Page 106 of Captivated

Martin chuckled. “You do that.”

“Maybe you know her.”

The man glanced up from the bag he was pushing into the back of the SUV. “Pardon? Why would I know your wife?”

Joe shrugged. “She does a lot of things—charity, and whatnot. Made her rounds around the block shortly after we moved in, too.”

“Oh, well, maybe.”

“Liliana Marcello—ring any bells?”

Martin stilled.

Joe watched the color drain from the man’s face.

That fear was like a drug to Joe. He soaked it up because for no other reason, that fear was going to keep Martin company on his drive. A drive that would only end in his death.

“Shit,” Joe said, glancing at a watch that wasn’t even on his wrist, “I’ve got to run. Have a good day, Martin.”

Joe didn’t wait for the man to respond. He jogged down the driveway, and headed up the block. He only shot a look over his shoulder just long enough to see Martin fumble with pulling the hatchback down on the SUV, and then scramble to get inside his vehicle behind the wheel. He didn’t waste any time pulling out of his driveway, either.

That was fine.

Joe would follow behind.

He slipped into the black sedan the Marcellos had provided him to use, and pulled out on to the road to tail close behind Martin Abraham. Soon, the two were on the highway, and Joe was feet from the man’s bumper the whole time.

Even when Martin sped up, and glanced in his rearview mirror, Joe smiled and kept driving just as fast. He sped up, too. He took the turns on the exit ramp just as sharply.

Joe made his first call then.

“Nine-One-One, what’s your emergency?”

Joe rattled off the road name, and then quickly added, “There’s a man in a brown SUV driving erratically. I’m concerned he’s drunk or something. He’s been weaving in and out of vehicles, and I know he’s going at least twenty over the speed limit.”

“License plate, Sir?”

Joe gave the number—he was close enough to read it clearly, and if he pushed the gas, he would be so close that his own bumper would actually cover it.

“Thank you, Sir. Could I get you to stay on the line—”

Nope.

Joe hung up the phone.

An exit ramp came up on the right, and apparently, Martin must have thought that if he took it sharply enough, he might lose the vehicle trailing him.

Stupid fucker.

That tire couldn’t take that.

Joe had barely tightened the nuts. Just enough not to make it noticeable while the man was driving, but loose enough that the tire would fly off at too high of speeds, or reckless driving.

And it did.

Spectacularly.

Joe swerved in behind Martin when he took the ramp, and then yanked his wheel to the other side when the tire came off as the SUV entered the sharpest turn on the ramp. At the speed, and the curve the vehicle was turning on the ramp, the SUV was top heavy, and couldn’t take it. It hit the gravel, and then it flew.