Free Over My Head by Wendi Zwaduk

ground.
    “You shot my goddamned hand! Bastard.” With his left hand, he patted his chest. “Ross, Corey, where the fuck are you?” His voice broke and rose two octaves. “I’m bleeding you assholes!”
    Astra bolted from the room in a blur of blonde hair. Her footsteps thumped on the carpet. Randy crossed the space to Tiny’s crumpled form.
    “I figured a big ass like you would drop because of a little bullet.” Randy kicked the gun from Tiny’s reach. “Don’t bother to call them. You gave Corey the night off and Ross can’t touch me.”
    “You’re a dead man.”
    “I doubt it.” Gun in hand, Randy crouched beside Tiny. He pressed the barrel of the gun against Tiny’s temple. “The cops know and they are going to shut your drug op down. Mark my words.”
    “Where are you assholes? I’m shot,” Tiny growled.
    “Leave her the hell alone. You hear me?” Randy nudged Tiny with the barrel of the gun. “Astra and I ran off to Vegas and you’re happy for us.”
    “Fuck you,” Tiny spat. He reached for the gun once more. “Asshole.”
    “Have it your way.” Randy aimed at Tiny’s other hand and fired, leaving an explosion of blood and tissue on the carpet. “It’s a shitty carpet.”
    Randy stepped over Tiny’s bleeding body and made his way from the dressing room. He flipped his phone open and pressed the buttons to make the call. “Done and ready for you to go in.”
    Before the person on the other end could speak, he snapped the phone shut. Time to get the fuck away from the Silver Steel.
    Randy caught up with Astra midway across the lot and grabbed her hand. No time to fuck around, he yanked her to the car. Fuck, fuck, fuck. The whole thing had been too damn close to disaster for his taste. Forgetting all manners, he gave her a shove into the passenger seat and slammed the door. The faster they got out of there, the better.
    “Don’t have to be an asshole.” Astra smoothed her hair from her eyes and huffed a sigh of relief. “Are we really out of there?”
    Randy slammed the car into gear. Rocks spewed out from under the spinning tyres. Within minutes, they’d reached the outskirts of town. His heart rate wouldn’t slow until he got to the state line, but he cherished his minor victory.
    “Yeah, we are so out of there, but damn. I’m glad Malsam’s on our side. That was too fucking close.” He owed his fellow officer big time once the damn bust went down. “You’re safe, the baby’s safe. We’re good.”
    “I may lose my lunch before we get to Cleveland, but yeah, I’m okay and the baby’s safe.” She sat quiet for a pregnant moment, staring out the window. When she finally spoke, her voice was so low he had a hard time hearing her.
    “Did you mean what you said?” Astra rubbed the bare ring finger on her left hand. “I need to know.”
    “Does it mean I love you? Yes.” Randy wrapped the fingers of his left hand around the steering wheel and placed his right hand on her thigh. “I love you more than I thought possible…and yes, the ring was coming, just not so fast, but hey—live like we’re dying, right?”
    “You’re scary logical sometimes.”
    “Do you really want to marry me?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and pulled the ring box from his coat. “I mean, I did just about get us killed and I’ve got a track record of things not going according to plan. But you’ll never find another man who will love and cherish you like me. I’ll take care of you and love the baby. I’m over my head in love with you.” He flicked open the jewellery box lid and tugged the ring free. “Marry me, little girl.”
    “I don’t know.”
    Randy slid the ring down her finger and kissed the stone. “Diamonds look good on you…and I think the baby wants us together.”
    She snorted. “Maybe things are going to plan—just not your plan.” She took his hand in hers and ran her tongue over his knuckles. “Who else would put a stripper and a cop together and