Reckless (Benson Security 1)

That guy.

He stood beside a car at the corner of the house, talking to another man. Megan ducked her head and tapped her bag against her leg. A nervous gesture, she hoped the bodybuilder wouldn’t notice. It was impossible to stay still when every cell in her body was screaming for her to run.

Slowly, oh so slowly, the gate began to open. She heard movement behind her. Footsteps on gravel. She couldn’t hear anything more. The sound of her own blood rushing through her veins drowned out everything else. She couldn’t tell if the footsteps were coming towards her or going away.

At last, the gate opened enough for her to squeeze through. Smiling at the guard one last time, so as not to raise any suspicions, she ducked her head and pretended to fish around in her handbag as she walked away.

A voice called out behind her. “Wait. Miss. Wait.”

She kept on walking. Picking up speed. Trying hard not to run. Not to hurry too much. She just had to make it to the end of the street. Around the corner, Elle was parked waiting for her. She just had to make it to Elle.

She heard footsteps thudding on the pavement behind her and held her breath. Her team were out there. Callum, no doubt, had his gun trained in her direction. They could see what was happening. They wouldn’t let Durand hurt her. She was sure of it.

A hand on her arm. Her vision blurred. A body appeared in front of her.

The bodybuilder.

It was the bodybuilder. He held up her phone. “You forgot this.”

“Thanks.” Her voice was breathy from anxiety, but she hoped he read it as lust.

“I programmed my number. It’s under C for call me.”

Ew! Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. “You know I will.”

She turned on her expensive, but modified, heel and sauntered to the end of the street, putting an extra swing into her hips, just in case.

As soon as she rounded the corner she bolted for the bright blue Mini Cooper, parked illegally in front of the entrance to someone’s house. Elle was behind the wheel. Megan threw

herself into the car.

“Go. Go. Go.” She slouched down in the seat as Elle pulled out into traffic.

“You okay?” Elle said.

“I think I’m going to vomit.”

“Understandable. But don’t do it in the car.”

“You’re all heart.”

“I know.” Elle gave her a manic, near hysterical, grin. “You can get up now.”

Megan sat up in her seat and fumbled with her seatbelt. “My hands are shaking.”

“Adrenalin.” Elle cast her a sideward glance. “Or fear. Just how terrifying was it?”

“Not so bad while I was in there. I had to focus on the job. But now…”

“Yeah.” Elle turned into the main road, heading to Rachel’s house as they’d prearranged.

“I need a shower.” Megan watched the busy shopping street pass by. It was filled with people who were having a normal Friday afternoon. The sight made everything Megan had just done, even more surreal. “I have to wash away the stink of Abramovich.” She didn’t even want to think about the part of him she’d touched.

“He deserved it.” Elle’s lips thinned.

“I know, he deserved that and more. Damn, Elle, when I close my eyes all I can see are the photos of the women he hurt. I keep thinking that could be Claire and then I remember that it is Katrina.” She went to rub her eyes but remembered her hands were dirty. Invisible dirt from touching Rudi. “You got any wipes?”

“Glove compartment.”