Page 117 of Impulse

“How can she run so fast?”she heard Rake ask, sounding annoyed.She almost grinned.

Douglas saw her first and alerted Dom and Sloan.“Don’t bother telling me I can’t go inside, because Iam,” she warned him.

“I wasn’t planning to, Ms.Jillian.”He stepped aside, but the other guy standing sentry didn’t move.Douglas indicated to him, but he shook his head.

Jillian knew he was packing.She’d seen the bulge behind his back.She walked up to him and stood so close she could see his nostril hairs.

“Do you know who I am?”she asked softly.

“No, ma’am,” he said and took a step back.Jillian followed him and poked at his chest.

“I am Jillian.Fucking.Finnegan.”Her hand crept behind him as she continued to jab at him.“I am the reason your boss hurt my boyfriend.”She whipped the gun from behind him and pressed it under his chin.“Now get the fuck out of my way.”

The man swallowed and shuffled out of the way.Still watching him, she dismantled the gun, dropping each piece, except the clip.“I’ll keep this if you don’t mind.”

“Jillian Finnegan!How many times have I told you to stop cursing like your brothers?”

Jillian froze.Then she slowly turned and faced her father.“What are you doing here, Dad?”

“Didn’t I tell you to leave this alone?”he asked.“And don’t think I don’t know you’ve been riding with your brothers behind my back.The Phantom Rider.Splitting the Globe of Death.”

She cringed with each word.

“Stay with your brothers until I’m done here,” he ordered and the urge to obey followed, but Jillian had a lot more at stake than pissing him off.Lex was in there.Drinking tea with her family’s nemesis.Probably making deals to keep her safe.

“I have business to finish here too, Dad.I’m paying Petrosian what you owe him, and I’m taking Lex home.”

“You don’t understand, Jilly.Petrosian is—”

“I don’t care.”Jillian whipped around and pushed the door.It swung on its hinges and bounced back, almost slamming into her face.It hit her arm, but she didn’t feel anything.Her eyes had met Lex’s.

Relief coursed through her, leaving her weak and teary.

She dropped the bag of money and sailed into his arms.He was okay.He had to be because he was walking and having tea.She wasn’t even angry about that anymore.

Jillian leaned back and took inventory of his injuries.The bruise on his forehead looked nasty, but the rest were minor.

“Are you okay?”she whispered.

He smiled and wiped her cheeks.She hadn’t realized she was crying.He kissed her, soothing her raw nerves.She clung to him.There was no way she was letting him go.She couldn’t.They had a year, and she planned to make the most of it.When the time came to leave him, she would go with no regrets.Reluctantly, she left his arms.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” he said, glancing over her shoulder.“I’m dealing with her now.”

Her?Jillian wasn’t sure who he was talking to.Then she noticed the other occupant of the room.An elderly woman.

“Where’s Petrosian?”Jillian asked.

“I am Petrosian’s wife,” the woman said, her eyes shining with a weird intensity as she started around the couch, her hands lifting to press against her heart.“My name is Alin Petrosian.”She stopped and gave Jillian a shaky smile.“I am your grandmother.”

Jillian’s gaze volleyed between Lex and the woman.Her what?Anger slammed into her.She had no grandparents.Her mother came from the system.A ward of the state dumped on the steps of some church.She had no parents or grandparents worth knowing.

“Yeah, sure.”She reached down for the duffel bag and thrust it at her.“There’s the three-fifty.Your husband is very lucky he isn’t here today or I would have given him a black eye.”

Mrs.Petrosian continued to stare at Jillian.She was sure the old woman hadn’t heard a thing she’d just said.

“Take it, lady.We don’t have the whole day.”

The woman shook her head.“You have Jivan’s eyes.”