Chapter 12 #2
Should I place some crazy trust in a man like Navarro? Should I believe what he’d told me, that he’d keep me safe? That was nuttier than everything I’d done up to this point. Right? Or was I fooling myself that I had an inkling of what the hell I was doing.
My legs were shaky, the dress stuck to parts of me the material shouldn’t be stuck to.
And I’d forgotten to grab my thong on the way out the… vent. Oh, well. There was no turning back.
I headed for the closed door, opening it very slowly and praying the hinges didn’t creak.
Or that I’d set off an alarm. Neither happened, a solid win and at this point, I’d take whatever I could get.
As I quietly and carefully moved into the hallway, glancing at both sides and listening for any sounds, I felt more confident.
The stairs weren’t far away and once I reached the landing, I stood where I was.
There were no sounds at all. Hopeful, I eased down a step at a time until I reached the bottom.
What Navarro didn’t know was that I had a photographic memory.
I’d paid close attention to every aspect of the drive, memorizing turns and buildings with signs.
Once inside the house, even though I’d seen little, I’d carefully laid out the floorplan in my head. That included the garage that was attached to the house. With five bays, the chances of finding a vehicle inside were excellent.
Keys were a different story. However, people were creatures of habit. That included where they stored their sets of keys.
My purse was exactly where I’d left it, although when I slipped my hand inside, another wave of fury flashed into my mind. The bastard had taken my phone. Of course he had. At least my wallet hadn’t been stolen.
I moved silently in the darkness, searching until I found the kitchen. Constantly looking over my shoulder, I searched the drawers finding nothing. A door caught my attention and I instinctively knew it led to the garage.
Just before heading out, I noticed a knife block. With a smile on my face, I snagged one. Then a second. A girl couldn’t be too careful or carry too many weapons.
Especially since Navarro had stolen the special blade I’d brought with me.
The moment I opened the door leading to the garage, I did another mental high five. I’d been right.
There were four vehicles parked inside. With added determination, I began to search the garage.
Yet there were no keys in drawers or hanging on a rack. Shit. Shit. Shit. I bit my lower lip, feeling defeated. But a thought brought a smile to my face. What if the keys had been left inside each vehicle? There were crazier things that occurred.
Taking a chance, I selected my vehicle of choice, a big bad-looking Jeep.
Lo and behold, my luck had improved. My instincts had been right. Maybe the man who owned the house was a security freak, but his lack of security with his vehicles was my win.
I’d take every one I got.
He also had a garage door opener clipped to the visor. As soon as I’d snapped my seatbelt into place, I said a silent prayer and turned over the engine.
The baby roared to life. With a smile on my face, I hit the button on the opener. The door slowly began its silent rise and the first taste of freedom was on the horizon.
With a single deep breath, I shifted the gear into drive.
There was no one to stop me, no guards waiting with guns raised. There was no one in sight at all. I continuously scanned the mirrors as I crept along.
Then a single man appeared in the rearview mirror.
A single shout told me my escape had been discovered. I pressed down on the accelerator, flying down the driveway. Yes, I remembered not only were there guards stationed at the entrance, but there was also a massive iron gate.
All I could do was hope the selected getaway vehicle was solid enough to take a brutal hit.
There was no stopping me now. I raced down the driveway and additional soldiers appeared.
They all carried huge weapons, some pointing them at me.
With the first ping of a bullet hitting the side, I crouched down.
A single shriek rushed up from my throat.
I remained crouched down, flooring the gas pedal.
If the soldiers were trying to stop me, they needed work on their marksman skills.
As another scream bubbled to the surface, I ignored the warning bells going off inside my head. Guards waved their arms as they jumped in front of me. I refused to stop, taking gasping breaths and heading right for them.
While issuing a roar, I pressed on the horn, thankful the men jumped out of the way. After saying a silent prayer, I hit the gate.
The slam was hard and I almost lost control. Both hands were wrapped around the steering wheel as the Jeep shifted sideways. I slammed on the brakes, tires squealing as the centrifugal force jerked me all over the road.
I finally gained control, tossing a look into the rearview mirror. Guards were racing behind me, several with firearms raised.
This time, I jammed my foot on the accelerator, roaring down the road just as shots were fired. With my fingers white knuckled, I made a quick turn, once again coming close to losing control.
But the Jeep reacted as I’d hoped, keeping all four tires on the road.
Seconds later, there was no one in sight, not a single man chasing me.
I slowed down, my nerves wrecked and my pulse racing.
With another look in every mirror, I realized I’d managed to get away.
Safe.
Or was I?
Was this just the beginning of another chapter of the nightmare?
At this point, I couldn’t go back. I had to think of the future and where I would go from here. First, back to the hotel. Then I’d regroup, checking out and moving somewhere hopefully even safer. I knew enough about Navarro to realize he’d do his best to track me down.
To hell with him.
Whatever he’d been to me was long gone. He wasn’t a kid any longer, now the brutal commander of a dark and brutal empire. No matter the connection, I’d keep reminding myself of that if I felt any urge for the man.
I continued driving, still on edge, constantly looking in the rearview mirror.
There was a chance one or more of the soldiers had jumped into a vehicle and were following me. I couldn’t allow them to stop me under any circumstances. Not that bringing two knives to a gunfight was going to do me any good. At least the fight was still within me.
Unfortunately, my photographic memory was being clouded by real terror. I struggled with knowing where I was, my reading of Spanish rustier than it should be.
A laugh bubbled to the surface. My entire world as I’d known it was a lie. A big, fat lie. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the concept. Not at all.
Minutes passed, enough I slowed down to a rate under the speed limit. I was close to the city limits, which meant I would finally get lost in the flow of traffic. At least the city limits would provide more coverage than being out in the open.
As I made a turn, a pair of headlights appeared in the distance. I took a quick look over my shoulder, unable to see the vehicle clearly. I didn’t make any changes, taking my time and obeying the law.
When the headlights appeared closer, I scanned the street, trying to remember which way to go. I made a turn, staring into the rearview mirror.
The person behind me made the same turn.
Shit.
A bad feeling swept through me, the terror level I’d felt before returning. The white-knuckle feeling returned, but I was determined not to fall apart.
This was the way into the city. The person behind me could be on his way to work. At whatever time it was. Late. Early. I had no idea at this point.
What I did know was that I couldn’t allow Navarro to capture me again. If he did, not only would I fear his response and actions, but knew in my heart he’d make good on his promise to punish and lock me away.
He was a man who wasn’t used to being challenged.
I made another turn.
So did the other driver.
And another.
When he didn’t make the same turn, I sucked in and held my breath. Perhaps I’d been wrong. However, I didn’t slow down, searching the street for the correct turn. I recognized a building just up ahead and could see the bright lights of the city in the distance.
Soon, I’d be lost in the crowd.
A strange and unsettling feeling swept through me as soon as I made the last turn on my way to some sense of freedom.
Another set of headlights. Or was it the same one?
While the driver was on the correct side of the road, my nerves remained high. I crowded close to the curb, holding my breath as we came close to passing.
Just when I believed I’d made the turn, the driver jerked the steering wheel.
Now he was headed right for me.