Chapter Fourteen

Luke wanted to get Julie the hell out of here, but he had to deal with the very real possibility his vehicle could have been tampered with. They had company, and it wasn’t the kind that came around on holidays, irritated you, and left. Luke sauntered away from her door, his posture deceptively relaxed, a whistle on his lips. The paid parking lot to Luke’s right, filled with at least thirty vehicles, was like that crowd he’d said was dangerous. There were lots of places to hide, but the guy under the Jeep several feet back wasn’t as good as he thought he was.

Luke walked around the back of the truck, out of Julie’s sight, his skin twitching, his nerve endings were so on edge. He pretended to walk toward the driver’s door, shrugging out of his coat as if he meant to throw it on the seat, when he actually wanted the ease of movement getting rid of it gave him.

He dropped down to the ground, removed the gun under his pant leg, and let the coat lie on the ground, already moving forward. Luke was in the parking lot, using the vehicles for cover before the man could have processed what was happening.

He found cover by a sweet little ride, a Mustang Shelby, using the wheel to hide his feet and squatting under the vehicle to look for the would-be attacker, now turned into Luke’s prey.

He listened and watched. There was a scrape and then a shadow. Luke lunged forward as the guy darted between vehicles, grabbed the man by the shirt, fully intending to slam him against a car and find out who’d sent him and who his target was tonight. Was it him or Julie or both?

“Release him,” came a low, accented order.

Luke rose to his feet and pulled his capture to his chest, and pressing the gun to the man’s temple. The other man shot Luke’s human shield right between his eyes. The shooter took off running.

Shit shit shit. Luke’s heart lodged in his throat at the fear he’d done exactly what had been planned, and left Julie alone in the truck. He tossed aside the dead guy, and with his finger on the trigger, guarding his back, he ran for the truck, scared like he’d never been scared in his life.

The instant he rounded the cars and saw Julie looking desperately through the window, he exhaled the air lodged in his throat with his heart.

She opened the door and he blocked her exit. “Oh God, what-?”

He held up a silencing finger and her eyes went to his gun and then widened. She nodded. He took the phone, knowing his brother would be one the line. “One down and another armed and missing and I’m not risking the truck being hot, not to mention we’re also sitting ducks. I’m headed south and into the subway.” He hung up, knowing his brother would get the right people here, his hand sliding to Julie’s hair. “Stay close and do exactly what I say.”

“We could run for the building.”

He shook his head. “That’s where they expect us to run. The subway is two blocks. We’re safer there. Take off your shoes and carry them. They’ll slow you down and make noise.” She nodded and stuffed them in her purse before sliding it over her shoulder cross-ways. She gave him a nod of readiness, brave when most would not have been.

He lifted her out of the truck and squatted, hoping they looked like they were just blocked by the door. “We’ll be fine.” He didn’t wait for her reply. He tugged her around the door, and took off running with her pulled close to his side. The next three minutes were eternal. When they finally hit the subway stairs, he stuffed his gun in his pants and Julie slipped on her shoes. They kept running and he lifted her over the entrance machines, not about to take time to buy a ticket. They ignored the screams of other riders and kept going.

Luke herded them onto a train a second before the doors shut, uncaring of where it was going. With Julie’s hand in his he walked to the far end of the car, away from the other ten or so riders, and grabbed a pole to hold on to.

Julie wrapped her arms around him, and staring down at her, all he could think was how easily she could have died tonight. He lowered his mouth and kissed her, needing her right then as he had never needed her in his life.

When he finally got her back to his place, he’d already talked to Blake, and knew he and the task force, were already at the truck and dealing with fallout and investigation.

Luke led Julie to the couch and sat her down, going down on one knee. “You okay?”

“Now, that we’re here, yes. Luke, what was that back there?”

“I don’t know yet,” he said. Something about the entire thing was off. Why shoot your own man? That just didn’t add up. “Right now, why don’t you put my massive tub to use? It hasn’t even been properly broken in. I’m sure Lauren has about anything you might need and I can promise you we’re locked down like Fort Knox here. You’re safe. Go try and relax and I’ll try and get us answers.

She hesitated. “My feet are disgusting,” she said. “I’ll have to shower before I can even take a bath.”

He smiled. ”Your feet? After all you just went through that’s what’s on your mind?” That’s what’s upsetting you?”

“Now that I’m here and alive, yes. Do have any idea how disgusting those streets are?”

She was tough, tougher than she gave herself credit for. And he was afraid she might need to be a whole lot tougher before this was over.

***

Luke sat on a barstool at Blake’s island kitchen bar, watching his brother pace as he talked on the phone. He ended the call and set his phone on the counter.