the police that I called you a friend. Then they’ll believe that I’m aiding and abetting you. They would arrest me and take Isobel off to child protective services—just like you warned me.”
“I’m sorry…” That he had been right, and he was also sorry for letting her go along with him to confront Marcus. The minute he’d realized she had been duped just like the jury of his peers, he should have left her and Isobel. But he hadn’t entirely believed that she was telling the truth. He couldn’t trust her.
He shouldn’t trust anyone. But to protect her and their daughter, he had no choice.
“Now we’re forced to live like you—” her voice cracked on a sob, but she forced it down with a deep breath “—on the run.”
“I’m sorry…” He glanced into the rearview mirror again but not to watch their daughter sleep. Instead he tracked the vehicle that was closing the careful distance at which the driver had been following them from Miller’s Valley.
He’d taken her van and had left his in the alley because authorities had probably figured out by now that the guard’s van was missing. They would have issued an APB on that license plate. But maybe one had already been issued on Erica’s, too.
Living on the run might be the least of her concerns because it looked as though they were about to get caught. The only question was, who was doing the catching…
* * *
E RICA ’ S BACK PRESSED AGAINST the seat as the van accelerated. She followed Jed’s gaze to the rearview mirror. “Is someone following us?”
“I think so,” he tersely admitted.
“Is it a police officer?” She turned around to check again for flashing lights.
He shook his head. “It’s not a patrol car, and it doesn’t look like an unmarked police car, either.”
“You think it’s him—the intruder,” she said, as he accelerated some more.
“It could be a bounty hunter.” His mouth curved into a cynical half smile, as he added, “Hell, it could even be your neighbor Mrs. Osborn determined to collect that reward.”
An image of the old woman chasing them down with her battered Bonneville elicited a giggle from Erica. “The doctor took away her license until she gets her cataracts removed.”
“So it’s not Mrs. Osborn,” he surmised, his half smile slipping into a full grin for just a minute before it disappeared.
“No, it’s not.”
How much had he had to grin about over the past three years? Nothing, she would bet.
“It might not be anyone,” he said. “It could just be someone who’s coincidentally traveling the same road we are.”
“Toward your friend’s house?”
When they had heard the sirens in the distance, he had urged her to come with him. He promised that he knew someone, probably the one lawman he had faith in, who would be able to protect her and Isobel. And in the heat and panic of the moment, she had believed her instincts were right and trusted him.
She hoped like hell she wouldn’t regret giving that trust because it wasn’t just her heart at risk this time—it was her daughter’s life.
Jed shrugged, but his nonchalant gesture didn’t fool her since he focused on the mirror again.
“You don’t think it’s a coincidence,” she said. “And if it is that person who broke into my house, then he’s going to know where you’re bringing us.”
“I’ll lose him.” And he accelerated again. But her van was old, and the engine shuddered instead of shifting. He cursed beneath his breath.
“You’re not going to lose him in this.” The mechanic had warned her that she needed a new transmission. However, she didn’t often have to drive anywhere in Miller’s Valley, so she had been waiting until she needed to travel somewhere. She hadn’t imagined that the van would have to make two long-distance trips within a few hours.
And that it would have to outrun a faster vehicle. The rev of a powerful engine echoed as the car behind them accelerated.
They should have taken his vehicle, but he’d
“I’m sorry…” That he had been right, and he was also sorry for letting her go along with him to confront Marcus. The minute he’d realized she had been duped just like the jury of his peers, he should have left her and Isobel. But he hadn’t entirely believed that she was telling the truth. He couldn’t trust her.
He shouldn’t trust anyone. But to protect her and their daughter, he had no choice.
“Now we’re forced to live like you—” her voice cracked on a sob, but she forced it down with a deep breath “—on the run.”
“I’m sorry…” He glanced into the rearview mirror again but not to watch their daughter sleep. Instead he tracked the vehicle that was closing the careful distance at which the driver had been following them from Miller’s Valley.
He’d taken her van and had left his in the alley because authorities had probably figured out by now that the guard’s van was missing. They would have issued an APB on that license plate. But maybe one had already been issued on Erica’s, too.
Living on the run might be the least of her concerns because it looked as though they were about to get caught. The only question was, who was doing the catching…
* * *
E RICA ’ S BACK PRESSED AGAINST the seat as the van accelerated. She followed Jed’s gaze to the rearview mirror. “Is someone following us?”
“I think so,” he tersely admitted.
“Is it a police officer?” She turned around to check again for flashing lights.
He shook his head. “It’s not a patrol car, and it doesn’t look like an unmarked police car, either.”
“You think it’s him—the intruder,” she said, as he accelerated some more.
“It could be a bounty hunter.” His mouth curved into a cynical half smile, as he added, “Hell, it could even be your neighbor Mrs. Osborn determined to collect that reward.”
An image of the old woman chasing them down with her battered Bonneville elicited a giggle from Erica. “The doctor took away her license until she gets her cataracts removed.”
“So it’s not Mrs. Osborn,” he surmised, his half smile slipping into a full grin for just a minute before it disappeared.
“No, it’s not.”
How much had he had to grin about over the past three years? Nothing, she would bet.
“It might not be anyone,” he said. “It could just be someone who’s coincidentally traveling the same road we are.”
“Toward your friend’s house?”
When they had heard the sirens in the distance, he had urged her to come with him. He promised that he knew someone, probably the one lawman he had faith in, who would be able to protect her and Isobel. And in the heat and panic of the moment, she had believed her instincts were right and trusted him.
She hoped like hell she wouldn’t regret giving that trust because it wasn’t just her heart at risk this time—it was her daughter’s life.
Jed shrugged, but his nonchalant gesture didn’t fool her since he focused on the mirror again.
“You don’t think it’s a coincidence,” she said. “And if it is that person who broke into my house, then he’s going to know where you’re bringing us.”
“I’ll lose him.” And he accelerated again. But her van was old, and the engine shuddered instead of shifting. He cursed beneath his breath.
“You’re not going to lose him in this.” The mechanic had warned her that she needed a new transmission. However, she didn’t often have to drive anywhere in Miller’s Valley, so she had been waiting until she needed to travel somewhere. She hadn’t imagined that the van would have to make two long-distance trips within a few hours.
And that it would have to outrun a faster vehicle. The rev of a powerful engine echoed as the car behind them accelerated.
They should have taken his vehicle, but he’d
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