Page 26 of Surrender to Me
Annoying, confounding, infuriating man. How dare he?
“Buckle up.”
Then he’s behind the wheel, slamming his door and throwing the vehicle into gear.
The tires screech as we rocket out of the alleyway.
The other SUV guns it behind us.
He spins the wheel hard, cutting through a back road. The engine roars, and every nerve ending in my body is on high alert.
I twist around in my seat, heart hammering. The other SUV barrels after us, its engine growling with menace.
But then?—
Another vehicle appears.
It comes from the right, slipping into the lane like it belongs there. Midnight blue. Sleek. Nondescript. It cuts in front of the pursuing SUV with surgical precision, forcing it to brake hard.
Moments later, we’re free.
I glance at Stryker. He doesn’t seem in the least bit surprised.
Hawkeye to the rescue?
God help me. I’m getting in deeper by the minute.
I force back hysterical laughter. If they only had any idea that they’d just helped me to escape. Me. The person at the top of their most wanted list.
My life has become sheer madness.
As if by magic, the road opens ahead of us. Stryker shifts lanes and merges onto the ramp for I-70 without hesitation. The hum of the tires changes as we gain speed.
“Where are we going?”
“Got access to a cabin in the mountains.”
A cabin. In the mountains. The words land like weights in my gut. I wrap my arms more tightly around my duffel, fingers white-knuckled against the canvas.
“You’ll be safe there.” He slides me a sidelong glance. “Until we figure out what’s going on.”
We. Again.
Since I’d be wasting my breath, I don’t bother arguing.
And the truth is, with his resources, I may have the chance to form a realistic plan.
The question is, who will protect me from him?
Once more, I glance in the wing mirror. There’s another vehicle close but not too close. “With you?”
“Yeah.”
The confirmation I don’t want.
The scenery zips by as we catch a glimpse of the gorgeous view heading into the mountains.
Adrenaline still thunders in my bloodstream. I am wrung out and simultaneously wired, every instinct lit up.
