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“Eliza!” Tucker’s voice doesn’t need the wind anymore. When I look up, he waits, gun in hand, on the shoulder of the highway. “What’s your plan? Where do you think you can go?”
An engine backfires to the south. I try to trap my cries of anguish behind my sweaty palm, but it barely suppresses the sound. I don’t look brave. I don’t have a chance. There’s not enough of Anderson’s training left to save me at this point. He never taught me to outrun bullets.
“Sunny!”
I twist, completely unwilling to believe it could be real. The black Volkswagen beetle slides in behind me. Nick motions for me to run to meet him. I start sprinting the second Tucker levels the gun. Nick pops the door open, and I dive inside. Two bullets sink into the body of the bug.
“Geez! What’s happening?” Nick tosses an errant scarf over his shoulder before he slams on the gas pedal. “If I’m not mistaken, your past seems to have found you, Sweetheart.”
Head against the seat. I fumble until he gives me his arm. I spread kisses and tears up the length of it, whispering, “Thank you,” over and over.
“That’s sweet and everything, but I’m pretty sure Rhett’s got his eye on you.” I look up in time to watch him wink. It’s enough to almost make me laugh. Nick sobers quickly. “I’m not one for questions, but I need a direction. Where am I taking you?”
“I don’t know. I need to hide. I need a plan.” I release my grip on his arm to smooth my hair back. “I can’t go back to the ranch. He’ll be looking for me there.”
“My place then.” Gravity slams me to the right as he takes the next turn. “I’ve got a whole garage full of hiding places.”
I try to calculate how fast Tucker would have to be to follow us. Is it possible for him to make it back to his car and track Nick’s Bug? I latch onto the passenger seat and pull myself up to look through the back window. To my utter relief, I don’t see a black sedan. Tucker isn’t following us.
But as Nick takes another sharp turn, I note a silver SUV trailing close enough that it makes my hair stand on end.
Rhett
“Is he safe, or isn’t he?” Rational thought left the second Walter Hutchings looked worried that his daughter left with his stepson.
“I’m honestly not sure.” Dr. Hutchings rubs the heel of his palm against his temple. “Charlene has those boys wrapped around her finger. It would make sense for one of them to be doing her dirty work. For all I know, it was one of them who shot me.”
“What do you mean one of them?” I motion to the bruises he’s been nursing. “Sunny said Anderson served in the military. Seems like it would have to be him with the way you look.”
“Yeah, it would seem that way, wouldn’t it?” Hutchings’ chin drops to his chest in defeat. “Anderson is second generation military. Charlene’s first husband served as well, but not in the United States. He taught the boys from the time they were able to walk. Anderson has more training, but that’s not to say that Tucker isn’t dangerous.”
“I’m going after her.” I turn on my heel to leave. Dad calls my name, but I don’t break stride. Whether he’s a threat or not, I should have trusted my instincts. My keys grate on the counter as I scoop them up.
“Hold up!” Carl yells, but I’m not going to let him talk me out of it.
“I’m going. There’s nothing you can say to change my mind.” I whirl back, daring him to challenge me.
My younger brother grins and cocks the rifle in his hands. “Wouldn’t dream of it but figured you might need someone to watch your back.”
Hope surges in my heart. “We better get going.”
Chapter 28
Sunny
“Okay, it’s a little “Okay, it’s a little hot today, but I’ve got so many skeletons in here, I doubt anyone will see you. This is my personal shop. No one comes in here. The guys all stay up at the main shop by the road.” The barn door rolls back on his shed, metal screeching and screaming. I look around hoping somehow Tucker didn’t hear it. As the light filters in, I start making out the shapes of the corpses he mentioned. Not human, all Volkswagons. Some are nothing but the body, others have the hoods up with engines spilling out. Any other day, I’d be impressed. But today, I need to hide.
“I’ll text Rhett and let him know where you are. I’m sure he’s losing his mind.” It’s strange seeing Nick serious. I wasn’t sure it was possible but telling him even part of my situation seems to have sobered him up. “He’ll come straight here. You won’t have long before—”
He stops short, but I didn’t interrupt him. It was the sound of gravel crackling on his driveway out front. I lean forward to try to see, but Nick waves me back. He inches forward, obviously nervous about the intrusion.
“Is it someone you know?”
His entire body jerks with a sudden jump. “Shhh!” He urges me back inside and starts to roll the door shut. “It’s a silver SUV. I don’t know anyone with that car. Here’s hoping they’re overheating and need a mechanic or something.” He snuffs out the light with a final shove to the door. But the cracks in the boards that make up the shed allow me to watch him walk toward the driveway.
“Hi! Welcome to The Shop. Are you having some car trouble?” Nick’s voice remains stable except for a slight quaver on the ends. “I can get you fixed up real quick if that’s it.”
“It’s not.” The hair on my neck prickles at the sound of his voice. “I’m looking for someone.”
