Free Reckless Abandon (Phantom Protector Book 1) by Kate Allenton

himself. She
ended the call and sat the phone on the nightstand next to the bed.
    “If you’re tired, I suggest you go ahead and get
some sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time to go.” Briggs picked up his bag and checked
his additional guns. “Do you have one under your pillow like you did last
night?”
    Jamie lay back against her pillow and reached
beneath. She pulled her revolver from its hiding place and held it in the air.
“I’ve got it.” She shoved it back beneath her pillow. “You knew about that?”
    A grin formed on Briggs’ lips. “What good would
I be if I hadn’t noticed?”
     
    ****
    Briggs glanced at Jamie from across the room.
He’d stationed himself in front of the sliding glass door. The steady rhythm of
her breathing indicated she was in a peaceful sleep; no nightmares of their
current situation plagued her. He leaned back in the chair and propped his feet
up on the one in front of him. His palm rested against the gun on his lap.
Another half hour and he was going to have to wake her up. He’d called shortly
after she fell asleep and made another reservation under yet another fake name.
No one would be the wiser that they were leaving, at least he hoped not.  
    Briggs’ phone vibrated on his hip, alerting him
to a new text message. It was a message from Lydia. “Shit,” he whispered as he
hit the button to view the message. His heart rate increased as he read the
warning she’d sent. You need to leave
now. In my vision, he’s found the SUV, and it’s just a matter of time before he
figures out what room you’re in.  
      Briggs jumped to his feet and
went to Jamie and shook her. “Sweetheart, we need to leave. I need you to get
up.”
    Jamie slowly opened her eyes. Briggs grabbed her
bag and checked the closet and bathroom once more.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Lydia
texted me, and we need to get out of here.”
    Those words were all it took to pull Jamie from
her sleep-induced haze into panic mode. She grabbed the gun beneath her pillow
and shoved it into the waistband of the jeans she’d fallen asleep in and spun
around looking for her things. She slipped into her shoes. Briggs had his bag
strap threaded across his chest and hers clutched in his fingers. He hit the
light switch and held out his hand to her, the glare of the moon giving her
enough light to see across the room. “Let’s go.”
    Jamie placed her palm in his as he slid the door
open and stuck his head out, glancing both ways. He whispered, “Stay right
behind me.”
    Briggs had already reconned the hotel. He knew
that most of the cabs would be out front, but it was too dangerous. Since Floyd
had found the SUV, it was out of the question as well. He stayed close to the
building as he made his way toward the back of the hotel where the service
entrances were. There wasn’t a soul in sight. Most of the hotel patrons were
fast asleep, and the employees would be making their nightly rounds. It was the
perfect opportunity to slip out of sight.
    A small park stood behind the hotel, and a line
of trees lay directly behind the swing sets. That was the target they needed to
get to, preferably without getting caught. He stopped at the edge of the
building and glanced at Jamie. She was awake and alert and if he had to guess,
a little apprehensive. “We’re going over toward those clumps of trees. If we
get separated, I want you to find a good hiding spot and I’ll come for you. Are
you ready?”
    Jamie nodded.
    “On the count of three, we run for it.”
    She nodded once more. Briggs let go of her hand
for the first time since leaving the hotel room. He held up his fingers. When
the third was lifted they took off, running like the hounds of hell were on
their heels. Sweat beaded on his brow as they ran to the trees that would
provide them the cover they so desperately needed.
    They made it without incident. No one took a shot
at them, no one yelled their names, and no one had even noticed that they’d
left. At least he