Chapter 4 #2
Hunter wanted to know what in her past had made her basically untouchable. He wouldn’t ask. She’d been through enough in the past few hours. If she wanted to share that information, she would.
She half-turned toward him. “You want to know what was so bad the Army wouldn’t take me, or a background check would red-flag me for other employment, don’t you?”
“It’s not my business,” he said. “You don’t have to tell me anything.”
“You deserve to know what kind of person you risked your life and that of your partner to save today.” Her chin lifted. “The background check revealed that I had been charged with a major crime. Though I was only seventeen at the time, they tried me as an adult.”
Hunter pushed away from the tree, his brow furrowing. “What crime?”
She met his gaze unflinchingly. “Murder.”
Considering she was an assassin, her announcement didn’t shock him as much as he thought it should. He kept his expression poker straight. “And did you commit the crime?”
“Did I kill someone?” She snorted. “Yes.”
“Was it murder?”
“Some said it was,” Savvie said. “I didn’t care at the time. The man had to die.”
“Another Marcus Caldwell?” Hunter asked.
“Worse.” Her shoulders squared, and her chin rose an inch. “He was a man who’d sworn to love, honor and cherish my mother until death. She just didn’t consider death would be the better choice until he made her wish for it.”
Her words made Hunter’s heart tighten painfully. No one should have to endure a life with such abuse. “Sounds like your mother was miserable.”
“My stepfather had beaten her so many times and told her she was nothing and couldn’t get a job even if she wanted one.
She was broken mentally and physically. The last time he hurt her, I snapped.
The only way to keep a man like that from hurting someone you care about is to stop him for good.
” She stood before Hunter, chin held high.
“I killed him. And I’d do it again, only a lot sooner. ”
Hunter wanted to reach out to her, pull her into his arms and hold her.
If he could, he would take away her pain and the bad memories.
He’d only just met her, but the depth of what he felt at that moment gave him a connection with Savvie he couldn’t explain and made him want to protect her from anything like that ever happening again.
She frowned. “Look, I didn’t tell you all that for your sympathy.
I’ll knock you on your ass if you say you’re sorry for me.
I only told you because you have the right to refuse to help me.
If you walk away, I’ll understand. In fact, you and your friends should leave me and forget you ever helped me escape on a wave runner. ”
“Not gonna happen,” Hunter said.
“I’ll never forgive myself if Kyla or her baby is hurt because of me.” She bit her bottom lip. “I can’t believe Kyla’s pregnant.
Savvie swiped at her cheeks. “She’s the lucky one,” her voice cracking. “Out of the business. A man who clearly loves her and a baby on the way. Her life couldn’t get more perfect.”
In the past, Hunter had never considered all those things adding up to perfection and happiness. Now, as he recalled the way Stone and Kyla looked at each other or her swollen belly, it was clear to all that they were happy, smitten with each other and the baby.
Something tugged at Hunter’s gut he’d never experienced before.
For a brief flash, he wondered what it would be like to have a strong, loving woman by his side and a baby on the way.
His gaze fell on Savvie, a resilient, determined individual capable of standing on her own and fighting her way out of a bad situation.
The headlights heralded the approach of a vehicle on the road in front of them. The bright lights blinked on and then off as the dark sedan rolled into view.
Savvie backed away, easing her body behind a tree trunk.
“That will be our ride,” Hunter assured her. “I recognize the rental car.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
When she laid her hand in his, an electric current zinged up his arm and spread throughout his body. The shock was so unexpected he almost pulled free of her grip. But he didn’t. He liked how her hand fit in his. Hers wasn’t a tentative, weak grasp. It was strong, like everything else about her.
They hurried toward the sedan.
Stone lowered the window. “Get in,” he urged. “I might have a tail. I noticed him several blocks back.” He glanced into the rearview mirror. “I could be wrong. He’s not there now. But it’s better to err on the cautious side.”
Not taking time to round the vehicle to the other side, Hunter dove into the back seat after Savvie.
Stone hit the accelerator before Hunter closed the door behind himself.
After pushing himself upright, Hunter glanced through the rear window. No lights shone behind them.
Stone drove several blocks and stopped at a red traffic light.
An SUV slowed as it approached the intersection from the right.
Their light turned green. As Stone pulled forward, the vehicle on the right leaped forward, slamming into the side of the sedan.
Hunter’s shoulder hit the door, his body cushioning Savvie’s as she flew across the back seat.
Stone cursed and hit the accelerator hard.
For a moment, the tires burned against the pavement, turning the sedan and SUV as one.
When the sedan broke away from the SUV’s bumper, Stone swerved and raced away, turning right onto the next street.
Two blocks later, he swung left, skidding sideways into the turn.
Savvie scooted across the seat and secured her lap belt and shoulder harness. Hunter did the same, turning sideways to look out the back of the car.
For the next few blocks, zigzagging through the city streets, no headlight appeared behind them.
Had they lost the tail?
A red traffic light loomed at the next intersection.
Stone slowed well ahead of the signal. The huge office building to his right blocked his view around the corner.
Streetlights shone brightly. If another vehicle were coming from the side streets, they wouldn’t see them until they reached the corner.
“Hold on. I’m not stopping,” Stone stomped the accelerator. The battered sedan leaped through the intersection.
The SUV with the crumpled bumper lurked beside the office building. As soon as the sedan entered the intersection, the SUV raced forward. But not soon enough.
Stone made it through the intersection, the SUV missing them by just a few inches.
“They know where we’re going to be,” Hunter said. “They have some kind of way of tracking us.” He looked to Savvie. “Do you still have your cell phone?”
She nodded. “I have two burner phones.”
“Everyone, pitch your cell phones,” Stone said, “and anything that might be traced.”