Part 10 (1/2)

”It might be empty,” I said, hoping for a bit of luck.

”It isn't. He's sitting behind the wheel.”

”f.u.c.k.”

My mind whirred, trying to think of the best course of action. Should we cross to the other side of the street and hope he didn't notice?

”You're allowed to walk down the street, Vee,” I said eventually. ”You're not a prisoner. He doesn't know where we're going, or who I am.”

”What if he stops us? He might ask you for some identification.”

”Then I'll have to shoot him.”

She looked up at me, her dark eyes wide.

My arm tightened around her. ”Just keep walking and look forward.”

I did my best to minimize my lurching gait. She was on the inside of me, and as we got closer, I could see the deputy was bent over something, not looking at us or anyone else.

Don't look up, I willed. I'd be able to deal with him if I needed to, but things would be a lot easier without the complication. Vee was so distinctive in her appearance. If he caught only a glimpse of her, he'd recognize her right away. We might have to do something about how she looked if we were going to get her sister back.

My heart thumped as we walked right by the cop car, neither slowing nor speeding up our pace. All we needed to do was get around the corner to where my car was parked. The key was hidden beneath the vehicle, attached to the cha.s.sis via a small magnet. I couldn't risk taking the key with me and dropping it somewhere, or having someone take it from me. By keeping the key with the car, I always knew where it was should I need it. People might check under a hubcap or even under a visor for a spare key if they planned on stealing the car, but they wouldn't find the key where I'd hidden it.

We made it past the police cruiser, and I exhaled a breath and gave Vee a brief squeeze to tell her that we'd done the hardest part.

I felt the stiffness in her shoulders relax slightly. We just needed to make it around the corner, and I'd be able to drive the car right out of town.

”Viola?”

The slam of a car door behind us caused my heartrate to jump.

”Hey, Viola,” a male voice called. ”It's Deputy Kier.”

”s.h.i.+t,” she hissed from beside me.

”Keep going. Don't look back.”

I hustled her forward, both of us breaking into something just short of a run. We made it around the corner, but his suspicions had been raised, and I could hear his feet smacking on the sidewalk and the exclamations from a few of the pedestrians he pa.s.sed.

Were we about to be stopped at the first hurdle?

Chapter Seventeen.

V.

”Viola Gingham!” The deputy called my new name. The people at Witness Protection always made sure we had the same initials as our real names. ”Halt or I'll shoot.”

Deputy Kier followed us down the street, but instead of stopping, I did the opposite and broke into a run.

”It's the black Ford,” X shouted at me as we raced down the street toward his car. We'd broken apart from the cozy way we'd walked down the sidewalk, and now I ran, the bag of guns smacking against my hip as I did so. X was behind me, the injuries I had given him slowing him down. But as we approached the car, he skidded to the sidewalk and s.n.a.t.c.hed something from beneath the vehicle.

The lights of the central locking flashed and the vehicle beeped.

”Get in!” X yelled.

I risked glancing in the direction we'd come, to see the deputy come skidding around the corner, his weapon drawn.

Oh, s.h.i.+t.

”X, we've got to go.”

”What do you think I'm doing? Get in the f.u.c.king car!”

I didn't want to think the deputy would start shooting in the middle of town with people around, but I didn't know if someone was paying him to watch me. If he thought he'd end up with his b.a.l.l.s cut off if he lost track of me, it would make him more likely to take risks.

My heart hammered, my mouth running dry. I wished I'd thought to put one of the guns in an easy to reach place, but for some reason, having a shootout with the police hadn't been part of my plans for the day. I had thought to secure my knife in the sheath between my b.r.e.a.s.t.s right before we left the house, but a knife wasn't any good at a distance.

I yanked open the pa.s.senger door and threw myself inside, dragging the bag in with me. X had the engine running and was pulling out of the s.p.a.ce with a screech of wheels on asphalt before I'd even gotten the door shut. Deputy Kier had broken into a run, and was simultaneously speaking into the radio attached to the front of his s.h.i.+rt.

”f.u.c.k. He's calling for backup.”

X glanced over at me. ”Don't worry. We'll be long gone.” And he put his foot down, the motion throwing me back in the seat.

The crack of gunfire made me duck.

”Motherf.u.c.ker,” swore X, but continued to drive.

I reached into the bag, and my hands made contact with the cold metal of one of the handguns. Flicking the safety, I wriggled around in the seat, facing back the way we'd come. I used the pa.s.senger seat as protection, pointing the muzzle through the gap between the two seats, fully prepared to shoot out the rear winds.h.i.+eld if I had to. But I caught sight of the deputy running down the street behind us, slowing to a walk and finally a stop as he gave up, knowing he was never going to catch the car and that there was too much distance for an accurate shot now. X swerved around a corner, and I leaned with the movement.

”Don't worry,” X said. ”We've lost him.”

I turned back in the seat to face the front. ”Yeah, but for how long? He knows I'm running now. He'll check the house and find the bodies and Nickie gone. We'll have the cops after us.”

”Then first thing we need to do is find a new vehicle. Know anywhere nearby we can get one?”

My thoughts went straight to the bar where I worked. Would Johnny lend me his truck? Could I trust the guy not to tell someone? He wasn't the type of man to turn to the police. He was as suspicious as I was, always thinking the cops were out to get him for one thing or another. He'd always been good to me, and I thought he would lend me his truck without too many questions if I asked.

”Yeah,” I said, eventually. ”Take me to the bar I work at. My boss will lend me his vehicle.”

”We can always use a little extra persuasion if needed,” said X, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel.

”There won't be any need for that, and I wouldn't go there if there was.”

”No? Not even if it meant getting one step closer to getting your sister back?”