Chapter 27

Holly paced the room in the bunker, stubbing her toe on the chair. Cursing, she went into the bedroom and put her running shoes on.

Justice had been gone for hours, and although she’d tried not to, she’d become nervous. What if he’d left her here?

Panic welled within her, and she ran up the hallway to the chain link fence, only to find it locked.

Sweat broke out on her brow as she pulled on the lock.

“I’m trapped in here,” she whispered.

Slowly, she made her way back to the main part of the bunker as she tried to think logically about it.

Once she didn’t show up for work and her superiors found out the police wanted her for murder, they’d set someone else up to do her job. Then, she may be able to get out, but would also most likely fall directly into the arms of the police. That wouldn’t do.

Justice had said he’d return in a couple of hours. It seemed like a short stint of forever.

Sighing, she decided to do a little snooping.

She opened the first door on the right and frowned. It looked as if it had been lived in, with the clothing hanging from the rack and lying on an unmade bed.

The next door proved the same. She quickly rushed to from room to room, opening all the doors. It appeared almost all had been occupied at some point.

Perhaps the military did training down here? Maybe they did testing to see how well people would function together as a unit?

Interesting. She’d have to ask Justice about it since his rank was higher than hers and he most certainly knew more about what happened in their secret little branch of the Army.

She found it interesting working for the clandestine part of the Army, and wished she knew more about what went on. She remembered the first time she’d seen an alien while performing security at Area 2. She’d been shocked how much the big man had looked like a human, except for the glow of his eyes at night. He’d fought, yelled, and screamed at his keepers, but they’d kept going back to him to run more tests. What had his name been? Micah. That had been it. She’d had to taser him more than once herself as he’d stood over six-foot-five and close to three hundred pounds.

Just a littler larger than Justice.

The thought caught her off-guard, and she stopped her pacing. Yes, Justice was huge, but that didn’t mean anything. It certainly didn’t mean he came from the same species as that Micah dude.

She heard the main door open, and her breath caught in her throat. Slowly moving to the room she slept in, she shut the door, leaving a crack for her to peek out.

The gate at the top of the hallway opened, and footsteps echoed throughout the chamber.

What if it wasn’t Justice? Could it be someone else, someone who would turn her over to the police? Someone who would get her in big trouble for being here? Fear coiled in her stomach as she tried not to breathe.

“Holly?” Justice called as he came into view.

Exhaling loudly, she threw open the door and held back the desire to run and throw herself at him. “You scared me!”

“Sorry. I should have called to you from up above. I’ve got good news, but we should probably get moving.”

He grinned at her, his white teeth standing out against his dark skin. He wore the same military shirt and camouflage pants from the night before, but his face looked different. His dark eyes held a glint of excitement.

“I’m ready,” she said.

As they walked up the hallway, she said, “I was afraid you weren’t coming back for me.”

He laughed and looked over his shoulder. “I wouldn’t do that. I told you I’d be back, and I’m a male of my word.”

She grinned, but thought how strange it seemed to refer to himself as a ‘male’ instead of a ‘man.’

They got in his Escalade, and she noticed the duffel bag in the back seat. “Where are we going?”

“Some place safe.”

“Where’s that?”

“A friend’s house. I think you’ll like it there, and we won’t have to worry about anyone catching us in places you aren’t supposed to be.”

It felt strange to be going with an almost complete stranger to an unknown house, but she reminded herself she had very few other options. She’d have to throw all her trust behind Justice. So far, he’d done exactly what he said he would.

Glancing over at him, she took in his strong profile. His hard features seemed to be made out of granite with a dark chocolate covering. Her gaze traveled down to his huge arms and tight waist, and she blushed in spite of herself. He really was a good-looking guy.

She shouldn’t be admiring him like that.

She gazed out the window and turned her thoughts to Billy. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she wondered where his body had been taken. Could there be more than one morgue in the city? No one would claim him, but maybe the authorities would keep it until she could get out of this mess and give him a proper burial.

Her heart literally ached thinking about him being gone, and a tear slipped down her cheek. She quickly brushed it away.

“Tell me about your brother,” Justice said, his voice soft. “Sometimes, it helps to talk about the person you’ve lost. It helps to heal, and also to keep their memories alive.”

She refused to look at him. He’d been so kind and so good to her, she felt afraid that she would completely lose it and begin blubbering if she met his gaze. “Who did you lose?”

“My whole family was wiped out in an … accident not too long ago. My mother, father, and my brother.”

She shut her eyes. She’d begun to feel sorry for herself, and she sat next to someone who had lost more than her. It served as a clear reminder that there would always be someone who had it worse. “I’m so sorry, Justice. Was it a car accident?”

He hesitated for a minute. “Yes. Tell me about your brother. I remember you saying that he was in the military.”

She tried to recall if she’d actually said anything to him about her brother’s profession, but couldn’t remember if she had. “He did three tours in the wars and they discharged him at age thirty. He’s been laid up with PTSD and depression for the past couple of years. My parents used to take care of him, but then they died, so it fell on me.”

“That’s rough.”

She shrugged. Yes, it had been hard, but she’d do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant Billy still lived. “He was a good guy.”

Afraid she’d completely lose it, she changed the subject. “Did you find someone to help us?”

He nodded. “Yes, a friend.”

“What’s he going to do?”

“He’s got some tools at his disposal that will help us locate the man who killed Billy.”

Had she mentioned his name to Justice? She must have and just didn’t remember. Her mind felt so scrambled, like a dropped box of puzzle pieces.

“Then we go and make him confess to the police, right?” she asked. “Or at least, find a way to tie him to the murder.”

“Of course.”

She still felt the need to kill the son of a bitch who’d destroyed her life in just a few moments of time. However, she also knew that she’d really be in trouble then. Besides, she had to remember that although the hurt and anger that consumed her made her want to kill him, she had to rise above her base urges and prove that she would remain better than him.

They pulled off the freeway and headed up a road where the houses seemed to get bigger and more magnificent the higher they went. When they pulled into the driveway, she looked at large, white columns, the wooden front door that stood at least twenty feet wide, and her heartbeat quickened. She’d never been in such a house. “Who’s your friend?”

Justice smiled. “Wait until you see the inside.”