Code Red by Susan Elaine Mac Nicol Read Free Book Online Page B

call a cab.”
    “I don’t believe that’s necessary.”
    “It doesn’t matter what you believe.” How
could she stay? And for what? To put herself in danger so he could
be free of his job?
    In her haste to dial, angrily punching at her
phone, she dropped it. Bending down, she heard a shot ring out.
Then Kieran dove on top of her, forcing her all the way to the
ground. He pulled out his gun then deliberately aimed it into a
tall stand of pine trees.
    A large stone had wedged itself into Jess’s
back, and her elbows were bruised. A shiver of ice raced through
her body. She swallowed a deep breath that lodged in her throat,
barely making it into her lungs, and when he twisted, her face was
buried in Kieran’s chest.
    “He’s here.”
    “No kidding.” She spoke into his chest and
fisted his shirt until her knuckles ached.
    Another gunshot rang out, this time from the
back of the house. Jess thought the bullet hit one of the pine
trees. In response came a hail of gunfire from the first position,
and Jess heard a female voice cry out. Kieran twisted and took that
moment to fire. Then came silence.
    They stayed curled up for several minutes
before Kieran urged Jess to crawl along the ground to his front
porch, still placing himself in front of her. He stood up once they
were around the corner from the first shooter’s position.
    Jess tried to stand, but her legs had lost
mobility and her body shook uncontrollably. Kieran clasped an arm
around her waist and practically carried her into the house.
    “Go to the kitchen and get on the floor
behind the island until I return,” he commanded. He pulled out his
phone and started talking to someone as he walked away, but her
brain couldn’t process what he was saying.
    “Don’t go.” Her voice sounded weak and
jittery, and she had no control over the tears smearing her
vision.
    “Wait here,” he repeated.
    He left her alone, and all she could do was
hug herself and cry. This was way more adventure than she’d ever
wanted. It seemed like every time she wanted to leave Ohneka,
someone died. She couldn’t deal with that. It was so much easier in
her small town with its small town issues. Maybe she wasn’t made
for the bigger world or the worry and heartache that came from
reaching outside of what she knew. Or for the men who so easily
told falsehoods to get what they wanted.
    After what seemed like an hour, sirens from
two or three different vehicles sounded at the house. The front
door opened, but Jess stayed hidden in the kitchen, frustrated that
she was unable to remember anything Marcia had taught her about
self-defense. Footsteps approached. She clenched her teeth together
to try to still the tremors rocking her body.
    “Red?”
    Her body calmed at Kieran’s voice, and her
mind cleared a bit of the panic that had held her to the floor.
“Are they gone?”
    “Dmitriyev’s dead. Marcia was hit by a
bullet—in the chest, but it hit her Kevlar. She should be all
right. An ambulance took her to John Hopkins.”
    Jess shook her head. She needed to leave,
needed to escape all the blood and carnage and lies. Backing away
from Kieran and his fake façade she snarled, “You’re just like
Robert. A liar.”
    “No. He lied to protect himself. I lied to
protect you.”
    But his eyes didn’t seem so warm and friendly
anymore. They glowed with deceit and deception.
    “Why didn’t you just tell me I was an
assignment?”
    “Because you aren’t my assignment,” Kieran
snapped. “You’re my future. But I’d rather have you alive and hate
me than allow you to die and earn your respect.” He blinked his
eyes shut for a long slow breath, as though holding himself
back.
    It would be great to believe she wasn’t
simply an assignment, but she couldn’t afford to be so naive
anymore. “I want to go home.”
    “A cab is waiting for you.”
    “You called me a cab?”
    Kieran leaned on the island, his hands in his
pockets, his expression tired. “You said you wanted