Chapter Twenty-Three
Dani kept her secret second vehicle parked in her next door neighbors’ carport for just such an emergency situation.
It was a good plan; she got to keep the truck hidden in a nearby, accessible location in exchange for checking on things when her neighbors Jack and Judy McGee were out of town.
The truck made the house look lived in when her snowbirds neighbors were up north, and she was able to keep a secret escape vehicle.
Now, as flames licked out of her master bedroom window, she wondered if the McGee’s would even have their winter residence to come home to.
Once Ethan was safely inside the passenger seat, Dani hurried to the driver’s side and retrieved the keys from under the front tire well.
It had been a while since she took the truck out for a spin, but she always kept it gassed up and well maintained.
In the back seat she kept a go bag packed with clothes, food, water, medicine, cash, and more weapons.
As she pulled out of the McGee’s driveway and sped through her neighborhood for the last time, Dani didn’t think about the danger she had just put them both in.
She didn’t think about her house and everything in it burning to the ground or even the fact that she was being hunted again.
She didn’t think about the life she was going to leave behind.
All she was focused on at that crucial moment was getting away and getting Ethan to safety.
“Here.” Dani reached into the back seat and pulled a plain white tee from her backpack. “Wrap this around your knee.”
“What the fuck just happened?”
“I knew it wasn’t safe for you to be around me,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I’m going to get you to a hospital.”
“Was it him? The stalker guy?”
“I didn’t see his face. I don’t know if it’s him,” she said. “I’m so sorry you got wrapped up in all of this.”
“They fucking shot me!”
“I know. I’m really sorry.” Dani neared the guard station at the entrance to her neighborhood, not bothering to wait until the gate raised.
Her bumper smashed through the red and white barrier, splintering it to bits as she pressed harder on the gas.
Her gaze flicked to the rearview mirror, and she gritted her teeth as a pair of headlights flashed back at her.
“We’re being followed,” she said, cutting the headlights. “I need to lose him so he doesn’t know which hospital I take you to.”
“What?”
“Get down.” Dani pushed his head down and pulled off the road into an abandoned gas station.
She rolled in next to the building out of view from the road, cut her engine and hunched down in her seat.
She held her breath and watched as the pair of headlights that had been following them raced past the gas station toward town.
When the sound of the car faded into the distance, Dani exhaled and turned to Ethan, who was still crouched in his seat.
“I think it’s clear now.”
Ethan sat up, his breathing still labored. “You wanna tell me what that was really about?”
Dani leaned back, keeping her eyes on the road.
“The man I was telling you about? Matt Vickers? He didn’t just stalk me. He killed my friends and then he—” Dani cleared her throat. “He killed my parents. Then he tried to kill me.”
“You’re serious? That really happened?”
“Dead serious,” she said. “There’s a fringe group online that’s dedicated to smearing my name. I took down one of them today, but there must be more out there.”
“This is the craziest … Dani, I’m so sorry.”
“I’m the one who should be sorry. It was irresponsible for me to be around anyone. I shouldn’t have put you in danger.”
“What do you mean? You couldn’t have known this was going to happen.” Ethan winced. “Ow.”
“That’s just it. I knew someone was watching me again. I wanted them to find me.”
“Why the hell would you want him to find you?”
A dark expression fell over Dani’s face. “So I can kill him myself.”
“Kill him? No, Dani, what about the police? You can’t be serious.” Ethan winced, the color draining from his face.
“They can’t help me. The only way I’ll ever feel safe is when I know for a fact Vickers is dead,” she said. “I’ve been fearing and wanting him to come after me again.”
“So did this guy escape from prison or what?”
“Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know, they think he’s dead.”
“Why didn’t the cops put you under protective watch?”
“I told you, they’re useless. The whole thing is being covered up,” she said. “I shouldn’t even know that he escaped. Thankfully, I have someone on the inside who is looking out for me.”
“So you were just going to pull a Rambo and take this guy out all on your own?” he asked. “What kind of artillery did you have back there anyway?”
“Rambo is an excellent reference, but I was going more for, like, Sarah Connor.” She glanced over at him and cringed. Even in the low light, she could tell he wasn’t looking good. “Stay with me, Ethan. Keep talking.”
“This is a lot to process. Ow, dammit!” Ethan winced. “So, wait. Is someone going to come after me too?”
“Possibly. That’s why I can’t let anyone know what hospital I’m taking you to.”
“Oh, fuck.”
“Oh, fuck is right.” Dani turned over the truck engine, backed out of the gas station and headed the opposite direction away from town. “Can you reach in the glove box and grab the phone that’s in there? I’m going to call my contact and make sure you have security at the hospital.”
“Oh my god.” He groaned. “My phone. My car. All of my shit is back at your place.”
“I know. I’m so sorry. I’m going to make this right for you, I swear.”
“This is unreal.” Ethan opened the glove box and rummaged around. “There’s no phone in here.”
“What? Look again.”
“It’s empty,” he said.
“Shit! I must have left it at my aunt’s house.
” Dani chewed her lower lip, glanced at her smartwatch, ripped it off her wrist and threw it out the window.
She didn’t need to have anything on her that could possibly help Matt track her—not yet anyway.
“It’s fine. Just tell them everything that happened when I drop you off at the emergency room. They’ll make sure you’re safe.”
“When you drop me off! You’re not going to get checked out too?”
“I’m fine. I need to get to my aunt. Besides, he wants me. I already got you hurt. If I hang around the hospital, I’ll put everyone there in danger too.”
“You didn’t hurt me. That psycho did,” Ethan said, touching his knee. “Ow, shit this really hurts.”
“You're sweet,” she said. “I’m really sorry about all of this. I had a nice night with you though.”
“Yeah, me too.” Ethan chuckled. “Until I got shot.”
Dani sped through the country roads, her heart jumping into her throat at every pair of headlights that flashed by.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the sign for Southwest Coast Regional Hospital came into view.
Dani pulled into the hospital drop off lane for the emergency room and hopped out.
She met Ethan on the other side and helped him out of the truck and into a nearby wheelchair.
“I’m sorry I can’t stay. There’s going to be too many questions with a gunshot wound. I can’t risk being detained.”
“I get it. Where are you going?”
“I shouldn’t say. I’ll try to contact you when things wind down.
If things wind down.” Dani opened the back door of the truck and reached into her duffle.
She pulled out a bound stack of cash and placed it in his hand.
“This is a shitty apology, but it’s the best I can do for now. I’ll make this right for you, I swear.”
Ethan grabbed her other hand, his features contorted in pain. “What happens at the end of The Puppy and the Prince?”
Dani sniffed and shook her head. “The plucky bed and breakfast owner and the secret prince fall in love.”
“I’m glad,” he said, waving the bundle of cash in her direction. “Thanks for this. Be careful.”
“You too.” Dani sucked in a sharp breath, planted a hasty kiss on his lips, and returned to her idling truck. She had a monster to kill and no time to lose.