Courage (Partners in Crime Book 2)

Chapter 5

A month and a half later, things started to look up. Early one morning, Grace dressed in a comfortable work outfit, then hopped into her SUV to go get coffee at the local shop. When she arrived at the place, as usual, it was pretty empty. Who gets coffee at about six-thirty in the morning? There were a few other cops in the place and a miscellaneous business man who looked like he just got off a red-eye flight. She stepped up to the counter and smiled. Her favorite barista, Katie, was working this morning.

"Hi Miss Wagner! Guess what?"

"Morning Katie. What am I guessing?"

"I told you to guess." Katie smiled.

"Okay. Um, did you get asked to the spring dance?" Grace knew it was Katie's dream to get asked to the dance.

"No, but tickets aren't due yet. So I still have time. Keep guessing!"

"Okay. Did you get to choose the frappe of the month?"

"Nope."

Grace threw her hands up in the air in mock agony, "I don't know. You're killing me! Tell me!"

"I got promoted to assistant manager!" Katie squealed.

"Oh my word, Katie that's awesome!" Grace took her hand and squeezed it.

"Yep, I am officially the youngest assistant manager to ever work at Lava Java!"

"Wait." Grace held up a hand, "Does that mean you also get a raise?"

Katie nodded, "Yes!"

Katie's parents were split up. She had two younger siblings that required a lot of attention. Her mother worked two jobs and barely had enough money to put food on the table. Katie decided to get a job to help their family. Although the only problem was that the teen never really got to enjoy life because she was always working. "Well then I would like one latte made by none other than the best assistant manager ever."

Katie smiled, "One delicious latte coming right up."

Grace grinned and leaned her back against the wall to wait. A simple cop thing to do that became a habit. What surprised her was not how delicious her latte was, but that as soon as Katie gave it to her, Hunter walked in.

He never came for coffee.

Ever.

"Morning Grace." He smiled then stepped forward to give Katie his order.

She panicked for a split second. What should she do? Play it cool? No, she was still supposed to be angry at him. But he liked her. How could she be angry? Hunter Grant liked her. There was nothing to be angry about there. Right?

"Dark roast, extra pump of hazelnut for...Hunter!" Katie interrupted her thoughts.

Hunter thanked her and took it, then stepped towards Grace. "Blustery day out, isn't it?"

Blustery day? It was spring. She took a sip of her latte, "What do you want?"

He grinned, "To talk to you."

She almost spit out her coffee. "Wow. Um, okay." This was new. She looked behind him and saw Katie frozen in place. "Katie? Are you okay?"

Katie whimpered, "Gun...shooter...look..."

Hunter dropped his coffee on a table and so did Grace. He looked out the window and his eyes widened. "Get down everyone! Get down!" He shouted.

Grace whipped around to see what was going on. Before she got a glance out the window, Hunter jumped on top of her, knocking her to the ground. The sound of shattering glass and bullets pierced the air. She heard Katie scream.

She saw blood.

~~~~~

Hunter felt Grace's body beneath him. He also saw that she wasn't moving. "Grace?"

"Hunter? Are you okay?"

Relief filled him. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"I-I'm not sure. I see blood." She tried to get up, but he pushed her down.

"Don't get up yet. They may not be done firing." As if on cue, another stream of bullets pelted the shop.

He watched Grace's head duck.

He felt a bullet whiz by him.

Too close.

"Katie!" Grace rasped.

"Who's Katie?" he asked.

"The barista! Katie!" She called louder.

"Stop yelling!" He told her. "Stay quiet."

"Hunter." She rasped again.

"What? Grace, are you sure you're fine?"

She tried to push him off her, "I can't breathe."

Whoops. He moved a bit, "Better?"

"Mm-hm."

"Good. Now don't move." He directed her.

She nodded ever so slightly. He heard some of the other officers calling in backup at the moment.

"Hunter?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"You just saved my life."

How does someone respond to that? Yeah, he did just save her from being shredded. But, what does he say? "Yeah, at least I didn't shoot someone this time."

She flipped over so their eyes could meet, "I'm sorry I got mad at you."

"I forgive you." He gazed into her eyes. They were like chocolate. So pretty. Even the dust on her face from hitting the ground looked pretty on her.

"Everybody freeze!" A loud voice shouted.

Hunter froze. As did Grace. He saw a slight roll of her eyes.

"I know Grace Wagner is in here. Whether I hit her or not, I'm not sure. But I do know that in two months time, she will be dead. So Grace, wherever you are, I would watch your back. You won't have a safe place to go to anymore. I'm watching. I'm always watching."

Hunter listened as the voice faded, and then turned his attention to Grace. Her face was distant. "Grace?"

"Yeah?" She tried to push him away.

"You are going to be fine. I'll catch this person for you." It sounded a bit cliche but oh well.

"I don't want to die, now do I?" He would have smiled at the sarcasm if it was a different scenario.

Sirens screamed in the air.

He started to get up, and Grace accepted his assistance. "Well that was entertaining."

Law enforcement flooded the scene.

Hunter brushed some glass fragments off his jacket. "You don't have to make a joke out of it."

She gave him a stony expression, "It's how I cope."

He pulled her into a sitting position and they sat in front of the coffee counter, "What?"

"Someone just declared they want to kill me. If I make a small joke out of it, I forget how serious it is."

"You could have just said you were scared." He lifted her chin. Their eyes met. "I won't ever let anything happen to you."

Grace shook his hand away, "I'm not a damsel in distress."

Hunter knew that. But it didn't change anything.