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The best thing he could do for Joe and Brock now was get Harper to safety.
CHAPTERSIX
Harper’s stomach knotted with tension. She couldn’t believe Tommy Grotto’s men had planted a tracking device in her shoe. And maybe one in her purse too. Steele had even instructed her to leave her coat behind. Yet knowing exactly how they’d kept getting found was reassuring. Now that they’d left those awful shoes, her purse, and coat behind, she felt certain they’d be safe wherever they went.
What had Joe said? They were heading to the Finnegan homestead? She assumed that meant Rhy’s home, but she wasn’t sure.
Her feet were much better in the running shoes, making it easy to keep up with Steele’s long stride as they ducked through one set of backyards and then another.
Well, a little easier. She was still carrying extra weight with being pregnant and admittedly out of shape. At least her feet didn’t slip and slide as easily on the snowy grass. She knew from Steele’s frequent glances back at her that he was trying to move at a pace she could easily maintain.
He stopped near a house that was completely dark. Grateful for the rest, she struggled to control her breathing. She’d never run so much in her entire life as she had since this nightmare started.
She decided she hated running. Despised everything about it. Maybe she’d feel better if she wasn’t seven months pregnant, but she doubted it.
“Are you feeling okay?” Steele asked, his voice a husky whisper near her ear. “No problems with the baby?”
“I’m fine.” She rested one hand on her abdomen. The baby wasn’t moving at the moment, but she’d been sure to monitor activity the way her obstetrician had suggested. “Baby is fine too.”
His gaze held hers. Then he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “We’re about halfway there.”
Only halfway? She swallowed a groan. If anyone had asked, she’d have said they’d been running for miles. She drew in another deep breath and forced herself to nod. “I’m ready when you are.”
He flashed a reassuring smile. Grateful to have Steele at her side through all of this, she pushed away from the wall of the house and followed him out toward the street. Of course, Steele didn’t stay on the road for long, he once again cut through the narrow space between two houses.
She wasn’t nervous about cutting through people’s private property anymore. It seemed as if no one cared that they were trespassing. They approached another house when suddenly a large dog charged from the shadows, barking madly.
“Steele!” She reared away from the animal, throwing her hands up to protect her face. She tripped over the raised edge of a flower bed and almost hit the ground. She braced herself to feel the dog’s teeth sinking into her body.
“It’s okay, this way.” Steele drew her close and eased away from the animal. Stunned she hadn’t been attacked, she stared at the large black dog. Belatedly realizing there was a long chain attached to his collar.
Her heart was thundering in her chest like a high-speed train. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t seem to get her fear under control. The dog continued to bark and lunge toward them as far as his chain would allow.
“Brutus, shut up!” a loud voice shouted from the house.
Brutus? Fitting name for a dog that likely would have torn her limb from limb.
“I want to go home.” The words escaped from her mouth before she could stop them.
“You can’t go home, Harper.” Steele continued pushing forward, hauling her with him. He was right. Of course, she couldn’t go home.
But she didn’t want to keep running from gunmen either.
“Two more blocks,” Steele murmured. “You can do it.”
“Yeah, if I don’t have a heart attack.” She ran for a few minutes, then added, “That dog scared the stuffing out of me.”
“I know, I wasn’t expecting that either.” Steele slowed his pace. “See that house through the trees? The one with the lights on upstairs?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the homestead.” He dropped to a walk, glancing both ways before heading to the corner and walking on the road. As they approached the property from the front, he pulled out his cell phone. She heard the sound of ringing, then a male voice answered. “Steele? Where are you?”
“Out front.” She saw movement near the window. Steele raised his hand and waved. “If you don’t want us to come inside, we can sit out back to wait for Joe and Brock.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Come up to the door.” The call ended. Steele pocketed his phone and drew her along with him toward the brightly lit front porch.
They’d barely stepped onto the porch when the front door swung open. A tall man with blond hair stood before her. About as tall as Steele, but maybe not quite as broad across the shoulders. “Come in.”
