Brigid began to rise, feeling exposed and way too far out in the open. “Raider, I think—”

“Sit down.” Raider kept his gaze on the man with the gun, but the barked command in his voice had her butt hitting the seat in instant response.

She blinked. What the heck had just happened? “Um.”

The armed man leaned in toward Raider. “I tear apart Feds for fun. Now get the pretty redhead out of here before I decide to rip off your face and show her what a real man can do with an hour or two.”

Brigid’s hands curled over the table, and she looked around frantically. The door was so close. She focused back on Raider.

If anything, he looked a little bored. “My money would be on the redhead,” he said, losing his smile. “Now, friend. You can either go get us a dessert menu, or you can fuck off and slink back to your bodyguard duties.”

Brigid swallowed a gasp. Had Raider just said the F-word? She glanced toward the corner, where one of the other bodyguards had started strutting their way. This was about to get bad. She wasn’t armed. Was Raider? He couldn’t be. They’d flown commercially, and he hadn’t declared a gun.

They had to get out of there. Right now.

The guy grabbed Raider by the tie, and then everything happened so quickly that Brigid froze in place.

Raider stood in one easy motion, manacled the back of the guy’s neck, and smashed his head down so hard into the table that the wood cracked in two. Dishes and utensils flew in every direction while the guy and the table crashed to the floor.

Brigid’s chair rocked back, and she yelped, scrambling to her feet to keep from falling. The guy on the floor didn’t move.

Raider’s easy and brutal violence shocked her more than the fight itself.

“Hey!” The other bodyguard, a redheaded man with a barrel of a chest, ran forward while yanking out his gun.

Raider pivoted and kicked the guy beneath the chin, following his downward spiral in a blur of motion. Three punches and a quick twist, and Raider stood with the gun pointed at the back table. When he lifted his chin, the two men there raised their hands.

The remaining patrons looked on, not moving.

Raider straightened his tie and tossed a business card on the table. “Have your boss call me if he wants to get serious.”

Brigid could only gape, her mind fuzzing. What had just happened?

Raider backed toward her. “Door. Now.”

She stumbled for it just as sirens echoed down the street. Running outside into a light rain, she rushed to the passenger side of the compact they’d rented at the airport. Raider calmly entered the driver’s seat, started the engine, and drove away from the restaurant.