Chapter 10 #2
“—yeah, that’s right. It’s all over the news.” A beat passed. “No. As of right now I haven’t been tied to anything.” He relayed more details, and Dani watched as he curled his lip or rubbed his thumb and forefinger together with every answer.
Oh god, if they’d really just screwed everything up because of her she wouldn’t be able to live with herself. And if Serena saw the news, she’d have a fucking heart attack.
“Uh-huh. Yeah, we figured that.” Brock rolled his eyes and her stomach dived. She lowered her salad and brought her hand to her chest. Brock quickly waved at her to continue eating.
“What I really need is for you to look into a symbol for us—a tattoo. We think it could connect us to who’s behind this .
. . act.” Silence. “I saw it. I don’t have an exact image, but I can send you a sketch.
” Silence again. “Yeah, you can reach us on this phone. If something changes, I’ll call you tomorrow. ”
Brock disconnected. “Do you have that book?”
She pulled it from her bag and held it open to the page, being careful to keep it down and out of sight from passersby. Brock snapped a picture and tapped the screen of the encrypted phone.
“There. He’s going to look into it.”
“What else did he say?”
He pocketed the phone and dragged a hand through his hair.
“Oh, you know.” His gaze darted to the people moving around them.
He lowered his face closer to hers. “Just that you’re wanted for bioterrorism, I’d be considered an accomplice if caught with you, and if we both survive the next twenty-four hours, we’ll spend life in prison.
” He flashed a smile at her but the bottom of her stomach plummeted.
“Real pep-talker. Let’s get to our terminal. ”
Twenty minutes later they were settled on the train.
This time they had two seats side by side and another set of seats facing them.
Dani pulled the baseball cap down low over her eyes.
So far, no one had stared, no one had asked her for identification, and no bad guys seemed to be after them.
They had three more stops to keep that streak up.
If they made it to Paris and a hotel uneventfully, she might just sleep easy tonight.
And if no one sat across from them, even better.
“Isaac! Please don’t touch other people’s stuff.
” A woman came bustling down the aisle with a baby girl about a year old on her hip and a boy who couldn’t be more than four years old.
“Sorry, es tut mir leid.” She kept her hand on the boy’s shoulder as she read the row and seat numbers printed above them.
Then she moved to sit directly across from them.
Shit. Dani gave her a tentative smile and then tucked her chin low and opened her book.
“Hi, I’m Annette. This is Rosie and Isaac, as you probably heard.”
Brock chuckled. “I’m Ian and this is my wife—Jezebel.”
Dani fought the urge to screw up her face at his choice of name and smiled.
The little girl with strawberry blonde hair and cherubic cheeks grinned and pointed at Dani, then waved.
It had been a long time since she’d been around kids, but only four years ago, she’d planned to have several babies with Brock.
Unable to resist the chubby, outstretched hand, she let the little girl curl her fingers around hers. “You’re just the sweetest thing I’ve ever met.” Dani couldn’t keep the coo from her voice.
Annette laughed. “Let her warm up to you first.”
The train rumbled and they pulled out of the station. Baby Rosie bounced in her mother’s lap and Isaac swung his legs back and forth as if he were on a swing. His shoes scuffed against Brock’s bag, but if Brock cared he didn’t show it.
“You look so familiar. I’m sure we’ve never met, but your face . . . I swear I’ve seen it.” Annette squinted as if trying to place her.
Panic flooded her, and she averted her gaze while shaking her head. “I just have one of those familiar faces.”
“She does,” Brock said, a big smile on his face. “She gets told that all the time.”
Rosie let out a high-pitched wail and Annette fumbled in her bag. “Ugh. I’m sorry, I swear I have a toy in here somewhere . . .”
“Here.” Dani pulled out her half-empty water bottle. “Maybe she’ll like this.”
Rosie gripped the bottle with both hands and shook. “Bubbles!” she shrieked, and then laughed hysterically.
Brock threw his head back and roared, and several people next to them smiled and admired the darling girl.
“Mommy, I have to pee,” Isaac said, tugging her shirt.
Annette’s face fell, and she swiveled in her seat. The restroom was several rows behind her. “Can you wait until the next stop, honey? I won’t be able to hold your sister and help you.”
“No! I have to go now,” he whined.
“I can hold her if you’d like,” Dani said.
Relief melted the woman’s face. “Oh, would you? I mean, I would normally never ask a stranger to do that . . . but I don’t think there’s anywhere to run.”
Dani smiled. “I’d love to.”
Annette passed Rosie to her, grabbed her son’s hand, and ushered him toward the nearest bathroom. Rosie shook the water bottle and then offered it to Brock.
“For me? Why, thank you.” He took the bottle, shook it ferociously, and passed it back to her. Rosie pumped her legs with excitement and held up the bottle. “Bubbles!” she cried again.
Brock tickled her beneath her chin, and she let loose another laugh. “God, she’s adorable.”
Dani bounced the toddler on her lap. “Want to hold her?”
“Sure.” He scooped her up and stood her on his lap. She squealed, lifted the water bottle, and brought it down on his head. Brock shook his head exaggeratedly and another hysterical laugh ripped from her little belly. Six pearly teeth revealed themselves.
Dani stifled her laugh with her hand and Brock grinned. He lowered Rosie so she sat on his lap, but she scrambled to stand again. Then she reached up, grabbed his hat, and threw it into the middle of the aisle.
“Shit,” he mumbled.
“I’ll get it.” Dani stepped over his outstretched legs and bent to scoop up the hat. As she straightened, her gaze fell on a middle-aged woman who was staring at her with laser focus. Her brown eyes darkened, and she turned to look out the window.
A ball of fear wound itself up in Dani’s chest. Her blood pressure spiked, and she fought the urge to grab Brock and run.
All the blood left her head and rushed to her toes.
There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
If the woman tipped off one of the crew members, the cops would be waiting at the next stop.
She handed Brock the hat, returned to her seat, and leaned into his shoulder.
“I think we’re being watched.”