her fingers, feeling the rough edges that had been malformed as it was pushed through the barrel of Zane’s gun.
It couldn’t be, she thought. She glanced over at Nate; he appeared to be focused on something outside the window. Taking great care to be inconspicuous, she began systematically running her fingers across the front of his coat. The fabric was soft and cool to the touch and just when she thought she might be losing her mind, her pinky finger snagged on a small bullet sized hole several inches below the collar.
Jennie could actually feel her heartbeat surge inside of her chest as she tried to come to grips with the tangible evidence of what seemed to be an impossibility. No matter how she rationalized it, she knew that pinky-sized tear was a bullet hole and that Nate shouldn’t be sitting next to her in the limo.
“Pull over,” she burst out suddenly. Nate turned to find her ripping off his coat like it was made of venomous snakes. In the dark, he could see her green eyes filled with bewilderment. Once it was off, Jennie nearly threw the coat at him.
“Pull over,” she cried out again as she dug through her purse, looking for her phone.
Jennie was so upset she hadn’t even noticed them pull up in front of her house. Once she realized she was home, she threw the door open and scrambled out of the car. Feeling equally confused by her sudden and rash behavior, Nate followed her out.
“Jen,” he called out as he trailed behind her. “Jen, stop!”
Once they reached the porch, Jennie finally did stop but the front door opened and her father stepped out, interrupting them. Clustered just behind Jennie’s father were her mother and sister, looking equally worried.
“The police called,” Jennie’s father Alex said, wrapping his arms protectively around her. “Are you all right?”
Finally, the night’s events took their toll and Jennie began crying, letting out great sobs that she’d been holding in for hours. Her family hovered around her asking questions and trying to comfort her. Unsure what else to do, Nate slipped away, unnoticed except by Jennie’s father, who watched his departure with curious eyes. Before he ever reached his car, Jennie’s family had taken her inside, closed the door behind them and with finality turned off the porch light.
It wasn’t until Nate was getting ready for bed later that night that he discovered the hole in the tuxedo coat. He felt sick to his stomach as he realized that Jennie had probably already discovered the tear made by the bullet. At least now he understood her strange behavior. Immediately, he thrust his hand in the pocket and found nothing. The bullet he’d so carefully hidden was gone. Nate moaned and let his head fall down in defeat.
This complication was so much bigger than anything he’d ever faced. He’d had to explain a lot of crazy things to the people he protected, but this time, his actions seemed unexplainable. He was in over his head and he knew it. Putting his pride aside, he quickly decided to call Celeste. For the first time in all the years they’d worked together he called her not out of fear, but because he really needed her. Not long after the phone was placed back in its cradle, he collapsed on the bed and waited with his eyes closed for her knock at the door.
At Jennie’s house, she pulled the tiny bullet out of her purse and placed it in her nightstand drawer before climbing into bed. As she lay in bed unable to sleep, thoughts about Nate rattled around like thousands of tiny puzzle pieces begging to be put together into some kind of plausible picture. It seemed the harder she tried to make sense of the night’s events, the more confused she felt. There were so many things about Nate that didn’t seem to fit, and yet she hadn’t acknowledged them until tonight. Little things, things that were unique about him. There had to be more information. Things she still didn’t know, things she couldn’t understand. She hoped
It couldn’t be, she thought. She glanced over at Nate; he appeared to be focused on something outside the window. Taking great care to be inconspicuous, she began systematically running her fingers across the front of his coat. The fabric was soft and cool to the touch and just when she thought she might be losing her mind, her pinky finger snagged on a small bullet sized hole several inches below the collar.
Jennie could actually feel her heartbeat surge inside of her chest as she tried to come to grips with the tangible evidence of what seemed to be an impossibility. No matter how she rationalized it, she knew that pinky-sized tear was a bullet hole and that Nate shouldn’t be sitting next to her in the limo.
“Pull over,” she burst out suddenly. Nate turned to find her ripping off his coat like it was made of venomous snakes. In the dark, he could see her green eyes filled with bewilderment. Once it was off, Jennie nearly threw the coat at him.
“Pull over,” she cried out again as she dug through her purse, looking for her phone.
Jennie was so upset she hadn’t even noticed them pull up in front of her house. Once she realized she was home, she threw the door open and scrambled out of the car. Feeling equally confused by her sudden and rash behavior, Nate followed her out.
“Jen,” he called out as he trailed behind her. “Jen, stop!”
Once they reached the porch, Jennie finally did stop but the front door opened and her father stepped out, interrupting them. Clustered just behind Jennie’s father were her mother and sister, looking equally worried.
“The police called,” Jennie’s father Alex said, wrapping his arms protectively around her. “Are you all right?”
Finally, the night’s events took their toll and Jennie began crying, letting out great sobs that she’d been holding in for hours. Her family hovered around her asking questions and trying to comfort her. Unsure what else to do, Nate slipped away, unnoticed except by Jennie’s father, who watched his departure with curious eyes. Before he ever reached his car, Jennie’s family had taken her inside, closed the door behind them and with finality turned off the porch light.
It wasn’t until Nate was getting ready for bed later that night that he discovered the hole in the tuxedo coat. He felt sick to his stomach as he realized that Jennie had probably already discovered the tear made by the bullet. At least now he understood her strange behavior. Immediately, he thrust his hand in the pocket and found nothing. The bullet he’d so carefully hidden was gone. Nate moaned and let his head fall down in defeat.
This complication was so much bigger than anything he’d ever faced. He’d had to explain a lot of crazy things to the people he protected, but this time, his actions seemed unexplainable. He was in over his head and he knew it. Putting his pride aside, he quickly decided to call Celeste. For the first time in all the years they’d worked together he called her not out of fear, but because he really needed her. Not long after the phone was placed back in its cradle, he collapsed on the bed and waited with his eyes closed for her knock at the door.
At Jennie’s house, she pulled the tiny bullet out of her purse and placed it in her nightstand drawer before climbing into bed. As she lay in bed unable to sleep, thoughts about Nate rattled around like thousands of tiny puzzle pieces begging to be put together into some kind of plausible picture. It seemed the harder she tried to make sense of the night’s events, the more confused she felt. There were so many things about Nate that didn’t seem to fit, and yet she hadn’t acknowledged them until tonight. Little things, things that were unique about him. There had to be more information. Things she still didn’t know, things she couldn’t understand. She hoped
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