Page 116 of Security and Submission
The way she’d cuddled up to him last night before falling asleep. How soft and warm she’d been this morning before Tiger wedged himself between them, causing her to erupt with laughter while his tail thumped against the bed as he accepted his good morning pets. They’d checked in on Sarah and Hope before leaving for the day.
He’d checked through her house with her before heading out for the day. Although she’d been nervous, she’d insisted she was okay and that he needed to go. It had been a nerve-wracking, distracted morning until he’d laid eyes on her at the shelter with the other staff, waiting to meet the senator. They’d only glanced at each other, a slight smile playing on her lips, before she’d looked away.
If anyone other than Claudia had noticed, Zeus hadn’t seen it on their faces. What he had noticed was how the rest of his team had noticed and greeted her. Mason’s careful nod. Drew’s warm hug. David’s smile and wave. Jensen’s cheerful wave. And, of course, her hug with Claudia, which lasted a few moments longer than her hug with Drew.
Zeus hadn’t gotten to see much after that because he and Dwayne had stayed in their positions out front as everyone else trooped inside for the tour. Yas had glanced at him again as she’d gone past, smiling, but he’d kept his expression carefully blank. He knew she would understand. His teammates could see his face, though they hadn’t been able to see hers.
“Copy that,” Dwayne said, responding to David. His head turned slightly, gaze sweeping across the parking lot, and Zeus did the same. Nothing moved. Nothing had changed. Dwayne glanced at him, and Zeus nodded. “Everything’s clear out here. No movement.”
“Good. Exiting in about thirty seconds. We’re in the main hall.”
It didn’t surprise Zeus when the doors opened, and he glanced over and saw Lincoln and David in the lead, walking in front of Yas with Naomi and the senator. Another woman was with them as well, an older woman on the plump side, who was beaming happily as she trotted beside Yas.
Miranda Sussex served as Naomi’s second-in-command at the shelter, handling much of the behind-the-scenes work. She’d been with the organization from the very beginning and had passed her background check with flying colors. A second group was following a few steps behind, consisting of the senator’s aides and a few other shelter workers, also all talking with each other. The rest of the senator’s security team was bringing up the rear.
Naomi and Yas were on Zeus’ side, the senator and Mrs. Sussex on Dwayne’s side. Lincoln and David automatically started scanning the courtyard and parking lot, their heads up, gazes alert.
Forcing his own attention from Yas, Zeus did the same. He’d see her later; he didn’t need to give away his interest in her to his team right now.
After several hours of boredom and nothing happening, everything happened all at once, almost in slow motion.
A man stepped out from the woods on the other side of the parking lot and started running forward, his hand lifting in front of him as he ran between the cars.
“Gun!” Zeus yelled, his body moving before he could think, arms outspread, tackling Naomi and Yas. Screams erupted from around them and from under him where Naomi and Yas now were. The popping sound of shots being fired. Brick exploded behind them, and he felt the rocks against the back of his head, neck, and back as he held his position.
Beside him, Dwayne was covering the senator with his huge body, one arm over Mrs. Sussex.
More shots, from closer, rang out.
“He’s down!” someone yelled. “Converge on the parking lot.”
Zeus lifted his head to see Lincoln and David sprinting for the parking lot, along with several members of the senator’s team.
“Stay down, Senator,” Dwayne ordered. Like Zeus, he hadn’t lifted from where he was, practically on top of the woman beneath him. Mrs. Sussex was already sitting up, though, her face completely bloodless, phone already to her ear.
“There’s been a shooting. We need an ambulance,” she said into the phone. “And police.”
“Naomi!” Drew appeared beside Zeus, practically shoving him off to get to his wife. Zeus shifted, keeping his body between the women and the parking lot, just in case. He wanted to reach for Yas the same way Drew had for Naomi, but he knew he couldn’t… and she was already lifting her head.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Naomi said breathlessly. “Zeus got us down.”
“Then where the fuck did the blood come from?” Drew’s anguished question made Zeus’ head jerk around sharply.
“Blood?” Naomi asked, looking around as frantically as Drew had been.
“Oh…” Yas was on her knees, her hair half out of its sleek bun, hanging like a curtain across her face, her expression confused. One of her hands hovered in front of her, her other arm hanging at her side. The red jacket she was wearing had a dark stain on its shoulder, which was already spreading. Her voice was soft. Almost awed. “I think I’ve been shot.”
That was when Zeus lost his shit.
Yasmine
It all happened so fast.
One minute, she’d been walking between Naomi and Senator Marlin; the next, she was on the ground underneath Zeus, half on top of Naomi, with screams ringing in her ears. She probably would have been screaming, too, except she could barely breathe under Zeus’ weight and with the fear pounding through her.
Shots.
Someone’s shooting at us.
