Free PRIMAL INSTINCT by JANIE CROUGH Page B

get them out.”
    “So you went to talk to them?”
    “Talk? I’m not sure that talk is the right word. I stumbled over to their table, literally. I couldn’t figure out what to say—my brain felt like mush.” Adrienne looked up at him with panic in her eyes. “Finally they noticed my nose was bleeding, and the lady got me a wet paper towel from the bathroom. She had just disappeared out of sight when the guy walked in.”
    Conner saw Adrienne shudder. Whatever she was remembering about this guy, she definitely didn’t like it.
    “I thought we were going to make it,” Adrienne said in a low voice. “But then she exited the bathroom, and he saw her.”
    Conner took the wet cloth off her arm again—the burn was looking better, although still angry—and waited for her to continue.
    “I tried to get over to the guy to stop him myself. But his thoughts...” Adrienne closed her eyes. “They were so loud. So unbearably loud.” She cringed again, and Conner found himself cringing with her.
    “I tried to get to him, but he basically just brushed me off, and I fell and couldn’t seem to get up even though I wasn’t hurt. I didn’t have any more strength.” Adrienne looked at Conner with distress in her eyes. “I just knew he was going to kill them, Conner. I knew it.”
    “But he didn’t,” Conner reminded her.
    “Thanks to Seth. He got here literally in the nick of time.”
    “You know, this is all going to be really iffy in court. His lawyer will argue the guy basically had a gun and made a bad judgment about when it was okay to take it out of his pocket. He didn’t actually threaten anybody with it. We have no proof of any intent to harm the woman or the other man. At best the gunman will probably get charged with illegal possession of a firearm.”
    Adrienne nodded. “I know. I don’t stand up well as a witness in court, I’m sure. But the important thing is, nobody was hurt today.”
    Conner gestured down at her burnt arm. “Not exactly.”
    “I’ll be fine.” Adrienne took the washcloth from him.
    Conner took her hand in his. He rubbed his fingers gently on the part of her hand that wasn’t burned. “I’m still sorry.”
    Adrienne smiled shyly, then withdrew her hand. Conner looked around him. Things were wrapping up. The man had already been taken away by the local police. Conner motioned to Seth, and Seth made his way over to them.
    “Everything almost done here?” Conner asked him, standing up.
    “Yeah. Seems like the perp was the ex-husband of the lady. Although they’ve been separated for over a year, he totally freaked out when he discovered she was dating someone else.”
    “He tell you that?” Conner asked.
    “No, the lady. Evidently he’s been calling her nonstop for the past couple of weeks—wouldn’t get the hint. She finally changed her phone number, and he started showing up at her work.”
    Conner shook his head, not surprised. Domestic violence often escalated like this.
    “She told him about the new boyfriend yesterday, thinking that would get him to move on. But evidently not,” Seth continued. “She knew as soon as she saw him here this morning, he meant her physical harm.”
    Adrienne looked up at Seth from where she sat. “I’m glad you got here when you did, Seth. I really think he planned to shoot her. Shoot them both.”
    Seth grimaced. “Well, that’s going to be hard to prove. But no matter what, she at least knows to be aware of her ex and keep away from him.”
    Conner walked over to help Adrienne out of her chair. He kept a hand at the small of her back in case she started to keel over again. “Are you ready to go?”
    “Sure. Are we headed straight to the Bureau office?”
    Conner looked down at Adrienne’s clothes, splattered with coffee stains. “Do you want to go to your hotel first? Change clothes?”
    “Yeah, that would be great.” Adrienne smiled with relief.
    “Do you want me to drive you or do you think you can walk? I’ll walk