Grumpy Best Friend

The park exploded with light. Federal agents sprinted down the path with guns drawn, and I dropped the weapon, my hands thrown up into the air. Jakub dropped to his knees, glaring death at me, hands raised, and Zeke stood there, too surprise to do much more than stare around him like an idiot. A couple of buzz-cut agents threw handcuffs around Zeke’s wrists and roughly wrenched his arms back, while three of them jumped on Jakub, got him face-down on the ground, and slapped cuffs on his wrists.

I turned and ran to Jude. She stood, eyes wide, and I put my hands on her shoulders. “Are you okay?” I asked, terrified that the gunshot hit her.

But she nodded. “I’m fine. He missed me.” She shook her head rapidly, and I knew she was in shock. “I don’t know where it went.”

I assumed she meant the bullet, but it didn’t matter. I grabbed her and pulled her against me, hugging her tight, while the feds got Zeke and Jakub in custody.

That was the closest I’d ever come to dying. My heart raced wildly and adrenaline coursed through my bloodstream, and yet I felt alive. My head ached from where I smashed it against Jakub’s face, and my hands shook with barely suppressed fear, but I knew I would do it all over again, if I had the chance. I’d do it all over and make sure Jude was safe.

“You two okay?” Hal asked, appearing through the trees several feet away. “God damn, was that a gunshot I heard?”

I nodded a little and released Jude, but she stayed close, clinging to my arm.

“Big guy shot at me,” I said. “Didn’t hit anyone though.”

“Thank god,” Hal said. “Shit, didn’t think it’d go down like that. Blackmailers aren’t usually violent.”

“You did good, kid,” Butch said, and laughed wildly, head thrown back, as Jakub was dragged off, followed by Zeke, who stared at me like he couldn’t believe that I’d betray him. “Big fucker’s got a really messed-up nose. We heard the whole thing, boy. You were smart to move so fast.”

“I thought you said you were right nearby,” I said, clenching my jaw. These jokers made me feel like this was safe. Instead, we nearly got killed. “Jude could’ve been hurt.”

“She wasn’t, all thanks to you,” Butch said, and laughed again. “You ever need a job, man, you give me a call. I’d love to have a guy like you in the bureau.” He shook his head and walked off.

Hal had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry about that,” he said. “We really were nearby. As soon as it sounded like things were turning, we sprinted to get here.”

“I know,” I said, and turned away. “What now?”

“Now we prosecute. You’ll have to come to court. Lady Fluke might need to fly in at some point to testify, if it gets that far. Otherwise, it’s over. Those two won’t make bail, you can believe that, not after the big one tried to kill you.”

“What about their organized crime buddies?” I asked, and took Jude’s hand in my own.

“Turns out, Zeke doesn’t belong to any of the families anymore,” Hal said with a cheeky little smile. “He dipped into the stash, so to speak, and owes them a lot of money. I think this was his attempt at buying his way back into their good graces. Or at least avoiding the death penalty.”

“Prison won’t be safe for him, will it?” Jude asked.

“Probably not,” Hal said, and shrugged. “His problem, anyway.” He walked off and started speaking to one of the young agents that canvassed the area.

I pulled Jude against me and hugged her tight. I felt her fast, shallow breaths, and I wished I could reach into her and take away whatever was scaring her. I hated Zeke, hated Jakub, and hated the feds, but it was over, it was finally over.

“Now that we’re not being blackmailed by a gangster anymore, I think the office is going to seem boring,” I said.

She laughed a little. “I think I’d like boring.” She looked up at me, chewing on that gorgeous bottom lip. “Take me home, will you?”

“Not back to your place?” I asked. She shook her head no. “All right then,” I said, and led her away.

22

Jude

The factory floor hummed.

I stood on the catwalk above the action with Bret. Below, employees of the Fluke Company fired up the machines, prepared the lines, mixed the ingredients, and bustled around. I slipped my hand into his, and we enjoyed the dance down below, as the factory opened for its first official batch.

Ever since Zeke was arrested, my life shifted. It was like the equator of my world moved, and suddenly Bret was at the center. I never bothered to go home, and although it’d been nearly four months, I planned on letting my lease lapse at the end of the year.