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Her chest hitched as she gazed at him miserably. “That won’t stop him. He’ll never stop until he gets what he wants, and that’s me. Back in Arizona, playing the perfect wife.”
Anger like he’d never known it rose up from deep in his gut. That motherfucker. Now Wyatt knew letting him walk away alive had been a big mistake. One he hoped he wouldn’t regret for the rest of his life. “Beth, you can’t keep running, honey. Stay and we’ll work this out together.”
“I can’t, Wyatt. I can’t live my life constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering if today is the day he’s going to show up again. What if he actually uses the gun next time? I know you’re strong and can fight, but you can’t deflect a bullet. If he ever hurt you, I—”
Wyatt got it. Newman had preyed upon her greatest fear and was now using it to manipulate her. “He can’t hurt me, Beth. I can put him in the ground without breaking a sweat.”
“I know you can, honey. But what if he ambushes you? Sends someone else to hurt you? I heard whispers he’s had some shady dealings with bad people, and if that’s true, then he might send them after you. Bad people who wouldn’t hesitate to attack you or kidnap me.”
Wyatt made a mental note to contact Ben and see if there was any truth to that. Newman would hardly be the first lawyer to be in bed with the criminal underworld. “So let me get my friends to look into it.” He knew he could never live without Beth, and she felt the same way. It wasn’t hard to reverse their situations. If Newman ever hurt her, he’d go crazy. “Don’t go.” His plea was low. “Don’t leave me.”
She made no attempt to stop the tears cascading down her face. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” Letting go of his hand, she got up on her toes and pressed a sweet kiss against his lips. “But I have to go. That way, he’ll only come after me, not you. I will love you forever, Wyatt. Remember that.” With that, she stepped away from him, grabbed her tote and suitcase, then stepped out the back door.
He stood frozen in place, staring at the space she’d just occupied, his brain unable to comprehend that the love of his life had just walked out on him. He couldn’t let her go. Racing to the front door because he knew she’d have to drive past it on her way out, he stepped out onto the porch as the sound of a car door shutting echoed through the quiet night air. A few moments later, the engine was turned on, and Beth’s little blue car appeared in view. “Beth, wait! Don’t go!”
She had to have heard him, but her gaze was resolutely on the road ahead of her, and she put her foot on the accelerator and drove away from the cabin. Away from Silverbell Shore.
Away from Wyatt.
He needed to go after her. Bring her home. Going back inside, he took the stairs two at a time and got dressed properly, then grabbed his wallet, phone, and car keys from the dresser. Freya trotted down the stairs with him at his side. When he reached the bottom level, he stepped out into the summer night and climbed into his truck, Freya occupying the passenger seat.
Wyatt headed north out of town, knowing Beth would never go south because it would leave her closer to Arizona. She’d been heading north before her car had broken down on the side of the road, so he had no doubt that was the direction she’d be headed. He didn’t see another car on the road as he drove slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for the metallic blue Honda she’d fled in.
He left Silverbell Shore in his rearview mirror and followed the only road out of town, but after driving for half an hour, he had to admit defeat. There’d been several places she could have turned off the main road to branch east and west, and although he doubted she’d deviate, he couldn’t be sure which way she’d gone.
Wyatt eased the truck into a rest area on the side of the road and smacked the steering wheel when the vehicle stopped. “Fuck!” Freya barked once, and he absently patted her fur. She began to circle the seat restlessly, as though unable to get comfortable, and he knew what that meant.
Getting out of the truck, he came around and opened the door for his dog so she could get out and pee. He used the rest stop’s facilities, grabbing a soda and candy bar for the road, along with some water for Freya. He didn’t normally indulge in sugar this late at night, but it wasn’t every night the woman he loved walked out on him.
Leaning into the car, he reached for his phone and glanced at the screen. It was nearly two in the morning. They’d both gone to bed late, spending a few hours wrapped up in each other’s bodies, giving and receiving pleasure. He’d only gotten a couple of hours sleep, as had Beth.
He reasoned she’d be tired and probably wouldn’t risk driving all night on her own, so chances were she’d find a nearby motel to crash in for a few hours of rest. He called her number and put the phone up to his ear, praying she’d answer. The call went straight to voicemail, which meant she’d turned her phone off.
And that got him thinking. He unscrewed the lid of his soda and took a long drink from it. How had Miles Newman tracked Beth down? She hadn’t used any credit cards or taken any money from their joint account. She’d stayed off the radar. Any purchases made online had been with Wyatt’s card, not hers.
So how had her delusional ex found her?
He was apparently a well-respected lawyer in Arizona, so no doubt he knew people in law enforcement. But Beth would not have popped up anywhere in any system, unless he’d managed to track her down using illegal means, like street cameras.
Unwrapping his candy bar, he bit into it, the chocolate and sugar coating his tongue and giving him a much-needed boost of energy. He realized there was little point driving around aimlessly for the rest of the night. He needed to look at a map and figure out which way was most likely the road Beth had taken, then see if he could find her car. Even if he couldn’t coax her home yet, he could remain at a distance and make sure she was safe.
Once he and Freya were back in his truck, he sat for a few moments, drinking his soda and formulating a plan. It was likely Beth had headed for Virginia Beach or Norfolk, since they were two of the closest major towns to Silverbell Shore, to rest for the night, then she’d likely head north up to DC and Baltimore, before continuing up to Philadelphia and New York, heading to New England.
Putting the truck into drive, he headed to Virginia Beach. Now he knew what it felt like to be loved by a woman like Beth, he couldn’t live without it. Couldn’t live without her. And he wouldn’t give up until she felt safe enough to come home with him.
* * *
After cruisingaround every hotel and motel at Virginia Beach and not spotting Beth’s car, Wyatt took a chance and continued on to Norfolk. He got lucky there, finding her car parked in a seedy, cheap-looking motel’s parking lot. Relief struck him like lightning, and he closed his eyes for a few moments. Freya had curled up on a blanket in the back seat after she’d slurped down some water from the bowl he kept in the truck for her, and was currently snoring loudly, chasing something in a dream.
It was still dark, the sun not due to rise for another couple of hours, but he took a chance and dialed a number on a line he knew was completely secure and couldn’t be traced by anyone. “Are you fucking serious, asshole?” Ben’s booming voice came down the line. “It’s fucking 1:00 a.m. here! This better be life or death.”
“It is.” Wyatt couldn’t keep the weariness out of his voice, and he rubbed his eyes tiredly.
His friend’s voice softened. “Talk to me.”
Wyatt filled him in on everything that had happened since the previous night, and apart from cursing loudly several times, Ben remained silent. “Well, this fucking sucks out loud.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Wyatt couldn’t help but smile. “You’re telling me.”
