now be a permanent detachment in the area until and if the threat of riots was quelled. Eventually they stopped at one restaurant still hanging open by a thread on the main street through town because Mally needed the restroom. When she entered the little dive, though, there wasn’t anyone at the tables, nor did she see employees.
“Hello?” she called out, keeping her voice fairly low. “Hello?”
She shrugged, figuring they had to be back in the kitchen. Restroom first. A sign above one hallway said restrooms, and she headed down the poorly lit corridor. After using the ugly, rather unclean bathroom, she hurried out into the hallway. That’s when she realized the back door at the end of the hallway was wide open. She thought she heard a whimper. What if someone needed help? She reached for her piece. She walked slowly and cautiously down the rest of the hallway. She’d barely reached the open door when an arm came around the door, latched onto her forearm arm and yanked her face-first onto the hard packed ground.
* * * *
Adam waited patiently along with Mark in the SUV. He figured Mally would exit soon with a snack. They had plenty of provisions, but she refused to use a business’s facilities without buying something, too. He understood. Business hung by a shoestring, survival predicated on the whims of a wild economy. He tapped on the steering wheel, a humming nervousness bouncing in his veins. He didn’t understand it. Things had calmed since yesterday. Other than this morning’s run-in at the fire, nothing else extraordinary had happened. He shouldn’t freak. Time for relaxation. Hell, who was he kidding? Relaxing wasn’t a real option right now, and he couldn’t remember the last time it was.
“So what’s going on between you and Mally?” Mark asked suddenly.
Adam didn’t expect the question, and he threw a frown at Mark. “What?”
“Something wild is going on between you. You keep sneaking these looks at her, and she does the same with you, and you’re not doing a good job of hiding it.”
Irritation rose up, and Adam glared. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The way you’re looking at her.”
“I’m not looking at her.”
Mark snorted. “Yeah, you are. Any red-blooded male would look at her. She’s pretty as hell.”
Before he could think, Adam leaned toward his friend and pinned him with full venom. “You stay the fuck away from her.”
Mark’s eyebrows shot up at the same time he lifted a hand in surrender. “Whoa, whoa. I could see right away she was into you. Besides, I’ve got my eye on that firefighter.”
Ashamed at the way he’d launched into Mark, Adam smiled. “Which one. The big burly guy with the beard?”
Mark looked horrified. “Fuck no. The female volunteer. She’s…feisty. I might have to visit her at the firehouse soon.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Adam stared out the windshield at the restaurant. “Don’t count on it. We’ve got enough work every day to keep us occupied. And you’ve got to fix Mally’s security system.”
Mark shook his head and laughed. “No fair, asshole. You’ve been sniffing after Mally and it looks like she’s interested. Keep your hands off my firefighter.”
“An ugly old bastard like you isn’t going to get laid anytime soon. So cap it.”
Mark slouched in his seat. “ Old ? Screw you.”
Adam shook his head and grinned. “So tell me again why the hell you left the army?”
“F’ing boring. This is where the action is.”
“Uh-huh.”
Adam didn’t believe it, but the former Army Ranger and sniper was notoriously quiet when it came to explaining his real reasons for leaving the service. The General said the reasons weren’t important, and that meant the reasons must be damned important.
They went silent for a short time before Adam’s spidey sense kicked in. “What the hell is taking her so long?”
“You know women. Maybe there’s a line in the bathroom.”
Adam didn’t like this. He grabbed
“Hello?” she called out, keeping her voice fairly low. “Hello?”
She shrugged, figuring they had to be back in the kitchen. Restroom first. A sign above one hallway said restrooms, and she headed down the poorly lit corridor. After using the ugly, rather unclean bathroom, she hurried out into the hallway. That’s when she realized the back door at the end of the hallway was wide open. She thought she heard a whimper. What if someone needed help? She reached for her piece. She walked slowly and cautiously down the rest of the hallway. She’d barely reached the open door when an arm came around the door, latched onto her forearm arm and yanked her face-first onto the hard packed ground.
* * * *
Adam waited patiently along with Mark in the SUV. He figured Mally would exit soon with a snack. They had plenty of provisions, but she refused to use a business’s facilities without buying something, too. He understood. Business hung by a shoestring, survival predicated on the whims of a wild economy. He tapped on the steering wheel, a humming nervousness bouncing in his veins. He didn’t understand it. Things had calmed since yesterday. Other than this morning’s run-in at the fire, nothing else extraordinary had happened. He shouldn’t freak. Time for relaxation. Hell, who was he kidding? Relaxing wasn’t a real option right now, and he couldn’t remember the last time it was.
“So what’s going on between you and Mally?” Mark asked suddenly.
Adam didn’t expect the question, and he threw a frown at Mark. “What?”
“Something wild is going on between you. You keep sneaking these looks at her, and she does the same with you, and you’re not doing a good job of hiding it.”
Irritation rose up, and Adam glared. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The way you’re looking at her.”
“I’m not looking at her.”
Mark snorted. “Yeah, you are. Any red-blooded male would look at her. She’s pretty as hell.”
Before he could think, Adam leaned toward his friend and pinned him with full venom. “You stay the fuck away from her.”
Mark’s eyebrows shot up at the same time he lifted a hand in surrender. “Whoa, whoa. I could see right away she was into you. Besides, I’ve got my eye on that firefighter.”
Ashamed at the way he’d launched into Mark, Adam smiled. “Which one. The big burly guy with the beard?”
Mark looked horrified. “Fuck no. The female volunteer. She’s…feisty. I might have to visit her at the firehouse soon.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Adam stared out the windshield at the restaurant. “Don’t count on it. We’ve got enough work every day to keep us occupied. And you’ve got to fix Mally’s security system.”
Mark shook his head and laughed. “No fair, asshole. You’ve been sniffing after Mally and it looks like she’s interested. Keep your hands off my firefighter.”
“An ugly old bastard like you isn’t going to get laid anytime soon. So cap it.”
Mark slouched in his seat. “ Old ? Screw you.”
Adam shook his head and grinned. “So tell me again why the hell you left the army?”
“F’ing boring. This is where the action is.”
“Uh-huh.”
Adam didn’t believe it, but the former Army Ranger and sniper was notoriously quiet when it came to explaining his real reasons for leaving the service. The General said the reasons weren’t important, and that meant the reasons must be damned important.
They went silent for a short time before Adam’s spidey sense kicked in. “What the hell is taking her so long?”
“You know women. Maybe there’s a line in the bathroom.”
Adam didn’t like this. He grabbed
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