Page 75 of Taking Care of the Target

Her panic eased, everything inside her body slowly figuring out how to function again. “You scared me there for a second. Jeez.”

He reached over and wrapped his hand around her thigh. “I wish I would’ve had enough time to get credit cards with our new identities, but the people I know who could do it also know Carlo, so cash will have to do for now.”

She placed her hand on his. “We’ll make it work.”

There was a sad edge to his smile, and she wanted to do whatever it took to calm his worries, the way he did hers. She took a stab at what was bothering him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more enthusiastic about Bobby. It’s really great. I say we both be optimistic, glass-full people from now on. Starting over’s going to be an adventure, too, and you know I vowed to have more of those.”

She couldn’t stop rambling, but she got this strange vibe, like if she stopped talking, stopped hoping, then everything would crumble.

Vince pulled up to the Greyhound station in Frederick. He handed her a bulging pale pink and gray backpack. “They didn’t have bright pink, but I figure we’re going for inconspicuous, anyway. Your clothes and your pictures are in it. Just sorting out things a bit to make it easier.”

“Oh. Okay, thanks.” She grabbed it with one hand, but quickly added the other when it ended up being heavier than she suspected. “And pale pink is still awesome.”

Vince came around the Jeep and opened the door for her. The frigid wind slammed into her, and she tugged the jacket she’d confiscated from him tighter around herself as she took his extended hand.

“Aren’t you going to get your bag?” she asked as they started toward the station.

“It’s got all the weapons and it’s heavy, so I’m leaving it here while we check the bus schedule.”

Weapons. Right. When Cassie searched the duffel for her purse she’d seen another pistol and a knife that made hers look wimpy in comparison.Hmm. My knife’s probably still somewhere in Vince’s Jeep. Good riddance.

Once they stepped into the station, Vince led her to a row of seats. “Sit here while I figure out where we should go and then buy tickets.”

“Why don’t I just come with you?”

“Please,” he said. “After what happened in your apartment, people might be looking for you. I need you to stay out of sight as much as possible.”

She resented it and refused to say “okay,” but she sat down and crossed her arms. Vince gave her another one of those smiles that didn’t reach his eyes before heading over to the ticket booth.

He’s definitely acting weird. Cagey.She tried to tell herself it was simply the stress and having to work out their next move, but an ominous wrongness made her skin feel too tight.

A few minutes later, Vince walked over and sat next to her. He took her hand and leveled her with his brown eyes. “You trust me, right?”

The tightness got worse, and a band formed around her chest, squeezing a little more with each breath. “You know I do.”

“You’re leaving in fifteen minutes to Oklahoma City.” He unzipped the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out papers and a driver’s license that identified her as Kate Jones. “I want you to get off at one of the stops along the way and change your destination. You’ll probably have to buy a new ticket, but it’s worth it. Don’t settle in whatever city you land in. Get a car and pick another city. Somewhere fairly big, so that even if someone learns your fake name, you’ll get lost with the rest of the Kate Joneses.”

Cassie’s mind raced, and the band around her chest got so tight her lungs stopped taking in air. “I don’t understand. You’re not coming with me?”

He brushed her hair off her face settled his hand behind her neck. “You were right. It’s about time Carlo pays for his crimes. I’m going to make sure that happens before he hurts you or Bobby.”

“But I meant we should figure out something together.” Hysteria raised her voice an octave higher than usual. “If you go back, he’ll kill you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. If I went with you now, it would make it more dangerous for you and put Bobby at risk. Since Carlo won’t stop until he kills you, I’m going to convince him you’re dead. Promise me you’ll go somewhere else and start over. Go to culinary school, become a chef. Live out your adventures—the skiing, rollercoaster kind. I won’t be able to do what I need to do if I’m worrying about you, too.”

He leaned closer and said in a low voice, “I put a pistol in the bottom of your bag. The safety’s on and the clip’s out, but I want you to learn how to use it.”

“I’m from Colorado. My dad taught me how to use a gun before he taught me to drive.”

A genuine smile hit his lips this time. “Good. That makes me feel better.”

Tears burned her eyes, even as she tried to blink them back. “How are you going to find me after everything’s finished with Mr. Rossi?”

The muscles of his jaw tightened and so did the hand holding hers. “The point is for no one to be able to find you. Not even me.”

She opened her mouth to argue, and he pressed a finger to her lips. “I should’ve convinced you to change your name and get as far from Jersey as soon as we survived that drive-by instead of pretending everything would work out simply because I wanted it to. More than anything, I want you to be safe, and that’ll never happen while you’re with me.”

“I only feel safe with you,” she said, and a warm tear ran down her cheek, immediately followed by another, so her attempts to not cry had totally failed.

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