Page 13 of Stone
He closed his eyes, muttered a quiet curse, and stepped away from temptation. “I’m sorry,” he said, pulling the device from his pocket. Juliana said nothing, just watched him with her big blue eyes.
Glancing at the screen, he frowned. “Hey, Viper, what’s up?”
“There are two of them,” he said. It took Stone a few beats to catch on.
“Two?” That wasn’t good. Sending one man after Juliana was alarming enough, but two?
“Yeah. Our guy went into the hotel room. Three minutes ago, another one came out. I can’t follow him and keep an eye on the first, so I’m parked here. I got a tracker on the second guy’s car, though.”
Stone didn’t question how Viper had been able to react so fast, he was just grateful he had. “Where is he?”
“Headed your way. Black Dodge Charger, recent model,” he said before rattling off the license plate. “I’d hustle to the clubhouse if you’re not already on your way.”
“We are now,” he said.
“Let me know when you’re there,” he said. Then with a dark chuckle, he added, “This day just got a lot more interesting.”
That was one way of looking at it. He’d think about the bigger picture later, though. Right now, getting Juliana out was his priority. The hotel was only ten minutes away, maybe fifteen, depending on how crowded downtown was. They didn’t have much time.
He slid his phone back into his pocket, then reached for Juliana’s hand. “We have to hustle. The guy from earlier has a friend, and we think he’s on his way here. My truck is parked in the visitor spot. When we get in, I want you to lie low.” As he spoke, he pulled her toward the front door. She slipped on a pair of black flats, wincing as one confined her injured toe, but she didn’t utter a peep of complaint.
“Do you have an alarm?”
She shook her head. “Just the locks,” she answered, holding up her keys. “The bottom will lock on its own. I need to engage the deadbolt.”
He’d talk to her about an alarm later, but for now, he held her hand tight and scanned the area as she turned the key. Once she secured the door, he hustled her to his truck, unlocking the doors as they approached. After setting her bag in the back seat, he made sure she was seated before rounding to the driver’s side.
“It might be overkill, but I’d rather be safe. Can you scoot down below window level?” Juliana’s fair skin went a little whiter at his request, but she nodded and did as asked.
He eased out of the parking spot, then down the drive. A red minivan passed traveling south, then a blue pickup heading north. When the road cleared, he pulled out and fell in behind the pickup.
“How are you doing?” he asked, keeping his eyes on the road, looking for any sign of the Charger.
“Not the most comfortable, but I’m not going to complain. Did you know the first pickup truck was built by Gottlieb Daimler in 1896 in Germany? He was also a pioneer of the internal combustion engine.”
Stone fought a grin. “As in the Mercedes Daimler?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her nod, static leaving strands of her hair clinging to the leather seats. “Benz and Daimler never actually met, but eventually their businesses combined. It’s gone through a lot of changes in over a century, of course. It was Daimler AG until 2022 and now it’s the Mercedes-Benz Group.”
“Not exactly synonymous with pickups anymore,” he pointed out.
“No, but the idea of a powerful engine carries through,” she countered.
It did, and even as he kept a wary eye out for the Charger, he couldn’t help but wonder if all those years ago Gottlieb had envisioned how important trucks and pickups would become to the world—from transportation, to shipping, to fire and rescue. He hoped so.
“We’re passing the ice cream shop, aren’t we?” Juliana asked, pulling his thoughts back from the momentary distraction of random trivia.
He smiled. “We are. You can smell the cones?” The shop made their own and even in the confines of the cab, the sweet scent teased them.
“Yes, and all but taste the chocolate caramel ice cream,” she said, almost on a moan. As soon as he could, he’d buy her a pint. Or a gallon. He might even send someone to pick one up later that afternoon, and they could have it for dessert at his place later.
Later, after they figured out what Juliana had stumbled into, he amended as a Charger came into view. Flickering his gaze tothe license plate, he confirmed it was their second man. Resolve took root in Stone’s body as it passed. No one, not “Kevin,” not the dark-haired man with the hook nose behind the wheel of the Charger, not the lieutenant, not the supervisor,no one, would get their hands on Juliana.
Except him. And only in the best of ways.
8
“Simon?”
