Chapter 5 Gia
FIVE
GIA
A car with the license plate Ramirez had sent through sat around the corner from the rear of the club. Gia opened the back door and slid in. The door had barely shut before the car was pulling into traffic.
“Hey, I’m Sam, a friend of your aunt’s,” said the woman in the driver’s seat, catching Gia’s eye in the rearview mirror.
Gia was lost for what to say. Her heart pounded so fast, she feared she’d pass out. Fuck, if she got one of her headaches now, she’d cry. The car’s heavy herbal scent wasn’t helping.
Sam didn’t seem bothered by her lack of response. “Can you let Ramirez know we’re on our way?”
Gia nodded and sent the text. She craned her neck to get a look at the street behind them, but didn’t see anyone giving chase. Not a single black SUV in sight.
That was too easy. Surely someone had seen her on the back alley camera.
Even with a change of clothes, she wasn’t impossible to recognize, and they’d investigate anyone poking around regardless of whether they realized it was her.
Unless Marc and the security guys were too busy with whatever footage had them concerned.
Gia’s tense muscles loosened as Sam pulled onto the highway. The woman was silent, her focus on the road, and Gia found herself relaxing into the calm. No one was following. She was safe for now.
Gia jolted awake and rubbed her dry eyes. Where was she? Her head pounded. Fuck, she was in a car.
That’s right, she’d escaped.
Sam was driving down a deserted stretch of highway. The clock on the dash said it was past three in the morning. Gia couldn’t believe she’d slept for hours, but it didn’t feel like she’d had one of her migraines, so she hadn’t lost time. At least not yet.
She glanced over her shoulder and out the rear window, finding no cars in sight. Good.
Digging through her backpack, she pulled out one of her pill bottles. She’d packed every bottle she’d had on hand before leaving. Once she was settled in Shearwater Landing, she’d have to find a doctor to prescribe more, but she’d be fine for months.
“There’s water in the center console.”
Gia jolted at the sound of Sam’s voice, looking over to find the woman’s heavily lined eyes on her in the rear-view mirror.
“Thanks.” She grabbed a sealed bottle and took her pill. “Headache,” she explained, not wanting Sam to wonder. Gia hadn’t mentioned her condition to Ramirez. It wasn’t anyone’s business.
Sam nodded, refocused on the road. “I need to stop for gas soon. Grab some food and anything else you need while I fill up.”
“Will do.” Gia checked her burner phone and brought up a map. They’d made it out of state, but the West Coast was still nearly thirty hours away without stopping.
“Are we staying somewhere for the night?” she asked.
“Technically, it’s morning. And no. We’ll get back on the road after we refuel, so use the restroom.”
Unease twisted Gia’s gut. Sam didn’t appear tired, and Gia couldn’t deny putting as much distance as possible between her and Ashton Lakes was the safest bet.
It was fine. They’d have to stop eventually.
They did not stop eventually, and Gia was beginning to wonder if Sam was human. Which was bonkers. The kind of thing you’d only consider while sleep deprived and hopped up on too much caffeine.
Of course the woman was human. But Sam hadn’t slept at all, and she seemed as fresh as a fucking daisy.
Gia felt like she’d been hit by a bus. It had been nearly two days of only drive-throughs and quick stops at gas stations. The breakneck pace was a solid strategy to lose any pursuers. But still.
Who the fuck was Sam? Was it normal for lawyers to have associates who picked up random people in the middle of the night and drove halfway across the country like a bat out of Hell? No, it wasn’t.
And these people were friends with my aunt?
What if Gia had escaped one gang for another?
It would be just her luck. Why hadn’t she considered that?
True, she’d been distracted by the whole Franco-isn’t-your-biological-father thing, but still.
She should have asked more questions before trapping herself in a car with a woman who didn’t need to sleep.
“You good?” Sam asked, almost as if she could sense Gia panicking.
“Fine, but I need to get out of this car. How are you not fried after driving for so long?”
“I don’t need much sleep,” Sam said as if her driving-without-stopping superpower was nothing special.
Gia couldn’t bring herself to ask for clarification.
She’d get to Shearwater Landing, claim her inheritance, and then never see Ramirez or Sam again.
And if these people and her aunt had been into some dodgy shit?
Well, Gia would have some choices to make, but she was not letting anyone control her life. Never again.
An hour later, Sam exited the highway. The sun rose over Shearwater Landing, glinting off an impressive skyline. This city was much larger than Ashton Lakes. See, Franco didn’t control the entire world. Gia tried to take comfort in the reminder.
Sam navigated the city streets with ease, passing through the tallest buildings and leaving them behind. Eventually, she pulled over on a rundown block of closed shops.
Sam pulled the parking brake and twisted around. “I called Edward while you were sleeping. He’s upstairs waiting for you. Would you like me to give you a ride to Susan’s place, uh, your new place, after you sign the papers?”
“You don’t have to,” Gia said automatically.
“Obligation isn’t why I offered.” Sam smiled, and Gia realized it was the first time she’d seen the woman do so. She didn’t look much older than Gia despite the mature impression her calm authority gave.
“No, it’s all right. You must be dying to get home and sleep.” Gia paused as a thought occurred. “Are you from Ashton Lakes?”
“Never been there before in my life.”
“Oh…” Gia’s pulse quickened for reasons she couldn’t put her finger on. “Do you live here?”
“Not in the Banks, no. That’s the neighborhood we’re in,” Sam added in response to Gia’s blank look. “I’m in the Arts District, but I’m sure I’ll see you around once you settle in.”
“Maybe.” Gia had no clue why Sam assumed they’d reconnect. This wasn’t a small town where you ran into people all the time, and despite the massive favor, they hadn’t struck up a friendship. “Thanks for helping me.”
Sam’s stoic expression turned alarmingly tender. “Of course. We’ve been trying to find a way to get to you for years.”
A chill ran down Gia’s spine. What the hell? Yeah, the lawyer mentioned Susan had tried to contact her, but contact was a far cry from getting to her. And Susan’s attempts had nothing to do with Sam.
Whatever Susan had done over the years, she couldn’t have tried very hard. Ramirez had tracked her down and ferried her away easily enough.
This was smelling more and more like organized crime. Or something dodgy.
“I really appreciate your help,” Gia repeated as she grabbed her backpack and opened the door. She did appreciate it, but she didn’t trust this woman.