Page 163 of Guarding Grace

I held her back. “In a minute. How do you feel?”

“Like shit, but that’s normal. This isn’t my first time, you know.”

“How many have there been?”

“I don’t know.”

“This is no way to live. The doctor said you could do training to keep this from happening again, and you’re going to start on that today.”

Constance cocked a brow.

“Aren’t you bossy?” Grace complained. “I need to check on Marci.”

“Someone has to make you deal with this. You insist on looking after others, but refuse to take care of yourself. That stops today.”

“You’re wrong,” she scoffed. “I’m fine.”

Constance knelt beside us and touched Grace’s shoulder. “What if you’d fainted today when Marci needed you?”

I closed my eyes. Those were the words I should have been smart enough to use.

Grace stopped resisting as her eyes flicked from me to Constance and back again. Then her drive to take care of her people overpowered her independent streak. “We don’t even know if it will work, but okay. I’ll try the training. Now, will you let me up to see Marci?”

I stood and pulled her to her feet. “There’s blood out there.”

“I’ll close my eyes until you tell me it’s okay.” She took two steps and then had to hitch up her pants. “What is this?”

“Zane thought it would help preserve your modesty, so he donated his pants,” Constance explained.

“That was nice of him.” Then she too caught sight of Zane. “Aren’t you cute?”

“Don’t you dare tell anyone.”

I was pretty sure he was only referring to one particular employee of Grace’s.

Sirens sounded in the distance.

I took Grace’s hand before we reached the door. “Close your eyes.” I guided her out. In the far corner, Winston had his arm protectively around Marci. We walked around the bloody table where a pantsless Zane was still working on keeping the moaning Marku alive.

“What the hell is in that case that’s so valuable?” Duke asked.

“My money is still on missile tech,” Winston said.

“I like diamonds,” Duke answered.

“He—” Grace threw a thumb in Marku’s direction. “—promised the buyer that nobody would ever know.”

Lucas turned quickly. “Who’s the buyer?”

Grace didn’t turn around. “His name was Kim. That’s all I heard.”

Two quick shots rang out to our right.

Grace gasped as her head swiveled toward the noise.

Without my weapon, all I could do was pull her down into a crouch with me.

An Asian man disappeared down an aisle of junk. He’d shot at Marku and Zane.