Hamilton laughed when Laz released a string of curses. His friend didn’t want to admit it, but he was in love with attorney Journey Ramsey. It didn’t matter that she was a state prosecutor who challenged most of Laz’s cases.

  Hamilton parked his truck in the first available spot up the street and grabbed Dakota’s jacket from the passenger seat. Before shutting off his truck, he switched to his cell phone to continue the conversation.

  “That woman will forever be a gorgeous thorn in my side. Giving me hell is putting it mildly.”

  Hamilton started to tease him but noticed a dark vehicle creeping up the street with its lights out.

  “Are you still there?” Laz asked. “What are you doing?”

  “Stay on the line, man,” Hamilton said as he eased around to the other side of his vehicle, slipping the handgun he usually carried from his ankle holster. Some things he did out of habit, like checking out his surroundings and noting when something seemed out of order. Then there were other times when an ominous feeling licked at his nerves—that’s when he got into protection mode and armed himself. Right now, his intuition was screaming that something was about to go down.

  He glanced at Dakota’s building. He could barely see her behind the guy with the wide shoulders, but the way her arms were flopping around, it was safe to say they were still in a heated discussion.

  Hamilton’s heart rate amped up. He had been a cop long enough to know that as slow as the car was moving, whoever the passengers were, they were definitely up to no good.

  He remained out of sight and close to his truck until the vehicle crept past him. Then on a whim, he glanced at the license plate.

  “Laz, I have a plate for you. Queens, Nora, Tom, 9705.” Hamilton rattled off the license plate number, his police training kicking in. “A dark four-door Chevy with tinted windows just past me with no headli—”

  Hamilton flinched when gunshots pierced the quietness of the night.

  “Shots fired!” he ground into the phone and jerked back to the other side of his truck as the individuals in the vehicle opened fire on Dakota’s building.

  He could barely hear Laz calling his name when screams erupted. A car going in the opposite direction slammed on their brakes. People on the sidewalks scattered. Within seconds, the hit car peeled away.

  Hamilton took off in a sprint toward the building. He yelled the address to Laz, knowing he’d heard the gunshots.

  “A black and white is on the way,” his friend said into his ear. “And I’ll be there shortly.”

  A sense of foreboding crawled through Hamilton’s body, unsure of what he would find when he reached the building. Still holding Dakota’s jacket, he pocketed his cell phone and kept his gun at his side as he slowed. Maybe Wesley’s fear for his daughter’s life wasn’t as far-fetched as she thought.

  Another scream came from inside the building once he neared the entrance. Shards of glass from the double doors littered the sidewalk, as well as inside the lobby.

  Hamilton eased his gun into the back waistband of his pants, making sure his jacket covered the piece as he entered the building. Foreboding inched through him when he spotted a body. The man Dakota had been arguing with lay lifeless, bullet holes in the back and blood painting part of the floor around him.

  Some of the neighbors had ventured into the hallway, one with a phone to his ear sounding as if he was talking to a 911 operator, and another woman screaming for someone to do something. Both were standing in the middle of the staircase, keeping their distance.

  Hamilton’s heart kicked against his ribcage as his gaze darted around the space, the pressure in his chest mounting.

  Where the hell was Dakota?

  He quickly checked the unmoving man for a pulse.

  “Is he…is he dead?” the frantic woman asked, not as crazed as she’d been a moment ago. The man on the phone looked as if he was waiting for Hamilton’s response as well.

  “Yeah. Everyone stay back. I already called this in, and the cops are on the way,” he said. He still had no idea what had happened to Dakota, but he did see blood smudges that started near the victim’s body and got thinner a few feet away.

  He eased away from the body while the man and woman standing on the stairs weren’t paying attention and followed the trail. It stopped at the edge of a narrow hallway that curved around.

  Hamilton pulled up short and his body tensed.

  Hunkered down in a small area beneath the stairs, Dakota sat, blood covering her arms, hands, and the front of her sweater. Before Hamilton could say anything, her gaze shot up. She jerked back and bumped the wall. Her light honey-brown eyes were wide with alarm, and her face paled.

  But then she recognized him.

  Dakota opened her mouth to speak, but only a slight whimper came out as her chest heaved up and down rapidly. Her bloody hands and sweater stood out like a beacon of fire sitting on a hill.

  He swallowed hard, scanning her body as he eased toward her. The sounds of people coming out of their apartments and sirens in the distance faded to the background. At the moment, she was his only concern.

  Stooping down he moved his large body closer into the tight space, careful not to hit his head on the low ceiling. He kneeled next to her and set the jacket he’d been holding onto the floor.

  “Where are you hit?” he asked quietly.

  “I—I don’t…I—I’m not. Son—Sonny’s blood. So—so much blood.” Her voice cracked.

  Dakota lifted her shaking hands toward her face, but Hamilton stopped her by grabbing both wrists. He didn’t want her to get someone’s else’s blood on her face. He also still wasn’t convinced that she wasn’t hurt considering the amount of blood on her clothes.

  “I—I need to get to my apartment. They might come back.”

  Hamilton doubted they were coming back, at least not today, but he didn’t like the idea of her being in the open. Although hiding in the tight space beneath the stairs did give some cover.

  “Let me make sure you weren’t hit. I’m going to lift your sweater a little. Okay?”

  She nodded and shivered, her breathing increasing.

  “Does anything hurt?”

  “My butt. Can you check to see if I have a bruise?”

  Hamilton’s left brow arched as he looked down at her. When his hands stilled on her sweater, those long lashes shielding her eyes lifted, and she glanced up at him. Each time he stared into those gorgeous eyes, his pulse kicked up. He could almost hear the blood rushing from his brain to the lower part of his body, but now wasn’t the time for lustful thoughts. Dakota had said the words about her butt with a straight face, but he couldn’t determine if she was serious.

  Serious or not, there was no way in hell he was checking out her ass. He’d already had a hard time trying to block thoughts of her out of his mind. Considering she seemed to be sitting just fine, maybe she’d made the comment to get a rise out of him. It worked. He knew people who used humor to take their mind off of serious situations. Either way, he wasn’t going to torture himself any more than he had to.

  Still concerned about the blood covering her clothes, he made quick work of checking her for wounds, running his hands gently down her sides, hips, and legs. She winced a little when his hand grazed her left hip, but considering the amount of blood on her, he was shocked he didn’t find any bullet wounds.

  “What happened?” Hamilton asked and let her lean against him, noting that the adrenaline she’d been high on was probably subsiding. He had no idea how she’d been able to get to the back of the stairs.

  “S—Sonny and I had been arguing and then…shots rang out, like—like machine guns or something. Glass shattering and people screaming was all I heard. Hell, that’s all I’m still hearing.” She shook her head as if trying to shake the sounds free.

  “Did Sonny say anything?”

  Seconds ticked by and she didn’t speak but shivered again, her hands shaking slightly, and he cradled her against him fearing that she was going into shock.

  “He, um…grunted when he got hit and his eyes grew big.” Her voice cracked. “Sonny’s body jerked a few times, and…and he crashed into me and I fell hard on the floor. I—I was pinned under him,” her voice shook and she stared down at her hands before rubbing them on the thighs of her jeans. “I should’ve…I should’ve done something.”

  “Baby, there was nothing you could’ve done.” The endearment slipped through before he could stop it. She still had to talk with the cops and he didn’t want her to lose it yet by blaming herself for not doing more. “The shooting took place within ten seconds. You—”

  “I freaked when he was on top of me. I just knew I had to get away. I pretended it was a scene. I just kept pushing against him enough to get free, and…and then you came.”

  An overwhelming feeling Hamilton couldn’t describe came over him. He was glad he was there. Glad she wasn’t alone. He had seen enough dead bodies to know it could screw with your mind.

  Dakota glanced up at him and his breath hitched as tears filled her eyes, but then she quickly looked away.

  “I—I need to go. All of this…this blood. I need to get to my apartment,” she mumbled.

  Hamilton was thinking the same thing, but not for the same reasons as her. He was pretty sure those guys weren’t coming back, but if she’d been the target, the gunmen would find a way to determine if she was dead. And if she hadn’t been the target, she was still a witness.

  “Where’s your apartment?” It wasn’t a good idea to move her from the scene, but Hamilton planned to treat her like he’d treat one of his charges that he was guarding. His number-one priority in those situations was to make sure his client was safe.

  “Down the hall.” Dakota lifted a trembling finger and pointed to the left. “Apartment 105.”

  Hamilton heard more frantic voices nearby and sirens getting closer. He needed to move her now before it got too crowded.

  “Let’s go.” He lifted her from the floor before she could protest and eased down the hall.

  Chapter Nine

  Hamilton leaned against Dakota’s kitchen counter watching as Laz and his partner, Detective Ashton Chambers, questioned her. So much for just dropping off a jacket and leaving. This evening hadn't turned out the way Hamilton anticipated. It just went to show that it didn’t matter how much you planned, your life could change or end in a heartbeat.

  Considering Dakota had witnessed a murder and could have easily been a victim, she was holding up pretty good. After she showered, he had given her a glass of scotch to help calm her nerves. Now her eyes were partially open and it probably wouldn’t take much for her to fall asleep.

  Hamilton pushed away from the counter and walked across the open space to the living room. “Guys, how about giving her a little break?” he asked and nodded his head toward the kitchen, hoping they’d follow.

  “Actually, that’s a good idea. I need to return a call. Be back in a few,” Ashton said and headed for the door.

  Laz followed Hamilton to the kitchen. “You all right?” he asked, looking at him with concern.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Hamilton reclaimed his position next to the counter and Laz stood partially in front of him. It was clear he wanted to talk without Dakota hearing.

  “What were you even doing here?” he whispered. With the open floor plan, it didn’t give much privacy for conversation.

  “I met her the other day. Justin introduced us on the set of—”

  “Wait. Is this the stuntwoman?” Laz asked and Hamilton frowned. He couldn’t remember mentioning her. “Dom told me about her and that he got her telephone number for you.”

  Hamilton shook his head. “That kid talks too damn much. Does he tell you everything?”

  “Yep, as he should.”

  Laz and Dominic’s relationship had been like that from the day the kid started talking. Hamilton wasn’t an insecure man, but the bond between those two could’ve given him a complex. Instead, he was glad Dominic had several strong men in his life.

  “We happened to run into each other the other day at Supreme,” Hamilton explained.

  “Is she a client?”

  “No. She’s Wesley Bradford’s daughter.”

  Laz’s mouth dropped opened and Hamilton almost laughed. His friend was rarely at a loss for words, but he listened as Hamilton gave him the short version of that day in the conference room. He hadn’t been the only one to suffer at the hands of Wesley. His family and closest friends had gone through hell right along with him. Laz was one of few who knew what happened years ago and had no love for the man.

  Laz narrowed his eyes and then glanced at Dakota before returning his attention to Hamilton.

  “That gorgeous woman is that bastard’s daughter?” he said in a loud whisper. “You’re shitting me.”

  “Nope. When I ran into Wesley the other day, I thought I’d be calling you to bail me out of jail. All the hate I felt for him years ago came to the forefront and I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze.”

  “Glad you refrained from killing the guy. What’s up with her dad?”

  “He’s been receiving threatening letters and wants Dakota protected. He thinks she might be in danger, but she refused a bodyguard. According to her, Wesley being threatened is nothing new. Go figure.”

  Hamilton had a feeling Dakota would change her mind about getting some type of protection after what happened tonight.

  “Damn.” Laz glanced into the living room again. “Well, there is a way you can fuck with old Wes and really make him sorry for the shit he put you through.”

  Hamilton was almost afraid to ask. “And that is?”

  “Marry his daughter.”

  “Yeah, right. That’s never going to happen.”

  “Why not? You’re finally ready to settle down, and I can already tell by the way she’s been stealing glances at you that she’s interested.”

  “Man, quit. She was almost killed tonight. Whatever look you think you saw was probably fear.”

  “Nah, man. Any other woman would have totally freaked out and would probably be bawling their eyes out, but not her. She hasn’t shed a tear.”

  Hamilton sighed, not bothering to respond because he thought the same thing. She might’ve been a badass stuntwoman, but what she’d just gone through would’ve made a grown man cry. The fact that no tears had dropped could’ve meant she lacked feelings and she was probably heartless just like her father, but Hamilton didn’t believe that. For some reason, he had a feeling Dakota was a fearless woman who walked to her own beat.

  “Are you telling me you’re not attracted to her?” Laz asked.

  “I’m not saying that at all. She’s a beautiful woman, but nothing is going to happen between us. So, you might as well lose that—”

  “Because she’s Wesley’s kid.”

  “Well, yeah, Laz. I can’t believe you even have to ask. That man made my life a living hell. I don’t want anything to do with him or anyone related to him.”

  “Yeah you say that, but I'm picking up a different vibe from you. You're feeling this woman.”

  Hamilton didn’t respond. What could he say? Everything Laz had said was true. He hadn't even planned to still be at her apartment, but he couldn't deny that the longer he was around Dakota, the more he wanted to be near her.

  And that was a problem.

  *

  Dakota sat quietly, numbed by the night’s events, or maybe it was the scotch that she had recently downed. Sitting on her leather sofa, she tried to process what happened. One minute she’d been talking to Sonny, and the next thing she knew, gunshots rang out.

  Each time she closed her eyes, a vision of his shocked expression after being shot in the back filled her mind. Had he not been standing there, she would be…

  Dakota couldn’t finish the thought. Shivers gripped her and she held the blanket that was around her shoulders tighter. Even her ears were still ringing. Normally, she could compartmentalize everything in her mind, but this… This was something that didn’t make sense.

  She shifted and brought her legs up on the sofa, but pain shot through her hip and tailbone, radiating through her body. She drew in a breath and bit her bottom lip, forcing back a groan as she lowered her feet back to the floor.

  Her body had taken a beating over the years, but the aches she experienced now, mixed with the mental anguish clogging her mind was more than she could handle at the moment.

  Just relax.

  Forcing her body to listen to the words floating around in her mind, her breathing slowed and the pain eased somewhat.

  Dakota glanced across the room and her gaze slammed into Hamilton’s. Heat rose to her cheeks. He’d been staring at her for the past hour but had kept his distance once they had gotten her into the apartment.

  She could’ve kissed him for talking the detectives into giving her a short break. As a matter of fact, Dakota didn’t know what she would’ve done had Hamilton not showed up when he had. No way would she have been able to hold herself together without having his calm presence there.

  Dakota rubbed her eyes, fighting to keep them open as she yawned. It had been a long day, and considering the detectives and Hamilton were still there, it didn’t seem the night was going to end anytime soon.

  Even before she looked back across the room, she could feel Hamilton’s attention on her.

  Yep. Still looking.

  He watched her while he talked to the cutie-pie detective who he referred to as his brother. She figured he meant brother in blue since they had been on the police force together a few years back. But they seemed closer than just friends. They clearly weren’t biological brothers. Sure, they were both handsome, but it was safe to say they had different parents. Laz was white with the most startling hazel-green eyes she’d ever seen before. He also had a swagger that could capture any woman’s attention.

  Dakota released a long sigh and dropped her head back against the sofa and closed her eyes. Technically, Sonny had saved her life. She didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if he hadn’t been standing in front of her.

 

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