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Hala hobbled out in her boot. “What happened? Are you okay, Angel?”

“I’m fine.” I looked in disbelief between Kira and Mike. “How did you guys know how to do all that self-defense stuff?”

Mike dusted off his jeans with his hands and straightened. “I’m into parkour.” He grinned and pointed both thumbs at himself. “I told my parents it would come in handy someday.”

“What’s parkour?” I asked.

“Free jumping, flipping, climbing, running, and balancing. Wicked crazy stuff. There are tons of competitions for it around the world and even on television. I do it for fun, but it started as a special kind of training for the French special forces.”

“Wow.” I glanced at Kira. “You know parkour, too?”

“Oh, no. I’m a third-degree black belt in taekwondo and the female East Coast national champion in sparring for ages sixteen and seventeen,” she said. “I’ll have to defend my title this spring to stay that way, though.”

“And you just happened to forget that when you told me about your special talents?” I said.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“Wow, well, whatever you guys did, it was totally incredible,” I said. “Thanks for having my back. I really appreciate it.”

Wally and Frankie rushed me, asking if I were okay. Hala handed me my phone, and I saw the corner had been cracked when I dropped it. At least it still worked. I stuck it back in my pocket and glanced over my shoulder as the elderly man from the café exited his car and walked toward me unsteadily on his cane.

OMG! He was the one to ram the other car?

I quickly disengaged myself from the others and walked quickly to intercept him. “Are you okay?” I asked, putting a hand under his elbow. “You just saved my life.”

“I’m fine. Have you been harmed?” he asked.

“No, I’m okay, thanks to you. Just a few bumps and bruises.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It was lucky I was just driving by and saw what happened.”

“I don’t know how to thank you. First you buy me hot chocolate and then you save my life. You’re a true hero. My hero.” Impulsively, I threw my arms around him and gave him a big hug. “Thank you so much.”

He hugged me back. “It’s been a long time since anyone called me a hero.”

I stepped away and looked ruefully at his car. “I’m sorry, though. Your car is ruined.”

“Don’t be sorry. It was worth it. Besides, it was time for me to stop driving anyway.” There was a twinkle in his eye, and I couldn’t help but smile despite the circumstances.

Before we could say anything else, several police cars with sirens screaming and an ambulance screeched to a halt in front of the café. In moments, we were swarmed by officers, who relieved Bo and Jax of the bad guy and began taking statements from everyone.

I was telling an officer my story, including how Kira had knocked out the guy after the elderly gentleman from the café had rammed into the getaway car, when a guy in a red baseball cap walked up and angrily interrupted us.

“Hey, that’s my car,” he said to the policeman. “Someone stole it. I just reported it, but now it’s wrecked.”

I frowned. “Excuse me, but you must be mistaken. That’s not your car. It’s his car.” I turned around to where my friend had been standing, but he was gone. I scanned the area but didn’t see him.

“Who’s he?” the policeman asked me.

“The gentleman who saved me…he rammed his car into the sedan.”

“Where is he now?”

“He was right there a minute ago.” I pointed to the last spot I’d seen him. “I don’t know where he went. I don’t even know his name.”

“That’smycar,” the guy in the ball cap insisted. “The registration is in the glove compartment. Come on, I’ll show you.”

The policeman went off with him to check, while a medic examined me and another officer finished taking my statement.