She liked Shane’s clear answer, so she didn’t add one of her own. She stood up, ready to march back to the car with Shane. He’d launch into a lecture at some point, and in light of the information they’d just learned, she thought she might deserve one.
But they had to get out of there. Well, she did. If she looked at Frank for one more second, she might punch him just on principle.
“We should leave.” She wrapped a hand around Shane’s arm and tugged.
He didn’t move. “Do you understand me, Frank?”
“Fine.” He had taken two steps when the crack echoed through the trees.
Makena didn’t understand what she was hearing, but it sounded wrong. As she turned toward the parking lot, where she thought the sound had come from, a pounding weight nailed her in the back. The world flashed in front of her as her body went down. She put out her hands and waited for the ground to smash into her face. But she felt a tug and turned in midair. Not by choice. Something moved her. It took a second for her to realize Shane had wrapped his body around hers.
She landed with a bounce against his chest. He groaned but didn’t stop moving. He rolled her under him, pressing her back into the freshly cut grass and her face into his chest. She was about to ask him what was happening when the screaming registered. She heard voices and crying. Glanced up and saw people running. Then Shane’s weight lifted.
“Do not move.” He issued the order as he went.
She followed the flash of his body. In a few steps he hit Frank and knocked him to the ground. They both went down with Frank falling under Shane and neither man moving.
Tires squealed and sirens wailed in the distance. It took her brain another few seconds to kick into gear. A shooting. Someone had fired at her or Shane or Frank. Maybe at all of them. She doubted this was a coincidence and they’d just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Someone knew they were there or followed them...maybe Frank had been lying all along. The long list of possibilities made her dizzy.
Her gaze flicked to him. He lay on his stomach with his arms folded over his head. His whole body bucked as he said something she couldn’t make out. Tears. The man was in a full-blown panicked cry. She sympathized. She also doubted a shooting mastermind would act like that.
Then Shane was by her side. He slid to his knees and pulled her up in his arms. His hands rubbed up and down her back as he rocked her. “Are you okay?”
“Is it over?” she stammered. She’d never tripped over her words before the attacks. Now she spent half her time trying to find the right word and spit it out.
“Makena?” Shane ran his hands over her. “Any injuries?”
Just from where he’d clunked her against the ground, but she didn’t care about that. She snuggled closer into his chest. “I’m fine.”
He held her for a few more seconds, mumbling soft words to her that made no sense but managed to soothe her. And she held on. Grabbed on to him with a death grip and refused to let go.
He finally let go, not seeming to notice she didn’t. “I need to check on everyone.”
“Don’t leave me.” She knew her answer came off as selfish and maybe a bit crazed, but she didn’t care. Irrational was all she had right then.
“It’s okay.” Each word he uttered sounded measured and calm.
“No.” That was all she could get out as she sat there all tucked and hiding from the world.
He slid that new phone out of his pocket and pushed a button. “Cam is on the line. Talk to him while I do a quick look.”
He got away from her that time. Shifted to a crouch as he scanned the area.
“You could be killed.” And that would destroy her. She’d lost control of her life, and the world kept spinning around her, but she knew that much. Losing him would rip her open until she’d never be whole again.
“The police are coming. Do you hear the sirens?” He caressed her cheek. “They are on the way, which would have made the shooter run.”
Logical. Made sense. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to process common sense at the moment. But she tried. “You better be right.”
“I am.” He leaned in and kissed her. A soft peck on her forehead, more calming than heating.
He got up and went to a lady hiding under a picnic table nearby. Makena watched until Frank blocked her view. He scrambled over to her with a pale face and a drip of blood running down from a cut over his eye.
She knew she should rush to help, but all the energy had drained out of her. She sat there unable to move. “You’re bleeding.”
Frank touched his fingers to his head and stared at the red on the tips. “From the guy knocking me down.”