Page 31 of Babe's Bounty
Pulling out my phone, I place the call while removing the borrowed jacket and handing it back to the technician. Squatting down, I accept Cicely’s hug as I wait for the Detective to answer his phone.
“It’s Min,” I tell him. “We just captured Baumbach and Foster. We’re at the hospital where I took Kristi. They were after one of the nurses. She’s okay, shaken, but safe.”
“I’m on my way. I’ll send a patrol car to take custody,” Schwartz says before ending the call.
Helping Cicely up, we leave the pharmacy and stand in the lobby to wait for backup.
“Thank you so much for coming to help me,” Cicely says.
“I’m glad we were close by. What happened to hospital security?”
“Just bad luck on my part. We had a series of disturbances that had the security guards hopping.”
A sense of worry washes over me as I consider the possibility that the disturbances keeping the security guards busy aren’t a coincidence. Glancing around the lobby, I realize that we’re exposed here.
“Maybe we should move…” I start as my eyes land on Billings, who is standing just outside the doors. “Well, fuck.”
“What’s the matter?” Cicely asks, glancing around nervously.
I move her so I’m blocking her from his prying eyes. “There’s a man outside. He’s with the two men Babe and Chrome caught. Is there somewhere you can hide? Maybe back inside the pharmacy?”
She nods slowly as she leans just far enough to look outside. “Tall, skinny guy that looks like he should spend more time outside?” She asks.
I laugh and nod. “Yeah, that’s him.”
I walk with Cicely to the door we just came out of and wait for her to enter the code to open it. Once she’s inside, I pull out my phone and shoot Babe a quick text to let him know I’m going after Billings. Taking the long way around, I exit the building using a different door. Circling around to the front, I see him still standing where I last saw him. He’s staring inside and not paying attention to his surroundings. However, when I’m two feet away, he turns toward the sound of a siren getting closer. We lock eyes and he bolts.
Racing after him, I dodge between cars when he pulls out a gun and shoots at me. Son of a bitch. I debate letting him go, but I don’t want to fail. Besides, I’m gaining on him. He can’t run faster than me, especially when he keeps turning to take potshots at me. I’m running down the line of cars parallel to him. Since I’m shorter, he can’t get a decent shot at me. However, when we reach the end of the aisle, he goes left, which lengthens the distance between us. I see an SUV pull up ahead and stop. Whoever is inside opens the side door to let Billings jump inside. The driver takes off. Fuck!
“Min!” I hear Babe shout and turn to see him racing toward me. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
I glare at him before answering. “I was thinking we almost had three of our four targets.”
“They could have shot you. They could have taken you. What the fuck! You aren’t Wonder Woman. You can’t go off on your own like that.”
I can see the worry on Babe’s face, and that’s the only reason I’m not kicking his ass right now. But that doesn’t stop me from poking him in the chest with my finger. “Don’t lecture me about how to do my job,” I tell him. “I’m a bounty hunter, just like you. You can’t keep telling me to stay safe or keep me out of the action. This is my job. We’re supposed to be partners. But if you can’t let me do my job, then maybe our partnership won’t work.”
Babe runs his hand through his hair and steps away from me before turning back. “You’re right, we are partners. You’re telling me you wouldn’t have been concerned if I took off after a suspect without backup? If you saw me running toward an SUV that could have had several men inside ready to shoot me or grab me?”
I open my mouth to argue, but I can’t. He’s right. Although, I still think he’s overreacting. If I’d seen Billings or someone else in the SUV turning their gun on me, I would have ducked out of the way. If anyone had exited the SUV and came for me, I’d either have taken them out or run the other way. I shake my head, but before I can explain, Babe glares at me.
“Of course you wouldn’t care. I don’t know why I bother.” Babe turns and stomps away, leaving me wondering what the hell just happened?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: BABE
As angry as I am with Min, I listen for her footsteps behind me. I wouldn’t put it past the assholes to come back around to grab her. While I lead us back to where we parked our bikes, I can feel her eyes on me. I don’t know who I’m more angry at, Min or myself. She’s the first woman I’ve ever craved and the first woman to treat me with indifference. I’m not handling it well. I should probably just stop thinking of her as anything more than a business partner, but then I’d have to give up sex altogether. She’s the only woman I want now.
Chrome stands with Cicely and by the shake of her head and the furious expression on his face, he isn’t getting the answer he wants from her. I know exactly how he feels.
“He got away,” I tell Chrome when we reach them. “What’s going on?”
“I’m trying to talk Cicely into staying at the clubhouse until we find these guys, but she won’t agree,” Chrome says, scowling at the woman.
“I’ll be safe in my apartment,” Cicely insists. “I have the next three days off.”
“Perfect. You can spend the next three days hanging out at my clubhouse, where I can keep you safe,” Chrome insists.
Cicely rolls her eyes.