Page 31 of Taken With Trouble

I round the corner for the bathroom, and that’s when I see an unconscious Cruz being dragged out the exit by a giant dressed in black.

That woman. I can’t take her anywhere. I grab the knife from my pocket and dart after them, emerging from the back door just as the giant stops near the van waiting in the alley.

“Is that the only way you can get a woman?” I call.

The man stops, turning slowly.

“Come on. I’m the one you want.” I step closer, arms out like I’m surrendering. For the record, I would never.

He laughs. “A two for one. This night is going better than expected.”

“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.”

I flick the knife hidden between my fingers into his right shoulder. I cringe. A half an inch lower, and I would have hit Cruz. I need to work on my aim.

The man curses but doesn’t drop his hold on Cruz.

Huh. I saw that going differently in my head.

“Boss said I wasn’t allowed to kill anyone unless I was provoked. Thanks for making things easier.” He releases Cruz with one arm and reaches for his waistband.

Cruz comes to, throwing her head into his nose and knocking the gun from his hand simultaneously. The giant grunts and grabs for the gun, but she beats him to it, cocking it and aiming it at his head.

“On your knees,” she barks.

The whole scene took approximately two seconds. “Wow, that was hot.”

She’s standing there all Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality style, taking down a bad guy like it’s easy.

Serena’s head swivels in my direction, her dark eyes shooting daggers at me. “Thanks for nothing.”

“I slowed him down.”

“You slowedmedown first.”

“You were unconscious!”

“I was faking until I had the right opportunity!”

“Which I gave you.”

“You nearly stabbed me with a knife!”

“I hate to interrupt this lover’s spat—” That’s all the man gets out before Cruz smacks his head with the gun, effectively shutting him up for the next ten to fifteen minutes.

I gape at her. “I thought we were going to question him.”

“Why would I do that?” She opens his suit coat and pulls her gun out of his holster with a sigh of relief and tucks it into the back of her pants.

“Whywouldn’twe?” I scrub my hand through my hair. “You know this relationship is never going to work if we don’t communicate. And if you’re always knocking people out…”

Cruz goes to the van and rifles through the mess. She emerges with zip ties. “That’s rich coming from you. We don’thavea relationship. But if you’re so determined to find out who he is, I’ll let you search his person.”

I grunt but help her drag him to a pole. She gets to work tying him, and I raid his pockets. I toss the keys up, catching them in the air. “Bingo.”

“I’ll drive,” Serena says, trying to snatch the keys away.

I hold them tight. “Do you not trust me?”