Kathleen Brooks - Secrets Collide

After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled the lever and the ladder started sliding down to the ground. The woman turned and grabbed the side of the ladder, but when she looked up at the men chasing her, her foot missed the next step and slipped. Cy watched helplessly as the woman slid all the way down the ladder, her body hitting against it as she held onto the outside rails with all her might.

Jumping to action, Cy held out his arms preparing to catch the falling woman. She came down the ladder with such uncontrolled speed that he had to jump back or risk getting knocked out by her flailing feet.

She hit the pavement hard and stumbled backward, right into his chest. “Good evening. May I be of assistance?” he asked with a smile, completely out of place compared to the woman’s terror-filled face. Instead of answering, the woman screamed and stomped her foot on his. “Umph! Look, lady, I’m a good guy. Now get behind me.” Cy shoved her behind him and charged the man coming down the ladder.

Reaching up, he grabbed hold of the man’s legs and yanked hard. The man’s chin slammed into the metal step and snapped back. Cy saw a circular tattoo on the underside of his wrist as he fell back with blood trickling from his mouth. The impact of his body hitting the ground was enough to knock him out.

“This doesn’t concern you. Walk away before you die for this girl,” the man with the shaved head said with a slight Russian accent from the top of the ladder. He knew Cy held the advantage and didn’t go any farther down.

“Or what, you’ll come down here and kill me? Then come on, baldy.” Cy put his hands on his hips and stared up at the man.

“I won’t have to come down there.” The man pushed back his coat, exposing a gun.

“Well, shit.” Cy leaped back, grabbed the trembling woman by her arm, and shoved her down the street. A bullet hit the brick building just in front of them and Cy shoved her into a narrow alley between two apartment buildings. “Who are you, lady?”

“Gemma. Gemma Perry. Who are you? Er . . . and thank you for saving me. That doesn’t seem like enough of a thank-you, though. You did save my life. What do I say to that?” Gemma rambled nervously between gasps of air as they zigzagged between buildings.

Cy couldn’t help but grin as he slowed to a stop, hiding behind a dumpster. “A thank-you is good enough. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t help a woman in distress? I’d never be allowed back home if my ma found out.” Cy held out his hand. “I’m Cy Davidson. It’s nice to meet you, even under the circumstances.”

Gemma shook his hand, staring in bewilderment as their hands intertwined. His wasn’t even shaking. Hers on the other hand were a sweaty, trembling mess. “You’re not even shaking.” She looked up into his hazel eyes. Green flecks, the same shade as hers, were woven in between bits of gold. From what she could tell by his short hair, it was a dark blond with a bit of auburn in it. His shoulders seemed to go on for miles and the way he looked in a t-shirt and jeans was ridiculous.

“I’m a stuntman. Or I was. Today was my last day. I’m retired. I kinda live for the adrenaline rush. Getting shot at wasn’t anything compared to leaping a building like I did a couple of hours ago. What about you, Gemma?”

“Ugh. It figures you’re Hollywood. At least your teeth aren’t capped.” Cy chuckled at this spitfire in front of him. She came up to his chin and he had the strongest desire to wrap his arms around her and protect her. He didn’t know why, because in all honesty, she was a mess. Her shirt was partially untucked from her jeans. Her shiny brunette hair stuck out in every direction and she smelled quite bad. But beneath that were full breasts, a narrow waist, and curvy hips that caused images of her naked and on top of him to fly through his mind.

“And what do you do, Gemma? Is your job why these guys were chasing you?” Cy asked.

“I’m an investigative reporter for Inside Peek magazine. Sadly, this is the second time tonight I've hidden behind a dumpster.” Gemma took a breath and tried to keep herself together. “And those men were after me because of my sister. They murdered her earlier this evening and I have something they want,” she said with a death grip on her shoulder bag.

“I am so sorry, honey. I can’t imagine losing one of my brothers or my sister.” Gemma held her breath as the huge man with the slight southern accent enveloped her in a hug. Fred chose that moment to stick his head out and make himself known with a whine. “Oh, please tell me the dog isn’t the witness to the crime and the only one able to ID the killers?”

Gemma shot him a look that told him to eat shit, but he only laughed and grabbed Fred. “Wait. He doesn’t know you . . .” Gemma’s worried words trailed off as she watched Fred attack the man’s stubbled chin with kisses.

“Aren’t you a sweet puppy?” Cy cooed. “Now, why don’t you tell me more about your sister and what those guys are after?”

Who was this man? Gemma didn’t know, but for now he was better than her sister's killers. “Umm. I’m supposed to meet the police. A detective was on his way when they broke in. If you could just get me to him, that’s all I need.” Gemma didn’t know why, but she was suddenly protective of all her information. What if he was one of them? He kinda looked like them—big and scary when fighting.

Cy chuckled again. “You’re thinking I’m one of them, aren’t you?”

“No,” Gemma denied instantly, but then Cy raised just one eyebrow. “Okay, yes. But, my dog likes you, so I guess you can’t be too bad.”

“I’m not bad at anything, honey,” Cy said with a wink.

Gemma groaned. She escaped a killer but landed with a cocky stuntman. What was next? Being served by a dance crew?

“So, you were going to tell me about your sister,” he prompted.

“My twin sister is . . . was . . . Gia Perry.”

“The international reporter? She broke some huge stories. She must've stumbled onto something big. Is that what you have?” Cy asked.

“Yes, that’s Gia. She was working on something. I don’t know what, though. I didn’t have time to look. And I certainly am not doing this in the middle of an alley. Now, please, take me to Detective Greene.” Gemma looked around nervously.

“Sure.” Cy pulled out his cell phone and she started feeling anxious. She felt time ticking and all she wanted to do was get to Detective Greene and hide out in the police station until these men were caught. “Let me just make a quick call.”

“A call? To whom?” Gemma asked suspiciously.

“I’m in Hollywood. I have connections all over the place. Let me just check out this Detective Greene and make sure he’s clean.”

"Okay, that’s pretty smart," Gemma said as she nodded her head while Cy walked off a short way to make his call. If only this would end, maybe she could be free of the pressure strangling her heart.

Cy turned and gave Gemma a reassuring smile as he dialed the phone.

“Happy retirement. Are you calling so late to rub it in that you’re drunk and with some starlet?” his boss’s gruff voice laughed over the phone.

“Nope. But I did have this cute little number quite literally run into me. In fact, that’s why I'm calling. I’m walking home from the bar when I hear shouting. I check it out and look up onto the side of an apartment building where a woman is running down the fire escape with two professionals behind her,” Cy told his boss.

“Did you get a good look at them?” he asked, the teasing having left his voice.

“Sure did. Got a real good look at a tattoo one of them had on his wrist as well.”