The man holding the Glock began to gurgle and his eyes bugged out even further as he struggled to breathe. The gun discharged its bullet into the wall somewhere behind Griffin just as the thug slumped to the floor, both hands clutching his chest. Griffin jumped over his prone body, being careful not to dislodge the knife jabbed into his heart from behind. He grabbed Marin by the shoulders.
“Is he dead?” she whispered.
“Let’s hope so.” Griffin steered her toward the front of the house, grabbing his holster as they left the kitchen. “Come on, Marin. We need to get out of here.”
But she was transfixed by the man on the floor with the knife in his back. “I killed a man.” Her voice trembled.
They didn’t have time for this. The safe house had been compromised. He needed to get Marin out of there quickly.
Griffin cupped her chin, capturing her watery blue-eyed gaze with his. “It was self-defense. He was going to kill you.”
“And you, too.”
“Yeah.” He allowed himself a quick sigh of relief. “And I’m going to thank you properly for saving my life later. But right now, we need to move. Hopefully, we can intercept Adam and Ben.”
He laced his fingers through hers, tugging her to the front of the house where he could peek out the window. The street looked clear, but years on the job had taught him that didn’t mean anything. Unbolting the front door, he led the way out. Marin followed on his heels. Since Griffin had Ubered over to the safe house they had no choice but to escape on foot. There was no sign of his buddies. Griffin hoped that was because they were blocks away from the house rather than bleeding out in the alley next door.
They headed east toward the water. Just as they made it to the middle of the block, a car engine revved behind them. Griffin looked back to see a tan sedan screaming down the street, headed right for him and Marin. He shoved Marin down an alley, covering her with his body just in case the driver was armed. The car sped past them and screeched to a halt at the corner. Griffin pulled Marin toward the chain link fence that led to the next street and began to hoist her over.
“He’s coming back!” Marin cried.
Griffin turned just as the car blocked the entrance to the alley. He aimed his gun at the driver. Someone else in the car shouted something in what sounded like Greek and the car sped off.
“Come on.” Griffin yanked Marin off the fence and dragged her out of the alley right when the sedan rounded the corner.
“Will you make up your mind already?” she cried in exasperation.
But she easily fell into step beside him. Their long strides allowed them to make it midway to the next block before they heard the loud shouts in Greek come from the street beside them. The idiots had fallen for Griffin’s deception.
“This way.” He led her into the lobby of a small boutique hotel at the corner. From there, Griffin had a bird’s eye view of the Alexandria waterfront and the two side streets leading up to it. He pulled out his phone and quickly tried Adam. No answer.Damn it.
“Griffin,” Marin whispered urgently.
She pulled him behind one of the potted trees just as the sedan cruised past the wall of glass at the front of the lobby.
Around them, it felt like a frat party was going on. “Make sure you have everything you need for the river cruise,” one of the college-aged kids called out. “The boat is leaving in ten minutes.”
A boat.That would work. He had to get Marin out of the area. Their location had become known somehow and Griffin didn’t feel comfortable sticking around Old Town a moment longer than they had to. He led Marin over to the concierge desk.
“Do you sell tickets to the monument cruise?” he asked.
The concierge shot him a wary look. “You don’t want to take the cruise tonight.” He gestured to the coeds in the lobby. “It’s gonna be full of a couple hundred of those jokers trying to turn it into a booze cruise. I can sell you tickets for tomorrow if you want.”
Marin suddenly draped herself over Griffin’s shoulder. “But I want to go tonight, sweet cheeks.”
Sweet cheeks?Griffin did his best not to look surprised. Clearly, she was trying to help out. “Whatever the lady wants,” he said trying to play along.
The concierge bit back a smirk before he shrugged. “Sure thing, mister.”
The spring breakers were already making their way across the street to the pier when the sedan turned the corner again. The car paused to let the kids cross. Griffin jumped behind the valet stand, pulling Marin between his body and the brick wall, to avoid being seen.
“Sweet cheeks?” He asked the question while his lips grazed against her neck. The gesture was meant to calm her down. As usual, touching her had the opposite effect on him.
She shivered against him as she fisted her hands in his T-shirt. “I’m sorry. I don’t seem to know who I am right now.”
Griffin glanced into her eyes, still wide with panic. He brushed a gentle kiss across her trembling lips. “You’re doing fine, Marin. Just hang in there a few more minutes until we’re safely aboard the boat.”
She nodded, slowly at first, but then with more confidence. It was all Griffin could do not to keep kissing her with more passion. He hated how this experience would forever alter her, but he couldn’t help but be proud of the way she was fighting to keep her composure. Ben was right; Marin was tougher than she looked. Griffin just hoped she could hang on to that toughness for a little while longer.