David laughed at my expression. “Good thing Blake knew Richard arranged for you to have this,” he patted the car. “You might have disappeared without a trace otherwise.”
I stared at the car for a moment before I understood. Angry, I swallowed hard and met his eyes again.
“How’s your head?” I asked, refusing to acknowledge the fact that our escape had been a lie. “You went down pretty hard.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, but I didn’t cower. That part of my life was behind me. We were in a moderately populated area. If I screamed, someone would notice. If I sent Liam running back into the diner to call the police, David would be in trouble. He had no hold over my brothers or me, and thanks to Richard, I had our birth certificates to prove it. I only needed to keep him away from the boys until help arrived. If he got one of them, he’d have the advantage he needed to force my compliance.
“Walk away, David.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at his shoes briefly before meeting my eyes again.
“You know I can’t.”
His look held no apology, only determination and, perhaps, a bit of fear.
So he did know about Blake. Then, we both knew he couldn’t walk away.
He took a step forward, and I nudged the boys behind me. David looked deceptively calm as I stood my ground. He took another step toward me, and I could see the promise in his eyes.
I opened my mouth to tell Liam to run for help, but David paused. His attention shifted as he looked past me.
“This man have any legal rights to these kids?” a smooth baritone said from somewhere behind me.
I didn’t turn to look at the speaker. I knew who it was because I hadn’t heard the motorcycle leave yet. I hadn’t expected his help, though.
“None,” I said, keeping my eyes on David. “Their father recently passed away. This man is no relation to me or my stepfather.” I listened to the faint scrape of the man’s boots on the blacktop as he came closer.
The man’s calm voice held no a trace of anger or threat when he spoke.
“Then you and your partner should walk away like she said.”
The word partner made my stomach sink, and I risked looking away from David. Another man had been making his way around the other side of the car, obviously trying to circle behind us. I felt a surge of relief that it wasn’t Blake, himself.
David didn’t look very concerned that someone wanted to help me. In fact, he smiled, and I understood why. Both David and his partner had bulk—not the fluffy kind—compared to the motorcycle man’s lean, muscled build.
“Two to one. Better for your health to move along,” David said using a tone that usually meant punishment. Lockdown for me. And for my brothers, a cuff upside the head and then a lockdown.
The man behind me gave a low chuckle. “I’m not too worried about it.”
I was. The boys each clutched one of my legs and peeked around me. I reached back with both hands and hid their faces in my shirt as David pulled a gun from behind him. A small sound of terror escaped me as the barrel swung toward the man. Then David’s partner moved toward us, walking right into David’s line of fire.
From the corner of my eye, I saw motorcycle man dive for David’s partner. He hit the guy hard and brought him to the ground. David grunted and swung the gun in motorcycle man’s direction. I shuffled back a step. David caught my movement and glanced at me as motorcycle man’s elbow drew back then shot forward, lighting fast. A sickening crunch sounded.
Motorcycle man ducked around the front of the vehicle, leaving me alone to face David. I couldn’t blame him for running.
Flushed with anger, David glanced at me then cautiously backed up a step. He glanced around the side of his SUV, and I understood he thought the man wasn’t gone. After a moment, David quietly rounded the back of his vehicle. The loud thud I heard made me jump. Then, there was silence. I started backing up again, too afraid to hope.
A scuff of noise drew my attention. The man with the smooth voice and friendly smile emerged from behind the SUV. He looked completely unharmed. His eyes swept over us, and he gave me the faintest smile.
My throat tightened with the need to cry as I stood there shaking with relief. My stomach started doing those crazy dips and flips again, but I didn’t care. I loosened the death grip I had on the boys’ heads.
“Thank you,” I managed to whisper, not taking my eyes from him. His face held my attention. He felt so familiar. I wished I knew why.
He studied me closely with a slightly troubled expression. I could guess at what he saw.
“You’re tired. Can you drive for a few miles?”
Could I? I didn’t have a choice. We needed to keep running. So I nodded.
“I’ll follow you to make sure these two don’t.”
Gratitude swamped me.
“Need help getting your kids in?” he said as he looked down at Aden and Liam.
My kids? I didn’t correct him. Physically, I looked older than my nineteen years. The last several years had matured me.
“No, but thanks.”
He stayed close as I opened the back door for the boys. I made Liam crawl through first with an order not to look out the window. They both listened immediately, wide-eyed and quiet.
Once the boys were in, the man held my door for me. He leaned on the frame, watching me as I buckled. Worry lined his face.
“Just drive south,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
I nodded, and his eyes glided over my face in another close study before he closed the door. He’d most likely been trying to figure out how long I would be able to drive. I honestly wasn’t sure.
Chapter 2
His motorcycle roared to life, a signal that I needed to put my key in the ignition. I didn’t look to the right as I backed out of our spot, but I knew I’d cleared all prone forms when I didn’t hit any speed bumps. The persistent roar of the motorcycle reassured me as I pulled out of the parking lot and headed south just as he’d said. After a few minutes, we passed the town’s sign thanking us for visiting.
The adrenaline from the confrontation stayed with me for a few more miles then I started to slump.
The motorcycle suddenly grew louder, and I checked my mirrors, only swerving a little at the distraction. He pulled out from behind me as if to pass but, instead, stayed next to me. I spared a quick glance at him. He rode with his visor up so I could see his troubled eyes.
He pointed to a spot in front of us—a small combination used car lot, junkyard, and farm implement supplier—and motioned for me to pull over. I nodded, fumbled for the blinker, and braked firmly. Thankfully, I’d pressed the correct pedal. I turned onto the gravel driveway still going a bit too fast, and my tires slid over the gravel for a few feet, making my backend swerve. I barely managed to pull to the side and park.
Heart racing from the wild turn, I put my head back against the headrest, closed my eyes, and willed myself to stop shaking. The boys remained mute behind me. I knew I needed to reassure them, not just about my driving but also about our future. I didn’t know what I could say that wouldn’t end up as a lie. Would everything be okay? David had found us, they could follow our vehicle, and I appeared to be listening to a complete stranger. No, I had nothing.
A knock on my window made me jump. The man stood next to my door, his motorcycle already parked behind him. He eyed me with concern. I hadn’t even noticed the roar of his engine die. This close I could distinguish the deep blue of his eyes from his pupils. I cautiously rolled down the window a few inches.
“You were starting to swerve,” he said quietly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “How long since you last slept?”