Page 8 of No Going Back

Maybe something could be salvaged from the ruins, but she doubted it. She’d never seen a fire like that.

Tears filled her eyes, but she swallowed them back. It wasn’t safe to lose control. That would have to wait. She did some more deep breathing and brought up images of the sexy man she hoped was riding to her rescue.

She hoped he’d come soon. And that she wasn’t making him a target for Prince Hawley.

CHAPTER 3

We Go Way Back

Sean drove through his old neighborhood and pointed out the sights to Jabba while he looked for a spot to park. “That’s the corner store where Charlie and I traded with Mr. Alvarez. We’d sweep the store, and he’d keep us stocked with bubble gum.” Good times.

“That’s where we waited for the bus for middle school.” Not always such good times. Too bad kids couldn’t jump from elementary straight to high school.

He didn’t point out the store where Branna’s mom had loved to shop. Where she’d been gunned down along with the owner and three other customers.

“There’s more graffiti than there used to be. More litter, too.” He wondered if gangs were moving in, but Jabba didn’t have an opinion.

Sean turned the corner to show Jabba the O’Dea’s pub. His heart raced, and he came to a full stop in the middle of the street, causing the cars behind him to blare their horns. The pub had burned to a shell. The familiar building stood like the gateway to hell.

Crime scene tape surrounded it, and two officers patrolled the perimeter. What the hell had happened? He wanted to pull over and talk to the cops. He wanted to stop and do a search on his phone to find the details. But he needed to find Branna right now. The worry that had been boiling in his gut clawed up his throat.

He didn’t believe in coincidences, and Branna’s fear had to be connected to the arson at the pub. “We need to find her, buddy. Are you ready to check out my old apartment building? That’s where she’s hiding.”

Thinking Branna might need a disguise, Sean grabbed an extra shirt and hat and shoved them in his jacket. He also loaded his gun and slipped it into his waistband at his back. Then he pulled his coat down and grabbed the collar and leash for Jabba. “Sorry, but there are laws in the city. I know you can follow any command but we don’t need to attract undue attention.”

The dog heaved an enormous sigh but didn’t protest the leash. Soon they were walking along the sidewalk from a spot he’d found on the street half a block from his old apartment.

Sean shoved the memories out of his mind. Branna needed his full attention. He put on his don’t mess with me demeanor that had served him well in the military and sauntered down the street as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

Jabba’s head twisted in all directions, taking in the sights and sounds. Not wanting to look like he was marching on a mission, Sean let the dog stop and sniff but never lingered for long in any spot.

They moved down the alley between the buildings and around the dumpsters. At the back of the building, they walked in the door to the back staircase like they had every right to be there.

No one was around, so Sean led Jabba down the stairs. It wasn’t a real basement like people had in the northern states, but it was down a half level from the ground.

He and Charlie had found their fort when they’d been exploring one day. Charlie had noticed the loose grate, and they’d wanted to see what it was like in the duct. Of course, Branna had been on their heels.

They’d barely had room to all stand in the tiny area, but they’d loved having the room to themselves. As he walked down the hallway, Sean wondered if the room should have been a janitorial closet instead of having all the ancient cleaning stuff shoved into the bathroom. He’d bet the building plans showed someone had forgotten to add a door between the room and the hallway.

He didn’t want to scare Branna, so as he walked, he started to whistle softly. Jabba’s ears perked up, and the dog gave him another goofy grin.

Knowing she’d recognize the tunes, he started whistling the theme songs to the cartoons they’d watched growing up. Arthur. The Magic School Bus. Still, no one was in the hallway, so he opened the door to the bathroom and tugged Jabba inside. He whistled softly as he closed the door, but he switched the tune to Animaniacs. Branna’s favorite.

The place was just as dirty as he remembered, and he wondered if they were the only people who’d ever been in this bathroom. There weren’t any needles to show that it was a drug hideaway, so that was good.

Sean moved to the grate. “Sally? You in there? It’s me.”

“Sean?”

Nothing had ever sounded as good as her returning whisper.

Sean battled back the emotions. “It’s me, Branna. There’s no way I can fit in that duct anymore. You’re going to have to come to me.”

He heard her chuckle. Might have been a little shaky, but it was a definite laugh. He heard her moving around in the space and then the sounds of her crawling through the duct.

He slipped the grate off, and when she was close enough, he reached in and helped her ease out. Instead of putting her down, he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. “Branna. You’re okay.”

Even though it wasn’t a question, she nodded into his chest. Her entire body shook, and she gulped in big breaths as he gripped her. Whatever was scaring her was big. But she’d been hiding in a pitch-black room for more than twenty-four hours and that would make anyone shaky.