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“How long?” Alec asks.
“Been a few minutes.” The driver stays a hundred meters or so behind us. Far enough away to be unobtrusive, but close enough to narrow the gap if need be.
“Agree. Looks suspicious.” Alec agrees with my assessment, which isn’t good. I’d like to think I’m being extra paranoid. “Let’s shake them. Force them to reveal themselves.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” I wait for a gap in traffic and then suddenly veer off the freeway.
We’re lucky to be at an exit with a cloverleaf. My breathing slows as a sense of profound calmness overcomes me. The beating of my heart follows, slowing down. The only part of me that tenses are my hands. They tighten their grip on the wheel as I prepare for four harsh turns taken at speed.
“Hold on.” The warning isn’t for my teammates but for our passenger, who has yet to utter a single word.
I approach the next exit, waiting for the last minute, then I step on the gas and yank hard on the wheel. I take the first off-ramp, pass under the freeway and take the on-ramp heading north, directly opposite the direction of our previous travel.
I don’t merge back into the flow of traffic but continue to the next off-ramp. This one puts me headed due west. One more on-ramp and we’re back on the freeway headed south along our previous direction of travel, but significantly back in the flow of traffic from our original position.
I keep my attention split between the road and my rearview mirror.
“Did they follow?” I lost my focus on the rearview mirror during the on-ramps and off-ramps, but Alec watched the entire time.
“Don’t see them.”
The driver of the tailing car either isn’t very good or they’re inexperienced.
“Then, they’re either ahead of us, or they’ll take the next exit and try to find us.” I focus on the road and drive slower than the main flow of traffic. If the tail didn’t exit, trying to catch us, they’ll be looking for us in their rearview mirror.
My job is to make certain that doesn’t happen.
When I call it in, Tom’s professionalism cracks. Actually, it’s his voice that cracks. Bet his ass puckers too. He’s too green for this job, getting rattled like that.
“Stop jabbering.” I put an end to his stream ofHoly shit’sandOh-my-God’s. “We lost them. If they’re in front of us, that’s where they’ll stay. Meanwhile, might I suggest changing our current rendezvous with Chase?”
After a few miles, I take another off-ramp, looping around the city until I no longer suspect we’re being followed. Only then do I relax. Not a second later, my thoughts drift back to Kaye, the pretty blonde who loves animals.
We follow the new route and eventually arrive at our destination: a small, unassuming hotel off the beaten path.
I pull around to the side entrance and park next to Chase’s Jeep. He gets out as soon as he sees us and looks around before heading toward the vehicle. Rafe opens his door and gets out. Hayes and Alec follow. Miss Mystery stays inside the vehicle.
“You have her?” Chase approaches, speaking in a low voice, just loud enough for us to hear.
“We do.” My reply is direct and to the point, lacking any of the many questions filling my head.
“Thanks for the assist.” Chase opens the door to the backseat with no hesitation. He acknowledges our passenger, speaking quietly to her. “It’s nice to meet you.” He extends a hand to our charge. “Name’s Chase. If you’ll come with me, we can get going.”
“Nice to meet you.” She accepts his hand and slowly exits the vehicle.
No words for us, but she’ll speak to him?
Chase takes over responsibility for our charge and escorts her into his own car before speeding away into the night. As relieved as I am that she made it safely out of danger, I can’t help feeling like this was all too easy; almost too easy.
But our job is over, which means we’re cut loose.
“Where to?” My fingers tap on the steering wheel. “Back to HQ? Or…” We’re an hour’s drive from both HQ and the city.
Alec speaks up. “I say we go back to the townhouse.”
Rafe stares at me through the rearview mirror, jaw clenched, eyes fierce, but Hayes nods in agreement.
“Agree. I don’t want Rosalie to spend her first night alone.”
