Page 32 of Acting on Instinct
And that frightened her. It frightened her because Ty was used to this. Just another day at the office. It reminded her that Ty did hard things in dark places.
Kira just wanted him safe.Selfishly,she needed that.
Yet, he was fine.
She, on the other hand, was left horrified by the evil in the world.
And then, there was also the abiding current of anger that Ty hadshovedher away.
Chapter Ten
Kira
“I heard about the robbery. It was a scary situation. But you look fine,” Lula said, tucking her foot under her hip so she could face Kira on the couch. “Are you fine?”
Lula La Roe was using that searching gaze of hers, the one she used when she was working under her CIA alias Johnna White, the one that could shapeshift into whatever was needed in the moment. Lula had chameleon-like qualities.
“The robbery?” Kira asked, tossing one of the throw pillows out of her way to slide deeper into the corner of her couch. “How did you hear that I was involved?”
“Ty called me and asked me to check on you with my psychology hat on and see if you needed anything with my friendship hat on.”
“That’s right, I mentioned to him this morning that you were stopping by for a quick visit,” Kira said, jumping up. “I’m getting an iced chai. Can I get you anything?” She called over her shoulder. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m good. Maybe a glass of water, thank you.” Lula swiveled to watch Kira escape into her kitchen. “Ty said he didn’t want to leave you, but he had orders.”
“Of course. I get all that. Nothing happened to me except I peed myself a little.” Kira banged the cupboard shut and loudly put two glasses on the counter.
“Understandable.” Lula lifted her voice so it would travel into the kitchen.
“I was scared, of course. At first, I thought they were ICE officers all dressed up in their camo and balaclavas with theirMOLLE bags and rifles.” Kira pulled the fridge open, reaching in for the carton of chai and the pitcher of water, and set them on the counter. “Then I realized they were criminals. I was pretty angry with him.” She shut the fridge. “I’m still angry at him.”
“Him who?” There was confusion in Lula’s voice. “Him, Ty?”
Kira twisted around the wall so Lula could see her. “He shoved me—and I meanshovedme—away from him and sent Rory to stand by me like a weapon.” She moved back into the kitchen to pour the drinks and put the containers away.
Lula waited until Kira came back to the living room and stretched the glass of water and napkin out to her before she said, “Ty shoving you makes perfect sense. Look at Ty. He’s big, fit, and he’s a war-hardened man. Any man walking into the situation would make a man like that their first mark out of self-preservation.”
Kira set her glass on a coaster on the side table. “That’s what I thought. That’sexactlywhat I thought.” She plopped onto the sofa. “So why shove me to the side?” Kira leaned aggressively toward Lula.
“Because if they were going to shoot, they’d shoot him first. And he wanted you out of that shot.”
Kira closed her eyes, remembering what it was like to be in the D.C. ballroom when the terrorists shot London in the back of the head. London had been standing there wide-eyed, frozen in fear, then an echoing bang, and her eyes slid shut, and her body melted onto the ground. No one was allowed to go forward to help. How could someone help anyway? What do you do when someone you love is shot in the head at point-blank range?
It took a long moment before Kira could open her eyes again and say, “Not if I was standing in front of him.”
Lula tilted her head. “What?”
“If I stood in front of Ty and Rory, if Ty wrapped his arms around me, then we’d be a couple. We were a unit. He wouldn’t have been some lone soldier boy ready to leap. If I were in front of him, he couldn’t have leaped.”
Lula scowled.
“Ty pushed me away to protect me. He was willing to take a bullet to protect me. But he didn’t let me stand in front ofhimto give him cover and possibly avert any shots at all.”
Lula pinched her face together, then pinched her nose as if an allergen had just flown into her face. When she blinked her eyes back open, she said, “You have a good point.”
“Of course I do. It’s the same principle as when the terrorists attacked.”
“Are you thinking of the Davidsons’ D.C. party now?”
