Lainey widened her eyes at me and motioned for me to raise my hands. She did not, however, answer me on the window thing. When someone breaks down your apartment door and then your new BFF yells an idea about a bathroom window escape, take the escape.

We were on the second floor, but she'd have survived the fall. Probably.

Next bakery meeting, we'd have to review the rule book with Lainey. It was Staying Alive Rule number five.

Or fifty-five.

I forgot sometimes. There were a lot of rule books I had to reference.

"Next time take the bathroom exit," I said as Tyler waved his gun at us, and we moved toward one another slowly.

Lainey shook her head. "My bathroom doesn't have a window."

Tyler's face lit up at the comment, and the sick bastard actually smiled. "Perfect. Now I have a place to stash your friend."

"Me?" I asked with a hand to my chest. I didn't do well in bathrooms. It wasn't a claustrophobia thing. It was a small spaces thing. Totally different phobias. You had to be there to understand it.

Regardless, I was not going in that bathroom.

I bumped into Lainey's shoulder as we hit each other in the middle of the room. Tyler breaking the door down caused a freaking commotion. Surely more than one person had heard, and someone called the police. We just had to wait them out.

Lainey reached for my hand and I grabbed hers and squeezed. Tyler watched us with a little sneer. He wasn't thinking straight. I knew it because clear-headed people didn't break down doors and then stand in the middle of the person's living area smiling at them like he was here for a friendly chat with some tea.

"What are you waiting for?" Tyler asked.

I knew what he meant, but that didn't mean I was going to listen to him. Playing dumb always worked. The police would get here soon. "What?"

"Get in the bathroom, bitch," he growled, but not a sexy growl like Broadrick did when he tried to yell at me. Tyler sounded ugly.

"Thanks, but I don't have to go potty right now," I said.

He waved the gun at me and then toward the bathroom. Tyler not thinking straight gave us time to wait for the cops to show up, but it also meant he might actually shoot us.

Well, me.

He probably had worse ideas for Lainey. Poor girl. Hence why I wouldn't let him get either of us in the bathroom.

There wasn't an exit in there.

Tyler used his free hand to pull the hair on the side of his head. It stayed sticking straight out in that direction. Our shitty situation was going downhill. I stuck my hand in my pocket and flicked the on switch for my stun gun. I had to get prepared.

Then wait for him to get close enough.

Thankfully, Tyler was in a hurry. He came at me like he planned to shove me in the bathroom himself, but I already said I didn't have to pee.

"Tyler, no," Lainey yelled and tried to get in front of me, but I sidestepped her.

Tyler hit me head on, and I shoved my stun gun into his arm as he grabbed for me.

He jerked, but didn't fall. Lainey screamed.

"Why aren't you falling down?" I said as I shoved the gun prods into him harder. He should have fallen. In the YouTube videos, they always fell right away.

Tyler screamed on top of Lainey's ongoing screech.

It had to be all those practice zaps had drained the battery. It didn't have enough juice to get the job done. Shit.

I kicked him in the knee and Tyler finally went down. Sometimes a girl had to improvise. My hand hurt from shoving the stun gun in Tyler's arm, and I flexed my fingers.

"Grab the gun!" I yelled at Lainey.

She froze next to me and her gaze fell to the floor. Tyler had the gun clutched to his chest, but he'd dropped it when I kicked him. I should have aimed higher. Like at his balls. Next time.

With Tyler on the floor, we didn't have time to waste. I jumped on top of his back and held him to the ground with a grunt for support. Grunting always helped. Since Lainey hadn't gotten her hands on the gun, I kicked it away with my foot.

"Lainey," I tried the direct approach. "Find my phone and hit the red button!"

"What?" she yelled at me as she dropped to her knees.

"The red button! Hit the red button!" I stuck my elbow between Tyler's shoulder blades as he struggled to get up.

He kicked at me, hitting only air. "I'm going to kill you."

"You can try," I said and stuck my knee between his legs, hoping I was getting close to his balls. I imagined that had him scared.

"I did it!" Lainey screamed, inches from me as she sat on Tyler's legs.

He struggled, but with the two of us sitting on him, he didn't have anywhere to go.

"Good news," I said to her as I turned around. "You're totally going to fit in as a bakery girl."

Lainey grabbed on to Tyler's ankles and put her weight into it without me having to say anything. Great bakery girl. "Is that good news?"

"The best." I shoved my elbow into his back harder.

"You're all a bunch of bitches," Tyler rumbled. Where did he get off calling us bitches?

"Great," Lainey said, ignoring Tyler. She really was learning.

Sirens sounded outside the apartment.

"About fucking time." My arms grew tired from all the holding I had to do with Tyler. He was really giving it a good struggle. The muscles in my forearm ached.

Tyler gave a big kick and threw Lainey off his legs. She rolled to the side, clutching her hand. He pushed up from the ground and I latched my arms around his neck to keep him from getting away.

"Stay down," I said into his ear, holding on with everything I had.

He stood with me hanging off his back. "Fuck you."

Tyler pushed off with his heels and ran toward the busted door. I jerked back and forth, tying to slow him down as my arms burned with the effort from holding on to his neck. I had to be choking him, but Tyler didn't quit.

He struggled to make his way past the door and ran right smack into Anderson. Tyler hit him in the chest and Anderson's tan trench coat flew backward as he grunted and almost lost his footing.

"Vonnie, let him go!" Broadrick yelled from the top of the stairs.

I opened my arms and slid down Tyler's back seconds before Anderson tackled him. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked from the floor as Anderson struggled to get him under control.ran

Sure, we hit the red button, but I didn't expect Anderson or Broadrick. Anderson was hours early, and why the hell were they together? They didn't leave together.

Did they?

"What the hell are you doing here?" Broadrick yelled as he pulled his gun on Tyler to cover Anderson as he cuffed him. Why the hell did he and every criminal in town get a gun, but I didn't have one?

Anderson rolled Tyler to his stomach and grabbed at his hands, taking control of him and then removed a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. He subdued Tyler as Broadrick glared at me from a few feet away.

I stood up and dusted off the side of my pants, pretending like I hadn't just been hanging off a fleeing madman. "Oh, don't forget this."

Lainey blocked the doorway as I ran past her and grabbed the gun off the floor of her living room. I held it out as I returned to the hallway. Anderson had Tyler standing and up against the wall. The door on the first floor slammed open. A head with floppy hair ran up the stairs with another gun banished.

"Drop your weapon," Office Bradley screamed and pointed his gun at me.

Broadrick stepped in front of him. "It's not her gun!"

"Everyone stop yelling!" I tossed the gun on the ground and flinched, but it didn't magically discharge.

"Book this asshole," Anderson said to Bradley and pushed Tyler in his direction.

Tyler stumbled, but didn't fall to the ground. Bradley caught him and stated his Miranda Rights without question. Damn, I needed a minion who followed directions so well. Everyone I knew always asked follow-up questions.

"You aren't getting out of this one," Anderson said and pointed his finger at me. He picked Tyler's gun up from where I dropped it and stuck it in his pocket.

I backed away from his fumbling of the evidence. "Aren't you going to catalog that? Take a picture of it?"

"Don't bother me," he said.

If he was going to ask me questions, I was going to ask him questions. Lots of questions. And there was no time like the present.

"Why are you two here together?" I asked and waved my finger between Broadrick and Anderson. He wasn't the only one who could point fingers at people.

Squealing tires drew my attention to the large window at the end of the hallway. Three black SUVs pulled into the parking lot. Forget all his red-button nonsense. If I'd had to wait for Ridge to show up, Lainey and I would be dead.

Anderson shook his head at the black SUVs and then approached Lainey, where she hadn't moved from the doorway of her apartment.

"So you two? Together?" I wagged my finger at the two men.

Broadrick and Anderson glanced at one another.

"Coincidence," Broadrick said, and his eyes twinkled. It was the conspiracy twinkle.

"You know what my mentor says about coincidences?" I asked.

The bottom door of the apartment opened, and even though I couldn't see it, I imagined a throng of muscled former SEALs ran in. Anderson wrapped his arm around Lainey's shoulder like he needed to protect her.

Smart man. Women liked a dude with muscles. The SEALs had won more than one heart in Pelican Bay. If he really did like her, he needed to hold on tightly. Although, from the way Lainey tilted her chin up and stared at Anderson, she wouldn't notice any other muscles in the rooms.

"They don't happen," I finished.

"What?" Anderson scowled at me.

"Coincidences. They don't happen." I threw my hands up. How did they miss that?

"Mick Darcy is a nut job," Ridge said as he hit the top step.

"Well, he's my nut job since you refused the job." I was still salty about Ridge refusing to be the licensed mentor who worked with me while I obtained my hours to get my full license. Yes, I was holding a grudge. Shoot me.

Trust me, I'd done worse.

"Why don't we let Anderson and Ridge sort this out and I'll get you a cupcake?" Broadrick asked, as he'd finally put away his gun and joined me on my side of the hallway. He was still standing close to Anderson, and I hadn't forgotten my suspicions.

"Are you trying to bribe me? With a cupcake?"

He glanced at the ceiling and pursed his lips. "That depends. Is it working?"

Not really, but I didn't want to stand around and have Ridge or Anderson ask me a couple hundred questions. A cupcake sounded way better than any of that bullshit.

"Sure, but I want a chocolate one to go," I answered. "In addition to the two I'll eat there while Anessa grills me about the whole thing."

He grinned and did the same arm wrap thing that Anderson did to Lainey. Speaking of those two, I had to help them along. It was my favor to Anderson.

Broadrick turned to leave, but I couldn't go yet.

"Yo, Anderson, a word?" I said, trying to sound adult.

He turned toward us. "I didn't say you could leave."

"He did." I pointed toward Broadrick. "But we need to talk."

Anderson stepped off to the side, and I followed. Broadrick stayed right behind me. The little snoop.

"This better be good, Vonnie," Anderson said.

I tapped him on the arm, trying to be supportive. "Make sure and check on her. This is your moment."

He could swoop right in and save the day.

"You think?" he asked, acting like he really didn't know.

Some smart men really were stupid.

"Yes, I'm sure." I tapped him again for extra support. Anderson apparently needed it.

He leaned in to whisper. "But I didn't get to save her."

I shrugged as Lainey ran into the apartment. "Joslin technically saved herself with the help of the dog, and she still loves Spencer." He was better than the cat of the same name.

Anderson nodded, and Lainey returned to the hallway and handed me my stun gun. "Thanks."

I pocketed the device and turned back to Anderson.

"Time to go," Broadrick said and grabbed my hand.

I let him lead me down the stairs and barely flinched when Anderson yelled, "I'll be in contact soon!"

Broadrick led us to my car and got into the driver's seat. For some unknown reason I let him.

"Where's your bike?" I asked, buckling my seat belt and surveying the parking lot for his ride.

He scanned the roadway and then pulled out. "I walked."

"You walked here?" I asked as he hit the main road.

A car pulled out in front of us, and he slammed on the brakes. Way more than necessary. When we started again, he patted his stomach. "I don't want to get lazy just because I'm on leave."

"Right." That wasn't suspicious or anything. "So you walked more than ten miles? To stay in shape?"