“Weston and Aspen were great,” Bellamy said as Locke turned out of the driveway. Behind them, the sky was brilliant in the sunset’s red and gold hue, but in front of them, and toward Athens, was dark. On the backseat, Luci whined, frustrated because she had to wear the pet harness. “Sorry, Luce. Can’t have my girl getting jostled around.”

“Yeah, those kids seemed to warm up to you and Luci pretty quickly. Weston and Aspen liked you too.”

“They are a lovely couple and Weston can make a mean burger.”

“Hey, that was me!”

She smirked and popped his leg. “Such a showoff.”

“I’m telling the truth.” Locke covered her hand with his own and held it close. “Seriously, though. He thinks it’s a good idea if we go over the last month of your life day by day.”

“Gracious, how boring. Did he recommend for us to hold hands too?” She glanced at their intertwined fingers.

“No. That’s all me. And apparently, you too, since you’re not pulling away.”

Bellamy’s smile deepened. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Though he wanted to elaborate on his burgeoning feelings, Locke decided to continue with their discussion about the last month. Undoubtedly, discovering who wanted to hurt Bellamy ranked higher at the present time. “Tell me as much as you can remember about the last month. Where you went, who you were with. Anything you can remember. No detail is unimportant.”

“Most days, I went to class during the week. Any deviation from that was the groomers, the grocery store, the bank. Luci and I usually took a walk for exercise.”

“Did you run into anyone?”

“Friends from school. Just acquaintances. The most exciting thing I did was mine and Amy’s trip to Florida.”

His ears perked. “Tell me about that. Did you go out to any bars or parties?”

“A few, but I was mostly a killjoy, sitting in the corner sipping a Coke. We stayed at her boyfriend’s condo on the beach in Miami, and I stayed outside next to the water most of the time.”

“Condo on the beach? It’s his?”

“Probably his dad’s. He’s some bigshot in real estate. Vance Kramer, I think is his name.”

Locke pressed a button on the truck’s steering wheel. “Call Matt Lord.”

“Hey, boss.” Matt’s voice carried in the speakers. “You and Belle on your way back from Atlanta?”

“It’s Bellamy, Matthew,” Bellamy said before Locke could answer.

Matt chuckled. “I was just teasing, Bellamy. I knew he had me on speaker. Believe me, I get not liking it when someone calls you by the wrong name.”

“I’ll let it slide this one time.”

“Before you get in hotter water than you can stand, Matt, do a name search for me. Vance Kramer.”

“Kramer? Didn’t I look for a Zane Kramer a few days ago?”

“Zane is his son.”

“Ah. I’ll get on it now.”

As soon as they disconnected, low thunder rumbled, and the first drops of rain fell onto the windshield. Locke squeezed and released Bellamy’s hand to engage the wipers and take the wheel.

“Are you familiar with Vance Kramer or something?” she wondered.

“No, just have a feeling we need to know a little more about him. That’s all. So beach, a few parties. Anything else?”

Bellamy scrunched her forehead. “We went to a carnival several nights.”

“Who’s with you?”

“Amy, Zane. A few of his friends. Two guys and a girl. I don’t remember their names. We rode the cheap rides. Ate funnel cakes and drank frozen lemonade. Played a few of those silly sling-the-ball games and we all won.”

“That’s odd.”

“Right?”

“What did you win?”

After unlocking her phone and locating the picture, Bellamy put it in his line of vision long enough for him to get a quick look. “We all won these stuffed rabbits. They’re huge. But you know another strange thing besides us all winning? We couldn’t choose our prize. All of us girls wanted the puppy stuffed animal they had.”

“You couldn’t choose the prize you wanted?” The gears turned inside his mind.

“Nope.”

“And where is your rabbit now?”

Bellamy almost teased him about wanting to know the whereabouts of a stuffed animal until she thought about her answer. “It’s at home, in New Orleans. You don’t think? No?”

“Yes, I do. I think you, Amy, and the others were mules for drugs. And if it’s in New Orleans, then that’s where we need to be.” Before he could slow his speed to turn around, a black SUV slammed into the rear fender of the truck and sent it into a tailspin. “Hold on!” he yelled.

“Oh my God!” Bellamy leaned into Locke and shoved her hand into the backseat with Luci, pinning her down. They landed in the median, the smell of burnt rubber and steam mixing with the rain.

Locke cupped Bellamy’s face and pressed their heads together. “Are you okay?”

“I’m good.”

“Luci?”

They both looked over their shoulders and Luci’s tale wagged.

“If you don’t mind, look in the glove box for my insurance while I go check the truck,” he said.

“Not a good idea. Locke, they’re after us!”

He followed her line of vision to the SUV that had hit them. It was no longer on the other side of the road, but coming at them, full force. When Locke floored the accelerator, they had crossed into the grass and nearly collided with them again. A loud blast came from behind and a bullet hit the tailgate. “Stay down, Bellamy. Get in the back with Luci and stay down.”

For once, she didn’t argue and crawled on the floor. After unlocking Luci’s harness, she pulled the dog into her embrace. “Please be careful.”

Locke didn’t respond, but instead, focused on the task before him. For several minutes, he weaved in and out of the sparse traffic, thankful there were only a few cars on the highway. At one point, he glanced in the rearview to see the SUV drive another vehicle off the road, then continue its pursuit. Locke contemplated a quick turn, but the SUV was too close for that, especially since he didn’t know the area. He didn’t want to risk a dead end until he was certain they wouldn’t follow. Another shot hit the truck, this one shattering the back windshield.

“You okay?” His hand touched her leg.

“Both hands on the wheel. We’re fine.” With the window gone, Bellamy wondered if there was an easy way to fire a shot to disable the SUV, and if there was a way, would Locke disapprove. “Hey, pass me my purse.”

“Your purse? Why?”

“I’m going to shoot a tire before they take out one of ours.”

Locke almost disagreed. It was dangerous. She could get shot or worse, killed, but Bellamy was right. If their adversary shot first, no doubt they’d be captured. “You got this, Bellamy,” he encouraged.

“Definitely.” She pushed Luci into Locke’s lap and then covered the seat with a blanket she’d brought. After loading the gun, she climbed onto the blanket, broken glass crunching and cutting her legs, despite the cushion. She didn’t steady the gun on the truck—the turbulence from their speed and the wind and rain was too much—but held it straight in front of her like her dad had taught her. Bellamy took a deep breath and on the exhale, squeezed the trigger. The SUV spun four times and stopped in the middle of the road.

“Excellent shot,” Locke exclaimed. “I don’t even know if I could have hit that in this weather. You’re incredible.”

“Thanks. Now get us the hell out of here.”

By the time they’d exchanged Locke’s vehicle for a rental truck calls to his team and her parents, they were ready to get on the road to New Orleans.

“What’s wrong?” She opened a bottle of water for a sip, but as soon as she sat the drink down, his lips were on hers. Locke’s tongue moved in and out and claimed her without words. Bellamy was his. Maybe, she always had been. Easily, she melded into his arms, clinging to him like a second skin.

He was the first to break their kiss. “That wasn’t very professional of me.”

“No, but to hell with professionalism. I’ve waited my whole life to feel an ounce of what I felt in your kiss, and I would defy every law to feel it again.”

Locke pulled Bellamy close, breathing in her scent. “It’s too soon for me to feel this way about you, but—”

The sound of Locke’s cell phone interrupted them. Matt.

“I’m sorry.”

“Answer it,” she encouraged. “He could have information about Zane’s dad.”

“Hey, man, anything good to tell?”

“I don’t know if it’s good, but it’s certainly worth telling. I did some pretty extensive digging and Vance Kramer supposedly has his hands in Miami’s underground drug rings.”

Locke popped the steering wheel. “Great job. Bellamy’s just told me about a stuffed animal she received while in Florida last week, and we believe it may contain the drugs they’re looking for. Our new plan is to get to New Orleans and take the rabbit to the police there.”

“You do know you’ll run into some bad thunderstorms,” Matt said.

“What’s a little rain?” Locke tucked a piece of Bellamy’s dark hair behind her ear.

“No, boss. Alabama’s radar is covered. We’re talking torrential downpours. Just be safe. Stop if you need to.”

“Will do, buddy. Keep in touch.”