Page 66 of Her Reluctant Hero
Alex glanced at Isabella and dropped his hand away from his gun. “You can come out.”
She rose slowly from the floorboards, not realizing how tight she’d been curled up until she had to force her muscles to relax. She unfolded herself from the truck and stood by Alex on shaking legs. She didn’t fail to notice that he angled himself between her and Danes. Did he not trust this man?
Realization hit hard. Did he trust anyone?
“They didn’t follow?”
“I made sure they couldn’t,” Danes said in his rough voice. “The next step is to get you out of town. I have a hunting cabin near the Everglades. There’s a Walmart on the way, you can get the girl some shoes.” He gestured to her bare feet.
“We can’t leave town,” Isabella protested, her voice shrill. “I have to find my son.”
Danes pointed a scolding finger at her. “Young lady, those men were there to kill you, to kill both of you, like they killed those others in the fire tonight. You won’t find the kid if you’re dead.”
“We also won’t find him if we’re hiding.” She whirled on Alex. “You promised you’d help me find him.”
“I will.”
He looked exhausted, the circles beneath his eyes dark, strain tightening his body. Strain she’d caused him because he was protecting her.
“I’ll have my men on it,” he continued. “But it makes sense for us to lay low. We don’t even know where to look.”
“Texas, Jorge said.” She recognized the desperation in her own voice.
He sighed. “Yeah, well, Texas is a big state. Just a couple of days. Lionel can leave a trail for them to follow, and when the heat is off, we’ll look again. By then, we may have a better idea where.”
“We must have been getting close for them to be trying to kill us.” The idea terrified her. She’d been prepared for Santiago to take her back. She didn’t want to think what would happen to her son if Santiago killed her.
Alex and Lionel exchanged looks. What didthatmean? She curled her fingers into fists and resisted the urge to slug Alex’s arm. That would be childish. He’d just risked his life for her, after all.
“Give the master sergeant your credit card, he’ll use it, heading toward Texas. They’ll follow that trail, and not us.”
She turned back and dug into her purse. How would she ever find her child? She might have just run away from her chance to find Hector. She sat on the floorboard of the driver’s side of the truck, her feet barely reaching the asphalt of the parking lot, trembling with frustration and fear. Would she ever reunite with Hector?
Alex stepped toward the tailgate of the truck, talking low with Lionel, who passed him something, then turned back to the cab.
Alex returned to the driver’s side door and looked down at her. “Get in. I’ll get you something to eat, you’ll feel better.”
She crawled over to her side silently. What choice did she have? She’d never find Hector on her own, and even if she did, how would she get him away from Santiago?
He started the car and pulled through the drive-through of the McDonald’s. “What do you want?” he asked, his voice flat.
“Doesn’t matter.”
He stared at her a minute. “You need protein,” he decided and ordered a selection from the menu.
Only when he pulled the bag in and scents filled the car did she realize how hungry she was. He sucked on his shake as he pulled back onto the road and she dug into the fries.
As they headed out of town, the only words they exchanged were “Dig out my burger,” and “Is there any ketchup?”
The tension eased out of her body and helplessness took its place. She stared out the window at the passing city and wondered where her child could be. Was it even possible to find him? The probability seemed overwhelmingly against them.
They stopped at a Walmart on the edge of town. They split up and met back at the register. Alex checked the Keds she’d picked up with a scowl, which deepened when he saw the three thick romance novels in her basket.
“You still need your goddamn white knights? We’re living on my money now,” he said.
“I have cash,” she retorted, pulling her basket back defensively. “I need them.”
He rolled his eyes and turned to put his products on the belt. Canned meat, canned vegetables, toilet paper, Nutri-Grain bars, packaged fruit, bottled water, new boxers. Practical.
