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Lori smiled at Gunner. “I’m ready. I just need to get my purse and jacket.”
Before Lori could turn toward her office, a man strode toward her, getting Gunner’s attention. The guy was lanky, with blond hair and blue eyes, and he walked like he owned the place. “Hey, sis.”
“Nick, I wasn’t expecting you,” Lori said, then added, “This is Gunner, a friend of mine. Gunner, this is my brother.”
Gunner didn’t reach for Nick’s hand, sensing that he wasn’t friendly. Plus, there was something off. Nick’s pupils were dilated, and he seemed agitated, making Gunner wonder what he was on.
“Have you heard what she’s up to?” Nick said to Adam. “Can’t you talk some sense into her?”
“Calm down,” Adam said. “This isn’t the place to talk about this. If you’re here to see Matt, he’s in his office.”
Nick glared at Adam, then gave Lori a disgusted look. He didn’t bother acknowledging Gunner. Without another word, he strode away.
“Sorry,” Lori said. “He can be difficult sometimes.”
“No problem,” Gunner said. “Shall we go?”
Lori thanked Adam for handling her brother, then went to get her stuff. Gunner followed and waited in the hall, then escorted her to the parking lot.
On the way to the restaurant, Lori shared more about Nick. His drug addiction continued to be an issue, and the more Lori talked, the more Gunner was concerned about what her brother was involved in. He must get his drugs from a dealer, and he didn’t want Lori anywhere near that connection. But it might be a challenge to keep Nick’s lifestyle from impacting Lori.
Gunner drove to an upscale café in Santa Monica that had plenty of parking. Downtown had good places to eat but parking was often an issue. The café had a large lot in back, with many open spots. After parking, Gunner helped Lori out. He noticed that she seemed anxious, but didn’t think it was running into her brother that was the cause.
At the entrance to the restaurant, Lori hesitated. “I forgot my phone. I better get it just in case the clinic needs to reach me.”
“You wait here; I’ll grab it for you.” Gunner jogged to the car and found her phone on the floorboard. He waved to Lori that he had it.
As he walked back, Gunner saw Lori cross the main lane of the lot. She walked toward him with her hand out for the phone. When he was a couple of rows back, a dark sedan entered the lot, but it didn’t slow to allow Lori to cross safely.
Gunner sensed what was going to happen. He slipped the phone in his pocket then sprinted for Lori. In that second, the sedan’s engine revved and the car shot forward. The noise alarmed Lori, and she glanced toward the moving vehicle.
With every ounce of speed that he could muster, Gunner ran for Lori. Without slowing, he leaned low and grabbed her around the waist. Fluidly, he lifted her over his shoulder and lunged toward the sidewalk. As he plunged toward the ground, he twisted so that he landed underneath Lori, protecting her from the fall.
As they flew through the air, Lori screamed. The impact knocked her head against his chest. Gunner caught a glimpse of the sedan as it sped down the opposite aisle then out of the lot. He hugged Lori tight, relieved that she was alive and breathing.
Gunner helped Lori up then held her hands. “That was close.”
Lori was breathing hard but didn’t respond.
“Are you hurt?” Gunner said.
“What was that?” Lori said. “That car almost hit me!”
Gunner could see that she was in shock. “Let’s go inside. It’s not a good idea to stand around out here.” He put his arm around Lori and guided her into the café.
At a table along the back wall, Gunner seated Lori then took the chair across from her. The waitress came by with menus, and he said, “The lady needs a drink.”
“A martini, please,” Lori said.
Gunner opted for water. He held Lori’s hand, hating to see her so pale.
The drinks arrived and Lori took two sips. “I could have been seriously hurt. I was distracted and not paying attention.”
“That driver was gunning for you.”
“Why would he? I’ve never seen that car before.” Lori looked at Gunner, then the situation seemed to become clear. “He was trying to run into me?”
“He hit the gas the moment you stepped into the aisle,” Gunner said. “He intended to kill you, or at the very least, scare you.”
