Taking Annie and Mia by the hand, I walk over to Serenity, who looks up and gives us a strained smile. She’s obviously in a great deal of pain.

“How much acid did he get on you?” I ask.

She shrugs. “He splashed my right upper arm pretty good. Got a little on my titty.”

Annie actually giggles at this.

“Does it burn?” I ask.

“Oh, it burns. But it beats the hell out of being dead in the street.”

I shake my head at her bravado.

“I got that gel on there pretty fast,” Tee says. She gives Mia a tight but grateful smile. “You saved my ass with that, girl.”

Mia’s face goes pink. “I’m just glad I had it.”

“Maybe that’ll spare me the complications Keisha had,” Tee adds softly.

I nod, praying she’s right.

“Have you heard anything about Tim and his guys?” Tee asks.

I shake my head, recalling our bodyguards lying motionless on the street.

“I’m still not sure what happened,” she says. “Sounded like shotguns at first contact. But I didn’t see any blood.”

“I thought you were hit.”

“I was. They must have been using some kind of nonlethal rounds. Beanbags or rubber bullets. So maybe the guys aren’t hurt too bad.”

“I don’t think I’m bleeding either,” I realize, twisting to examine my shirt. “But I couldn’t move at all. How the hell did you manage to get up?”

“Army reflexes, baby. I hit the deck at that first bang, when they shot Tim. They only caught my arm with that next shot.”

“I think they killed our driver, though.”

Serenity nods, her expression bleak. “Yeah, the sound was different. And I . . .” She trails off, but I remember the second biker dropping like a dead deer after her shots. The one who was trying to help snatch Annie.

That’s who they were after, say Serenity’s eyes. You know that, right?

I nod again, then pull Annie close.

“Hey?” Tee says.

“Yeah?”

“Who was that guy in the white hat? Was it Walt Garrity?”

“You better believe it,” I tell her, my eyes stinging.

“I thought so. That was old school, man.” Tee flinches from the paramedic’s gloved hand. “Is he gone?”

“Yep.”

She shakes her head.

“You were pretty old school yourself back there,” I tell her.

“No more than Mia. She grabbed hold of Annie like a mama tiger.”

This time Mia blushes full red. “I had to do something.”

“And you did,” Tee says. “I’ll hang with you anytime, girl.”

I give Mia’s shoulder a squeeze, then ask Serenity, “Why the hell did you run after the van instead of chasing it with the Yukon?”

“Our driver had already taken out the keys. My choice was to hunt for them or start running. I figured here in town, the van might have to stop pretty quick. So I hoofed it.”