Free Masked by Janelle Stalder

because you’re the only person that seems to keep me sane amongst all of the chaos.”
    Bridgette had no idea how to reply to that, nor did she get the chance. There was a whistling sound, the only warning, but enough to catch her attention. She didn’t think, she just moved, throwing her body against Roman’s so hard, both of them slammed to the ground behind the brick wall. More shots rang out above them. Bridgette covered Roman’s face with her upper body, curving it around him. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the commotion to end.
    A second later the shots ceased, the night returning to the quiet peacefulness it had been only moments before. Bridgette raised her head a fraction, looking down at Roman’s shocked face.
    “Are you okay?” she asked, placing her hands on the ground at either side of his head, so she could lift herself up more to see him properly.
    “How did you move that fast?” he asked, his voice low.
    “I don’t know,” she admitted. She started to move off him, but a heavy hand landed on her back, just above the curve of her buttocks. He pinned her where she was, his eyes glued to her face.
    “Careful,” he said. “Don’t raise your head above the bricks.” She nodded, sliding off him carefully when he finally removed his hand. Staying low to the ground, Bridgette plastered her back to the brick, her body shaking from the rush of adrenaline.
    “What was that?” she asked, her voice quivering.
    Roman sat up beside her, his mouth set in a firm line. He was pissed. A cold gleam had entered his eyes. “That was a lame attempt by someone trying to assassinate us.” Oh yes, he was beyond angry , she thought.
    “Who would do something like this?”
    “Who else? The rebels,” he answered through clenched teeth. If it had been her father, then she highly doubted she had been the target. Not that she was going to point that out. The sound of footsteps came from inside the stairwell a second before the door to the roof opened to reveal five soldiers.
    “Are you two okay?” the man at the front asked.
    “We’re fine,” Roman said. “Stay back in case they’re still there. I don’t need any of you getting a bullet in your head.”
    “We already have teams searching the surrounding rooftops,” the soldier answered. “Whoever it was is probably running for safety by now.”
    “They think they got him,” someone said from inside the stairwell. “A building, the next block over on the north side.”
    “Tell them to surround the building,” Roman ordered, “and wait for us to arrive before going in.”
    “Sir.”
    Roman turned to her. “Let’s go, Lottey. We have a rat to catch.”
    Every part of her wanted to say no, but she knew she had to play the part. Nodding her head, she started to stand when he clamped down on her shoulder.
    “Let me get up first,” he said. Rising to his feet, rather gracefully for someone his size, Roman looked out at the night, his expression daring someone to try again. When it stayed quiet, he reached for her hand, pulling her up in front of him so his body shielded hers. In the next second she found herself lifted into his arms. She squeaked in surprise, her arms wrapping around his neck instinctively.
    “What are you doing?” she asked, her cheeks flaming beneath her mask.
    “Protecting you,” he said in an obvious tone. “Plus, you don’t have shoes on. I don’t need you stepping on something and hurting yourself before we even get going.”
    “For goodness sakes, Roman, I can walk just fine.”
    He looked at her, smiling for the first time since the shots started. “I know.”

    He finally set her down in the hallway even though she had protested the whole way. “Go get your shoes and weapons on,” he said, giving her bottom a small tap as she turned to leave. When she looked back, he was expecting to see her usual reaction to his teasing, which was normally an expletive of some sort followed by a similar hand gesture.