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But there was no time to say anything. The front door was thrown open, and Trent tumbled inside while James followed Abe into the rear. Doors slammed shut.
“Drive!” Trent shouted.
Noah stomped on the gas and the car leaped forward in a squeal of tires and the sharp smell of rubber on asphalt. They were thrown back in their seats as the BMW darted into traffic. As soon as they could move, they glanced behind them to see the giant man leap into an SUV and start after them.
“I need you to lose that man, Drew,” Trent instructed. “He’s trying to kill us.”
“Yes, sir,” Noah replied in a low, steady voice as if it was a command he heard frequently from his clients.
The engine roared and the BMW powered down Race Street toward the heart of downtown, and then the car turned left twice, heading north again. They went a few more blocks before Noah made another left, taking them closer to the interstate highway. Abe knew that Quinn was in Noah’s ear, directing him away from any cops that might be in the area, while Gidget and Cole were focused on keeping the lights changing in their favor.
“Who the hell is this guy?” James snarled as he looked over his shoulder again toward the SUV that was still following them.
“Another crazy stalker,” Trent said with a blasé tone, as if this happened to him every day.
“I thought I took care of your stalker.”
Trent scoffed and adjusted his seat belt. Abe did the same, while James remained without his. Abe wasn’t going to tell the man to buckle up. Let him take the chance of going through the windshield.
“I have more than one stalker,” Trent said.
“Maybe we should call the cops,” Abe offered.
“No cops!” James shouted. He took a deep breath and continued in a normal voice. “I’m sure that Trent’s driver can lose this asshole. When we are safe, then we can discuss calling the police.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Trent said,
Abe looked out the rear window and frowned. The stalker SUV was still there, but behind it, he spotted the same SUV that had followed him from his house. It had to be the rest of James’s crew. That was to be expected.
Glancing up again, he saw Noah meet his gaze and give a quick nod. They made another left, and the light changed directly behind them. Noah zipped up and down several side streets, leading them farther and farther away from downtown Cincinnati, into an industrial section filled with railyards and old warehouses. The road was rutted and bumpy, but Noah didn’t slow the car.
“Where the hell are we? Where are you taking us?” James demanded. He leaned forward, glaring out the windshield and then twisting around in his seat to glower out the back window. The stalker SUV, as well as the tinted SUV, were both missing.
“A special meeting zone we pre-arranged when I arrived in the city,” Trent replied. “Another car is going to be waiting for us there. We’ll switch cars and then we can head back to my hotel or out for the evening. The stalker won’t be looking for the new car.”
“No, we can’t do that,” James cried.
“Oh, that’s right. You have to go back to Ward Security,” Abe said.
“Of course!” Trent said. He shifted in his seat to look into the rear at Abe and James. “When we get the new car, we can head straight to Ward.”
James shook his head, looking utterly lost for a second. “No, I…I need my car. The paperwork Rowe needs, it’s in my car.”
“Oh, okay. When we meet up with the new driver, then we’ll head back and switch to your car. From there, we can go to Ward. It’ll be easier to report the stalker from there,” Trent easily said.
“Yeah…yeah, that’ll work,” James murmured, his voice so low, he was almost talking to himself.
Abe’s stomach nervously churned and bubbled. The rough ride didn’t help to settle his stomach or slow his pulse. So far, everything was going exactly as they had planned, but they were quickly nearing their final destination, and that was where everything could blow up in their faces. Abe was all too aware of the gun that was still hidden somewhere on James’s person. He wanted to get that away from James, but he’d yet to think of a way to get it that wouldn’t raise James’s suspicions. That damn weapon was one of the few things they couldn’t control, and it gave James the power to end a lot of innocent lives.
He strained to hear anything other than the roar of the car engine and the frantic beating of his own heart, but there was no one talking to him over his earpiece. No updates. No reassuring words. They’d warned him that contact would be kept to a minimum so as not to risk catching James’s attention, but even with Noah in the car with them, Abe was starting to feel very alone and out of his element. It amazed him that Dom could do such a dangerous job and keep such a positive attitude the entire time.
