breath came in shallow pants. She scanned the area, but it was nearly impossible to see anything in the dimness. She sprinted for the next tree and the next.
Crack.
The sound was unmistakable this time, and her heart skittered. Gage! She wanted to scream at him. What kind of crazy plan was this?
Through the gloom, she saw the outline of another cabin. A black pickup sat out front. Kelsey made a mad dash, trying so hard to stay low that she tripped to her knees right beside the truck. She wrenched open the door and scrambled across the seat and over the gear shift. She huddled on the floor.
God, where were the keys ? She groped around. Her hand encountered a soft-drink can, a hat. Her fingers closed around the key chain. She shoved the key in the ignition as Gage leaped behind the wheel.
“Go!” she yelped.
He started the truck and thrust it into gear. “Get down!”
She crouched into a ball on the floor as he shot backward, jerking his door shut as he went. He hunched low over the wheel, but his bulk was an inviting target, and Kelsey held her breath as they roared down the dirt road. The tires hit asphalt and he stomped on the gas.
Kelsey gazed up at him, unable to speak or breathe or even formulate a thought.
“You all right?” He glanced down at her.
She nodded.
“Stay down,” he said, but even as he said it, he was straightening up to check his mirrors and switch on the headlights.
The car vibrated under her and she squeezed her eyes shut. It was happening again. She couldn’t get away from it. And now Gage was involved.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. His jaw was set, his lips pressed together in a grim line. He looked fierce, determined.
“Are they following?”
He glanced over his shoulder. He checked the mirrors again. Kelsey waited, sure that at any moment the windshield would explode.
“Gage?”
“We’re good for now.” He patted the seat beside him. “Come on.”
Her arms quivered as she pulled herself into the seat. She dragged the seat belt over her body and it took two tries to get it buckled because her hands were shaking. She looked at Gage. Then she looked out the window at the woods rushing by in a blur.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I’ll put some distance between us.” He shot her a look. “Then we’ll stop and you can tell me what the hell’s going on.”
CHAPTER 6
Elizabeth glanced around the dark motel parking lot as she gathered files from the backseat. It wasn’t the best neighborhood she’d ever been in, but it wasn’t the worst, either. Still, she didn’t think it wise to leave anything in the rental car overnight. She hitched her computer bag onto her shoulder, grabbed her purse, and balanced a few more files against her hip as she slammed the door. She strode across the pitted asphalt, darting her gaze around.
“Need a hand?”
She whirled around as a figure emerged from the shadow between two cars.
Derek Vaughn.
The man was, quite possibly, the last person she wanted to see tonight.
“Are you lost?” she asked.
“Nope.” He reached over and took the stack of files.
“Hey!”
“Let me give you a little tourist tip.” He spoke in that lazy Southern drawl as he smiled down at her. “This isn’t a great part of town. Not a good idea to walkthrough dark parking lots with your hands full. Makes that Glock you’re packing next to useless.” He tugged the computer bag from her shoulder and transferred it to his own. “Damn, you got encyclopedias in here?”
Rather than engage in a wrestling match over her stuff, she crossed her arms.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Vaughn?”
“It’s Derek.” The side of his mouth curled up. “And you can let me walk you to your room. This way?”
He started off in the direction she’d been walking. Elizabeth watched his back. He’d changed clothes since before, when he’d been dressed as Gage Brewer’s twin. Now he wore faded jeans and a black T-shirt that fit snugly over his
Crack.
The sound was unmistakable this time, and her heart skittered. Gage! She wanted to scream at him. What kind of crazy plan was this?
Through the gloom, she saw the outline of another cabin. A black pickup sat out front. Kelsey made a mad dash, trying so hard to stay low that she tripped to her knees right beside the truck. She wrenched open the door and scrambled across the seat and over the gear shift. She huddled on the floor.
God, where were the keys ? She groped around. Her hand encountered a soft-drink can, a hat. Her fingers closed around the key chain. She shoved the key in the ignition as Gage leaped behind the wheel.
“Go!” she yelped.
He started the truck and thrust it into gear. “Get down!”
She crouched into a ball on the floor as he shot backward, jerking his door shut as he went. He hunched low over the wheel, but his bulk was an inviting target, and Kelsey held her breath as they roared down the dirt road. The tires hit asphalt and he stomped on the gas.
Kelsey gazed up at him, unable to speak or breathe or even formulate a thought.
“You all right?” He glanced down at her.
She nodded.
“Stay down,” he said, but even as he said it, he was straightening up to check his mirrors and switch on the headlights.
The car vibrated under her and she squeezed her eyes shut. It was happening again. She couldn’t get away from it. And now Gage was involved.
She opened her eyes and looked up at him. His jaw was set, his lips pressed together in a grim line. He looked fierce, determined.
“Are they following?”
He glanced over his shoulder. He checked the mirrors again. Kelsey waited, sure that at any moment the windshield would explode.
“Gage?”
“We’re good for now.” He patted the seat beside him. “Come on.”
Her arms quivered as she pulled herself into the seat. She dragged the seat belt over her body and it took two tries to get it buckled because her hands were shaking. She looked at Gage. Then she looked out the window at the woods rushing by in a blur.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I’ll put some distance between us.” He shot her a look. “Then we’ll stop and you can tell me what the hell’s going on.”
CHAPTER 6
Elizabeth glanced around the dark motel parking lot as she gathered files from the backseat. It wasn’t the best neighborhood she’d ever been in, but it wasn’t the worst, either. Still, she didn’t think it wise to leave anything in the rental car overnight. She hitched her computer bag onto her shoulder, grabbed her purse, and balanced a few more files against her hip as she slammed the door. She strode across the pitted asphalt, darting her gaze around.
“Need a hand?”
She whirled around as a figure emerged from the shadow between two cars.
Derek Vaughn.
The man was, quite possibly, the last person she wanted to see tonight.
“Are you lost?” she asked.
“Nope.” He reached over and took the stack of files.
“Hey!”
“Let me give you a little tourist tip.” He spoke in that lazy Southern drawl as he smiled down at her. “This isn’t a great part of town. Not a good idea to walkthrough dark parking lots with your hands full. Makes that Glock you’re packing next to useless.” He tugged the computer bag from her shoulder and transferred it to his own. “Damn, you got encyclopedias in here?”
Rather than engage in a wrestling match over her stuff, she crossed her arms.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Vaughn?”
“It’s Derek.” The side of his mouth curled up. “And you can let me walk you to your room. This way?”
He started off in the direction she’d been walking. Elizabeth watched his back. He’d changed clothes since before, when he’d been dressed as Gage Brewer’s twin. Now he wore faded jeans and a black T-shirt that fit snugly over his
Similar Books
