Chapter3
“I need to stop,” Deena said. “I need to stop.”
“Right here?”
“No, not here, but I need to think. I can’t be in this car, flying down the road like this. I have to get out and I need to -- just stop the car!”
He did as she asked, pulling into the parking lot of an empty insurance high rise and driving around the back until they couldn’t see the road from where they were. He killed the engine, and the doors unlocked. She got out, running to the building, into the covered breezeway and almost against the wall.
“This can’t be happening,” she muttered as she paced back and forth. “I’m dreaming. I got blackout drunk, and I’m going to wake up and this is all going to be a dream.”
She was pacing frantically, trying to hold it together and desperately trying to convince herself that she hadn’t watched a man get stabbed to death in the middle of the road. Maybe she’d fallen and hit her head. Maybe she didn’t even go to the club tonight and she was in her own bed. Hell, even having someone sneak something in her drink would be better than witnessing a murder and going on the run with the intended victim.
“This is too crazy to be true,” she muttered. “I can’t.”
“It’s going to be alright,” Jake said from behind her.
She jumped, clasping her hands over her mouth to catch the scream that would surely echo off the empty buildings.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She glared at him, trembling where she stood, wishing she’d tried to talk her way onto a city bus with no fare instead of walking two miles in the middle of the night. Even in a good neighborhood, that was a bad idea in Dallas.
“I wish I’d never gone out tonight,” she said.
He took a step toward her, and she stiffened, but he grabbed her anyway. His chest was warm against hers, his lean, muscular arms strong around her. She fought him for a moment, fighting against everything she’d witnessed and everything that she knew could happen next, then she melted into him, and a tiny sob escaped from her throat.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said, rubbing her back and holding her tight. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“How are you going to stop it? They’re after you, right? Aren’t I in danger just being with you?”
“You’re in danger no matter what,” he said. “You witnessed a murder. Do you think that they’re just going to forget about that?”
She groaned, her alarm growing again.
“What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to change cars, and then we’re going to find somewhere to hole up.”
“That’s it? That’s your plan?”
“Do you have a better one?”
“We need to go to the police.”
“They’re not going to be able to help us. And they’re more likely to hold you as a witness, putting you in more danger.”
“Are you saying they’re in on it?”
“I’m saying that you can’t trust anyone right now, even people that you think you can trust.”
“Why are they after you? Who did you piss off?”
“If I knew, I would know how they keep finding me. This isn’t the first attempt on my life, which is why we need to ditch the car.”
There was the sound of an airbrake in the distance, and Jake stopped, looking up, then letting her go and grabbing her hand.
“Come on. If we hurry, we can get on that bus.”
“We’re going to escape on a bus?”
“No. But if we drive my car with its GPS tracker to the dealer to buy a car, don’t you think that will lead them right to us?”
“They’re tracking your car?”
“I don’t know. But this is the second attempt on my life, and both times, I was driving my car.”
He tugged on her hand again, and she ran beside him, across the almost empty street and to the covered bus stop. Deena expected a bullet to rip through her body before they made it to the safety of the stop, but nothing happened, and the bus was less than a block away.
“You left your keys in the car, and the door open,” she said, alarmed.
“It’s intentional. If someone steals it, there will be movement to track, at least for a little while. It will buy us a lot more time if they think that we’re still out and about. And it would be better if my car isn’t within walking distance of a bus stop. That would be too obvious, and even though it’s harder to track, we could be found faster.”
Deena moaned, terror building again. Would this nightmare never end?
“This is too much,” she muttered, more to herself than Jake.
“I know. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry you got caught up in my mess. I’m going to make this right, and I’m going to do my best to keep you safe. But you have to trust me.”
“You can barely keep yourself safe; how are you going to keep me safe too?”
“Trust me. I’m highly motivated. I don’t want to die.”
“Nobody does,” she said.
The bus pulled toward the curb, and Jake took her hand.
“Stay strong.”
“I’m trying.” She took a deep breath and held it, closing her eyes against the debris the bus kicked up then looking at him as the doors opened. “Is anywhere going to be open right now?”
“No. We still have an hour to kill before the manager shows up.”
“So, what are we going to do until then?”
“Stay alive,” he whispered, pulling out his wallet and stepping onto the bus right behind her to pay for both their fares. “And we’re going to get breakfast.”
Deena shook her head in disbelief, letting him guide her to the back of the bus, his hand on her back. She sat in the back in the only row without windows, putting herself against the wall so he would be between her and any danger. It wasn’t much, but it gave her a little comfort.
She watched him taking in the area around them, admiring him in the light for the first time while he was too busy to notice her attention. His hair was dark brown with just a hint of auburn that was only noticeable when the light hit it just right. He was handsome, his jaw chiseled but not too hard, his expression soft and friendly. If they’d met at a bar or a club, she would have zeroed in on him right away, but this was different.
She was angry at her body for reacting to him, even when they were running for their lives. It wasn’t the time, but she couldn’t help it. She wished she’d spent the night with him instead of Holt. She would be willing to bet that Jake was a much better lover than Holt. He even smelled better. She couldn’t place the gentle hint of cologne he wore, but she knew it was a pricey one. It was noticeable, yet not overwhelming, something the cheaper colognes could never manage.
Stop it, she thought angrily. If she’d been in bed with him, they would both be dead. And now, they were running for their lives, not stuck in some overblown romantic movie. This was real life, and this was real danger.
He was still watching the road, seemingly oblivious to her internal battle, but he must have felt her tension. His hand reached out, grabbing hers without turning her way. When she squeezed his hand back, he slipped his arm around her and pulled her against his side.
“You can do this,” he whispered. “Just do what I say, and everything is going to be fine.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“We have hope. Hold onto that and don’t let the fear overwhelm you. Fear controls us and forces us to react instead of acting. Stay calm, and let your adrenaline push you in the right direction.”
“How can you be so calm?”
“I’m not.”
“You sure look like you are.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
She laughed despite the fear that still gripped her, then quieted down when a sour-looking woman with her purse clutched to her chest turned to glare at them.
“Let’s get off here. I’ve seen a little place around the corner that serves breakfast twenty-four-seven, and we’re a short walk from the DART train.”
“That sounds good,” she said, pulling the cord to signal the driver that someone wanted to get off at the next stop in case the bus stop was empty.
The driver pulled over, and they exited through the back door, Jake still holding her hand and looking more like young lovers than a couple of people running for their lives. They were miles from where they’d parked the car and even further from Cedar Springs and Field Street. With so much distance between them and the murder, and with the sky getting lighter in the east, she could almost let herself believe that young lovers was exactly what they were.
“Listen,” he said as they turned another corner and the tiny little restaurant came into view. “I don’t want to take you to a dive, but I think going to my normal breakfast spot is too obvious. So, don’t hold it against me. I promise this isn’t my typical first date choice.”
She laughed.
“When this is over, you can take me on a real date. For now, this place is just fine.”
“I’m going to hold you to it,” he said, opening the door for her, his eyes scanning the area around them almost imperceptibly. “When this is all said and done, it’s a date.”
The door closed behind them, and the sounds of the city disappeared with a resounding thud. A sleepy waitress with a huge smile greeted them at the register.
“Just two?” she asked.
“Yes,” Jake said.
“Seat yourselves, and I’ll be by to take your order in a minute.”
Jake thanked her, leading Deena to a table that she knew he chose for the view of the street beyond. Away from the window, they could see everything, but it would be nearly impossible for someone passing by to notice them.
“I notice you’ve strategically placed us by an emergency exit.”
“You can’t be too careful,” he said. “But I’m impressed.”
“That I noticed?”
“That you’ve managed to calm yourself enough to look at your surrounding area critically.”
“I’m sorry I got hysterical.”
He shook his head.
“That’s not what I’m saying at all. You’re having normal, human reactions to things that you should never have to experience. But instead of melting into a puddle, you’ve regrouped and you’re in fight mode. That’s impressive.”
“Thanks,” she said, smiling at him.
“Wow,” he said. “You are quite beautiful, but when you smile, you light up the room. I guess I didn’t notice while we were running for our lives.” His voice was low, his elbows on the table as he leaned forward and stared into her eyes. “You have the most beautiful eyes. Such a rich brown that they’re almost black.”
The waitress appeared, receipt tablet in hand, ready for their order. Deena ordered quickly, then waited for Jake to finish his order before the waitress scurried away.
“I’m going to hold you to it,” she said finally.
“To what?”
“To a date. A real date, when this is all over.”
He smiled, melting her heart and making her forget everything that had happened for a blissful moment. What he said next made her heart flutter inside her chest.
“Wild horses couldn’t stop me.”