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Banner and Perkins ran from the building. “Shooter on the northwest corner,” he shouted.
The two agents split up, each heading in opposite directions with their weapons drawn. Steele ran for the car. He wanted to back them up, but his priority was to keep Harper safe. As he curled his body around hers, his gut twisted with agony.
Bringing her to the apartment had been a mistake.
CHAPTERNINE
She should be used to the sound of gunfire by now, but she wasn’t. True to his word, Steele did his best to shield her with his body. But bullets could go through one person into the other, so she wasn’t convinced they would get away from this unscathed. One of these times, a bullet would find its mark.
Why, Lord? Why did this keep happening?
She tried not to panic, to believe that God would keep her and her baby safe. Yet for some reason, praying didn’t provide the comfort she desperately needed. After everything that had taken place in and outside her apartment, she felt certain she would either have her baby in prison or be killed.
And she didn’t know which alternative scared her more.
“Get ready to climb into the SUV,” Steele whispered in her ear.
She managed a nod. Her heart thundered so fast she worried about the impact on her baby. How much stress could one infant take?
“Now!”
Despite his warning, his command startled her. He moved back just enough for her to get upright. He yanked the car door open and stood behind her as she crawled inside.
“Stay down as much as possible.”
“Okay.” She had to duck sideways to get her head below the dashboard. This position wasn’t comfortable either, but she didn’t protest. Steele shut the door and exposed himself to danger by running around the front of the SUV and getting in behind the wheel.
Seconds later, he was pulling away from the curb, tires fishtailing on the icy road as they shot down the street.
“Brock, I need a clean vehicle ASAP,” Steele said. “Gunfire broke out at Harper’s apartment.”
“Okay, where do you want to meet?”
“Neutral territory.” He paused, then said, “How about Rosie’s Diner?”
“Done. See you soon.”
There was a long moment of silence as Steele continued driving. From the way she lurched from side to side, she could tell he was making several turns. The constant movement was making her ill.
“Can I sit up now?”
“Yes.” His voice was still tight with concern. “Are you hurt?”
“I don’t think so.” Hard to tell since her body was tense with fear. She took several deep breaths before adding, “I’m fine. At least, physically.”
He grimaced. “I understand. This hasn’t been a very good morning.”
“You think?” She couldn’t hide her snide tone. “Those ATF agents believe I’m involved! And so do you.”
“No, I don’t.” He cast her a quick look, before turning his attention to the road. He was making so many turns she lost her sense of direction. “It’s obvious to me the gun was planted in your dresser.”
His words should have made her feel better. And maybe they did, at least a little. But in truth, Steele’s believing in her didn’t matter. He couldn’t stop the ATF agents from arresting her.
She was no lawyer, but even she knew the feds trumped the state every time. She would be tried in a federal court in front of a federal judge.
And if convicted, sent to a federal penitentiary.
“Who knew I would be at the apartment?” The thought popped into her head. She turned to stare at Steele. “Just the four of us and Brock. Right?”
