Page 91 of Protecting Kelli
“Me too,” Kelli said, reaching for one of the two remaining bags Smiley had over his shoulders.
He stepped away from her, frowning. “No.”
“Come on, I’m notthatmuch of a weakling.”
“No,” he repeated.
Now Kelli frowned athim. “Why not?”
“Because.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s not an answer. Flash, tell Smiley he’s being ridiculous and to let me carry one of his bags.”
“You know you sound like an eight-year-old tattling to her mom about something her brother isn’t allowing her to do,” Smiley told her.
Kelli frowned harder and put her hands on her hips. “So?”
Smiley didn’t seem to be affected by her irritation in the least. He just walked toward the door.
“Wait a sec,” Flash told his friend. He turned to Kelli. “You ready to go?”
“To the beach and dinner? Yes!” she said excitedly. “Let me grab a sweatshirt. And my purse. Oh, and I need to change shoes!”
She heard Smiley chuckle and say under his breath, “I’m taking that as ano, she isn’t actually ready to go.”
“Shut it, Smiley!” Kelli called out, as she hurried toward the bedroom.
She was back in less than a minute, more than ready to get out of the apartment.
They all left, Flash making sure the door was secured behind them. As they walked down the hall, Kelli complained, “I could be carrying one of those bags for you.”
“You could, but you aren’t,” Smiley said.
Kelli was actually amused now by his stubbornness. She didn’t really care whether she carried one of the bags or not, it was just fun to needle the uptight SEAL.
The second they left the building, she winced at the bright light but gloried in being outside, touched by the sun’s rays without a window as a buffer.
“It’s such a gorgeous day!” she gushed. Stopping for a moment to close her eyes and lift her chin to the sky, she reveled in the warmth on her face.
She was still standing there, soaking in the moment, when suddenly she was almost jerked off her feet.
Kelli’s eyes popped open as she stumbled backward, her hands instinctively moving up to her neck, where a strong arm was almost cutting off her air.
Her gaze flew to Smiley and Flash, standing by Smiley’s pickup truck, one of the three bags at their feet and theother two already inside the bed of the truck. She had the wild thought that she’d never seen Flash—or Smiley, for that matter—look so…murderous.
The men were furious. If she didn’t already know that she was in big trouble, their expressions would’ve given it away.
“Don’t get any closer!” the man behind her growled, even as he forced Kelli to walk backward. It was difficult to breathe, and all she could do was stumble along in the man’s grasp.
“Let her go, Williams!” Flash ordered.
Brant. He’d finally found them.
Instead of being on alert, the first time she’d stepped outside in days, Kelli had to stop in the middle of the parking lot and close her eyes.
She was an idiot.
“No can do,” he said. Kelli could smell his body odor, and it made her want to gag. Wherever he’d been hiding, he hadn’t been taking care of himself, that was for sure.
