Against The Wall by Dee J. Adams Page B

and Jess about fifteen minutes—and more blood spilled than he would’ve liked—but they got both men into the wine cellar below the house. He gagged them, tied them up and left them for the next person who got thirsty and wanted wine.
    Taking her arm, he led her out of the house, checking the yard before he continued. “If you’re keeping track it might make you feel better knowing you weren’t the only one shot tonight.”
    “I’m n-not and it doesn’t.” Her voice shook and she looked damn pale in the moonlight. Her eyes had that extra bright glaze that screamed freaked out.
    Tanner tossed Jess his keys. She fumbled before catching them. Maybe if he forced her, she might snap out of her little trance. Not that he could blame her for her current state of mind. Tonight’s roller coaster had been one big drop and turn after another. “You okay driving?” he asked.
    She swallowed. “I can’t. I n-need a minute.”
    Tanner gripped her upper arm, forced her to look up at him. “You did great in there, Jess. Really stellar. But don’t fade on me now. We need to get out of here ASAP. Before anyone else shows up. Do you understand me?”
    She nodded then glanced at his side. “We need to get you to a doctor.”
    Did she care or was she trying to find another way to get rid of him?
    Tanner didn’t want to agree with her, but she was right. He felt the blood dripping into the waistband of his jeans. But he couldn’t go to just any doctor. Couldn’t walk into a hospital without answering questions or without the cops being called. He ushered Jess to the driver’s side and urged her in the seat before crossing to the passenger side and sitting down, taking a deep breath as pain exploded in his side.
    Oh, yeah, getting shot sucked.
    He reached into the duffle bag at his feet and came up with a ratty piece of paper with a phone number and address. He double checked the numbers and handed it to Jess. “Go here,” he told her.
    Jess scanned the paper, cranked the engine and made a U-turn. “I can get us headed in the right direction, but you need to plug the address in my phone’s GPS to find it.”
    Tanner had purchased a new Thomas Guide and had practically memorized the damn thing to be familiar with Hollywood and Burbank. Having been in prison for so long made him woefully outdated with high tech equipment, including Jess’s phone. He’d wanted to bag Juneau and it took a ton of planning. Figuring out how to get on the studio lot, making sure Juneau would be on the stage… He’d planned everything to the detail. But he hadn’t counted on missing his target, getting involved with Jess, taking this side trip or taking a bullet. Shit. He pulled out the cell phone wedged in his back pocket and called the number he’d memorized. He could navigate as soon as he made this call.
    “This better be good, vato. It’s after midnight.” The man sounded just like his old cellmate. frustrationatayto
    “Victor, I’m a friend of Chino’s. He told me I could call if I ran into some trouble.” Tanner waited for the man to make the connection, listened to sheets rustling on the other end of the phone. Moonlight lit the Pacific Ocean and waves crashed silver and black onto the beach to his right. Under normal conditions he might’ve stopped to enjoy the space, the freedom, but right now his side throbbed with a different need. Maybe one day he’d come back. If he didn’t get himself killed before then.
    “Bryant?” Victor asked.
    “Yeah.”
    “You been out barely a month, dude. What kinda trouble you in?”
    “Enough.”
    “You know where I am?”
    “Yeah. Chino gave me the address. It’s going to take me a few minutes to get there.”
    “I’ll be here.” The connection ended and Tanner pocketed his phone, feeling the burn in his side with the movement.
    “Who’s Victor and who’s Chino?” Jess asked as she kept a steady speed down Pacific Coast Highway. She was paying attention now, her senses