I turned on the speed, my target not far behind me. We turned the corner and then another, and another, until we turned one and there was no sight of him.

I stopped my target with an arm, my chest heaving from the exertion.

“Wait. It could be a trap.”

“What?” He asked, his breaths a bit steadier than mine.

“He could be leading us into a trap. I think we should turn back and call the police,” I explained.

“Good idea.”

We started retracing our steps as he pulled out his phone and made a call, though I had a feeling it wasn’t the police.

When he ended it, I spoke. “First the shooter, then you were almost sliced open in a public place. Someone must really want you dead.”

Oh, the irony.

He shook his head. “Once again I owe you many thanks. How do you even spot these things? Some kind of training?”

Here we go. “I served in the military for a while. We’re trained to ‘spot these things’.”

He stopped and stared at me. “I guess that explains the formality, the sharp instincts and the speed.”

I said nothing.

We were getting close to the place where the incident had started when a car pulled up and Jordan Alonso stepped out. He didn’t look pleased.

I looked at my watch and cursed. “I’m going to be late for work, ”I started walking away.

In truth, I just didn’t want to be near Jordan. I had a feeling he might be able to see right through me, being less prone to emotions than my target.

He turned to me. “Are you going to run off after saving me yet again?”

“I really need to go. I’ll get in trouble with my boss.” I flicked a glance in Jordan’s direction. Damn he was a fast walker.

My target sighed. “At least tell me your name.”

Finally. I’d gotten far enough that I needed to raise my voice to answer. “Abigeal Starr.”

He nodded. “See you later, Miss Starr.”

Somehow, I didn’t doubt that.