In the distance she could hear the wail of a siren. Apparently someone had called the police in response to the gunfire.
“But I’m guessing he won’t wait around for the cops,” Jake added.
Still, he peered cautiously around the doorframe before stepping out.
“Come on.”
“Where?”
“Away from here.”
He led her down the street at a trot. They’d just turned a corner when patrol cars with flashing lights pulled up in front of his building. Uniformed officers leaped out and charged the door.
“Police. Open up.”
When no one answered, they rammed the door open.
Rachel winced. “What about all those antiques?”
“I’ll get Patrick to secure the place later. Meanwhile, we’d better get out of the area,” Jake muttered, ushering her down an alley.
“We still don’t know who that guy is,” Rachel said as she trotted along beside him.
“We’ll find out. We can call him by his fake name, Eric Smithson, for now.”
“How did you think of the window thing?”
“I don’t know. It just came to me while I was staring down the muzzle of his gun. I figured that getting him focused on hurting himself was the only way we could get away.”
She glanced at Jake, then away.
“I didn’t know we could do anything like that. I didn’t knowanybodycould do it.”
“Neither did I. We almost couldn’t, even with the connection we’ve got.” He turned toward her. “We have to strengthen the bond between us. Make it more certain so that we can count on it when we need it.”
Rachel was still trying to process what had happened.
“Was he watching us?” she asked, hearing her voice go high and thin.
“You mean on the sofa?”
“Yes.”
“Probably. Does it matter?”
“I’m embarrassed.”
“He almost killed us and you’re embarrassed about being seen making out?”
“It was . . . private.”
They were several blocks away. Jake stopped walking and backed into the shadows, pulling her with him. She came willingly into his arms. The heat that had flared between them blazed up as he brought his mouth down on hers for a hot, frantic kiss that celebrated their escape and promised to take up where they’d left off.
She let her mind open to him. Let him see all the fear that she’d pushed aside.
You were very brave.
Did I have a choice?
