The praise hit harder than she expected. “Thank you.” She looked back at him and blinked away the wetness.
“I mean it. You saw a move we should have seen. And it’s gonna help keep us safe, too. That’s appreciated.”
She nodded because she didn’t trust her voice.
Gina came back less than two minutes later, phone still in hand. “Carla’s in. She said, and I quote, ‘I’ve always wanted to be a brunette on the run. Sounds slimming.’”
Maren grinned. “I like her already.”
“You will,” Gina said. “She’ll be here in twenty. In the meantime, let’s look at the Subaru again.” Everyone stood up to go back inside.
That’s when it hit Maren—she really was giving up her car. She may never see it again.
It’s stupid. It’s just a car.
Except it wasn’t. It had gotten them to safety, and it was the only thing Maren had in Colorado other than some clothing.
But these people are risking their lives for me and Juni. Giving it up is the least I can do.
Behind Gina and Kyle, Colin caught her eye. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
“It’s a big leap of faith, I know,” he told her. “But we’ll make it work. And I’ll do everything I can to get your car back to you.”
She gave him a smile and hoped it was convincing.
“Promise?” she asked.
He gave her a soft smile. “Pinkie promise.”
Her smile turned real.
Then he squeezed her hand one more time and let go to hold the door for her.
Juni and Starwere napping quietly. The Subaru sat in the driveway looking exactly like what it was—a boring but reliable mom car. It didn’t look like a car about to be pressed into a possibly dangerous mission.
Kyle and Gina went over it with handheld scanners they’d pulled out of Kyle’s vehicle while Maren stood on the porch with Colin. She watched them check the wheel wells, the undercarriage, inside the bumpers. One of the Watchdog bodyguards had done this once before right after Maren arrived and found nothing, but Gina wasn’t about to let Carla go off solo without checking it herself.
“Nothing,” Gina said finally, straightening up.
Kyle closed the hood. “Clean.”
Maren let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding.
Colin looked relieved, too. “No tracker means they’re relying on cameras and plate readers,” he said. “Which gives your plan an even better chance of working.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “I do.”
Gina walked back toward them, wiping her hands on her jeans. “Car’s ready. Now we just need Carla. And another friend of mine,” she added.
As if summoned, Kyle’s phone buzzed. “Carla’s at the gate right now getting waved through.”
Maren heard a car engine a couple minutes later. A Jeep pulled in behind her Subaru, and a woman about Maren’sheight, with dark, curly hair pulled back in a ponytail got out. She was in jeans and a Lyons PD hoodie, sunglasses pushed up on her head, and she was grinning like someone had just told her Christmas came early.
“So,” she said, walking up to the group. “I hear somebody needs a stunt double.”
Maren liked her immediately.
