Old habits died hard. When Jake heard the shots, his first instinct was to hunt cover, the second to return fire.

But he didn’t have anything to shoot back with, and in that split second when his brain began to process what was going on, he realized that he was more concerned with Natalie’s safety than with his own.

He lunged across the table, slid on the papers, knocked books and laptop aside, and grabbed her. The impact toppled her chair over. She cried out in surprise. Jake twisted as they went down so that he hit the floor first and she landed on top of him, instead of the other way around. His weight falling on her might have seriously injured her.

As soon as they were down, though, he rolled so he was on top, on hands and knees, shielding her body with his own.

- Chapter 25