already. They’d given her a new life when she desperately needed one. How could she possibly thank him for this?
The engine revved, and the car sped away.
“Okay, I think we’re good.” His voice was deep, deeper than she remembered, and his proximity warmed her chilled skin. His denim-blue eyes scanned the area and then focused on her. “You can get up now.”
He stood first and winced when he touched his left shoulder.
“You’re bleeding.” Mackenzie gasped. “You’ve been shot!”
“It isn’t from this. I just ripped my stitches is all. Don’t worry about it.”
“We should call an ambulance.”
He checked the street and finally looked at her, his blue eyes almost gray. “What we should do is get off the street.”
Mackenzie glanced around. The sound of sirens was getting closer. Probably someone in the coffee shop had called 911. “Do you think whoever shot at me will come back and try again?”
Eric shrugged, as though being shot at was no big deal. “I wouldn’t rule it out.”
“Are you going to make me leave Phoenix? I like it here.”
His forehead crinkled in confusion. It was a nice forehead. What was wrong with her? Eric was her handler; she wasn’t supposed to think he was good-looking.
He motioned to the coffee shop. “We should at least go inside.”
“Right. People might need help.”
Mackenzie needed something to focus on aside from the weirdness that seemed to resonate between her and Eric. That had never happened before.
Eric usually wore a suit and tie. Maybe it was the jeans and a black T-shirt he was wearing that made him different. He seemed relaxed...and tired.
“Is there a reason you’re staring at me?”
Mackenzie turned away, praying he didn’t see the awkwardness. So unprofessional. She spoke over her shoulder as she walked. “I’m going to see if they have a first-aid kit.”
Inside the coffee shop, broken glass crunched under her feet. The two baristas and half-dozen customers looked shaken, but no one seemed to be injured.
Eric entered right behind her, probably intent on protecting his charge. He’d always been efficient. It was probably why they gave him the responsibility of working in witness protection.
Mackenzie went to the barista, crouched by an older man who seemed to be having trouble breathing. “Do you have any medical supplies? My friend is bleeding.”
* * *
The woman who’d made Aaron’s Americano jumped up and ran behind the counter. He stepped away from the crazy lady who’d launched herself at him—that part hadn’t been all bad—and tried to ignore the sting in his shoulder.
He crouched in front of the old man clutching at his chest. “Take a breath. Blow it out slow and try to relax.”
Outside, the sirens grew to deafening proportions. Aaron turned just as two police cars and an ambulance parked on the street outside. He looked back at the old man again. “Medics are here.”
The man’s brow flickered. “Army?” His voice was barely audible.
“Yes, sir. Good guess.” He wondered what the old man would say if Aaron told him he wasn’t just army, but Delta Force. But that wasn’t something anyone but close relatives could know.
Aaron glanced around. The crazy lady stared intently at the door the barista had disappeared behind. She looked shell-shocked, which he didn’t blame her for, since she’d just been shot at on the street. He’d never seen anything like that stateside, except in the news. It was usually contained to the war zones his team was dropped into, not downtown Phoenix.
Some trip to come and see his brother this was turning out to be. First Aaron’s twin was too busy to see him, and then he suddenly had to fly to D.C. for whatever reason a U.S. marshal needed to be somewhere. A federal court case was the obvious guess. Why didn’t he know more about what Eric did?
He’d figured they could spend some time together, reconnect. That wasn’t going to happen now. Aaron had been bouncing around his hotel room earlier before he ran out for coffee just for the sake of something to do. Anything was better than staring at the ceiling trying to sleep.
EMTs raced in, carrying their bulky bags. Aaron got up and out of the way. He looked at the woman he’d collided with. She dressed kind of dowdy, but she had nice eyes. It was a shame she was loopy, and paranoid. Just because someone had been shooting in her direction didn’t mean they were out to get her.
Her arms were folded, the sleeves of her wool cardigan pulled down over her hands. She clutched her elbows, making herself look small. Vulnerable.
Aaron stepped closer to her. “Are you okay?”
She really did look shaken. Maybe all this was for real. He’d have to make sure the cops looked out for her if she really was in some kind of trouble. But what trouble could a harmless-looking woman be in?
Her eyes locked with his. Beyond her, three cops stood huddled on the sidewalk and she motioned to them with a tilt of her head. “What do I tell them?”
“The truth is probably a good plan.”
Her face paled. “I guess. Someone did just try to kill me.”
She looked as though she believed it. So was she a great actress, or was she really onto something? “The police can help. You can’t hold back anything from them.”
“Okay. I can do this.” She gave him a short nod. “I can tell them I’m in witness protection, if you think it’s for the best.”
“You’re...what?” Aaron sucked in a breath and choked. “Do not tell them that.”
A uniformed police officer strode in, all business as though this was an everyday occurrence, and maybe it was. Maybe she hadn’t just told him what he thought she had. Witness protection? Surely that wasn’t something you just blurted out.
Mackenzie’s face jerked from the cop to him and her eyes widened, as though she wanted to latch on to him for safety. Why was she looking at him that way?
The cop looked between them. “You folks all right?”
She shifted up on her toes, as though she was anxious to leave. “My name is Mackenzie Winters and someone just tried to kill me.”
The cop’s eyes widened. “I’m Officer Parkwell. Maybe you should tell me what happened.”
Mackenzie. It wasn’t the name of a woman you overlooked—it was too special for that. Aaron liked it. She looked at him, as if she was asking for permission. He shook his head.
She should definitely not tell the cop she was in witness protection. Why had she told him? They didn’t even know each other. There was probably a procedure
