Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins Page B

Roz?”
    “Yes.”
    “And her mother?”
    “Y-yeah.”
    “You did.”
    “Yeah.”
    Stone sniffed. Was Roz lying? “If you’re just leaving her house you should be here in twenty minutes.”
    “I’ll be there.”
    And he just might be sorry. Stone would get out of him what had happened.
    “Can’t wait, Roz.”

Chapter 13
    I veered off 280 at Woodside Road and turned left, looking for the nearest bank. There was little traffic at this hour. The digital clock read 3:37.
    They’d come for me, wouldn’t they. Even if Samuelson was dead, Rutger was still around. And who knew what people they worked with? Or for?
    I might have killed a man!
    Who at the sheriff’s department was working with them?
    Why ? I hit the steering wheel with my fist. Why was this happening to us?
    “Hannah, don’t worry.” Mom tried to soothe me, even as her words quavered. “We’ll be all right.”
    She had no clue.
    Who did I think I was to run from these people? In my mind, I flicked through movies and TV shows of innocents trying to outrun heartless criminals. Like bunnies fleeing a pride of lions.
    I spotted a Wells Fargo down on the left and pulled into its parking lot. Drove right up to the ATM.
    “Mom, stay in the car. I’ll just be a minute.”
    She sniffled. “Where are we?”
    “The bank.”
    Hitting an ATM after dark went against one of my own safety rules. I couldn’t help glancing around as I slid my card into the slot. The max cash withdrawal was $300. I took it all. I already had another $300 in my purse.
    Back in the car I stuffed the money in my purse and headed off Woodside, onto residential roads. I needed a darkened curb where I could pull over and call Emily.
    A few blocks down I found what I needed. I rolled to a stop but kept the engine running.
    “What are you doing now?” Mom fingered the collar of her shirt.
    “Calling Emily.”
    “Won’t she be sleeping?”
    “Yes.” My fingers trembled as I pulled out my cell phone.
    Emily picked up on the first ring. “Mom?” Her tone bordered on panic. I never called at this hour.
    “Hi.” I tried to lighten my voice, but it came out sideways.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “I don’t have long to talk. We had to run from the house.”
    “ Why ?”
    Briefly, I told her.
    “Mom!”
    “We’re driving at night, Emily!” Mom yelled toward the phone. “Your mother got me out of bed!”
    “I can’t believe this.” Emily’s words hitched. “You’re on your way to the police, right?”
    “We can’t go to the police.”
    “Why?”
    “Because our ‘police’ are the sheriff’s department. And they are the only people who know I put a copy of that video on my laptop.”
    Shocked silence. I could imagine Emily’s mind whirling. “Where are you right now?”
    “Somewhere off Woodside Road. I hit the bank for some money. I have no idea where I’m going.”
    “Come here.”
    “That’s the last place I’d go! You think I want to lead those men to you?”
    “But you can’t just run .”
    “We have to. At least for now. Until I figure something out.”
    Emily’s breathing stuttered over the line. “You’re telling me the sheriff’s department is trying to kill you?”
    “Maybe they didn’t know that would happen. But one of them told somebody about the video.”
    “If they didn’t want to get you killed, they’ll help you now. They’ll protect you.”
    “Most of them, yes. But who told? Who can I not trust? And will that person inform someone who’ll come after us again?” Bubbles of air knocked around in my lungs. “If it was just me, that would be one thing. But I’ve got Mom.”
    “I—” Emily’s voice caught. She was crying. “So where are you going?”
    “To a hotel somewhere. So I can think this through.”
    “You can’t stay on your cell phone.”
    “Why?”
    “They can track you by it, Mom. If people are after you, they can use your phone.”
    I pressed back against the seat. I’d never thought of that. “Okay. I’ll .