Page 30 of Running to You

If the goon found them, they’d be trapped. “We gotta hide.”

Eliza’s eyes were closed.

His heart, already racing, dropped to the floor. “What is it? What can I do?”

She opened the car door and vomited.

Okay. Nausea he could handle. He knew how she felt.

Everything in him was itching to leave. Abandon the car. Take off into the woods. Get Eliza away from those men, as far and as fast as possible.

But could she run? She’d seemed barely conscious at the house. Would running make her injuries worse? Would she even be able to?

What should they do?

Something told him to just…wait.

He got out of the car and moved into the shadow of the truck beside him. Watched the entry to the parking lot. If they came, he’d…what? Climb into the car, try to ram the van? Maybe. What else could he do?

He should’ve brought a gun. Why hadn’t he grabbed one of his handguns? Why hadn’t it occurred to him?

Stupid. Stupid, arrogant, boneheaded… He’d known someone had hurt her. It hadn’t occurred to him that anybody would attack when Sam was with her. Certainly not two people.

Sam wasn’t going to let them take Eliza. They’d have to kill him first.

Which, considering the blade Goatee had wielded, was probably the plan.

Still, no van.

He watched for another few moments, letting the adrenaline drain. Breathing. Trying to think.

The goon wasn’t coming. They’d lost him. For now.

He climbed back into the car and closed the door.

Eliza’s eyes were shut, her head leaning against the window.

“Are you with me?”

“Yeah.” But she didn’t open her eyes.

“Who were they?”

“I don’t know.”

Of course not. That’d be way too easy.

“Not even an inkling?”

Her closed eyes scrunched up. She rubbed her temples. “I don’t know, Sam. Maybe. Maybe, but…” Her voice trailed. Then, “I knew we shouldn’t have gone there.”

“What?” His blood pressure spiked again. She’d said that, but… “What are you saying?”

“It just…it felt like the wrong move. Dangerous. But you said we should, so—”

“I don’t know what you know!” His words reverberated in the small car, and she shrank away, covering her head with her hands. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…” He forced himself to speak at a normal level. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I did, didn’t I? I said it felt like a bad idea.”