He craned his neck to get a closer look at his mom, to see if he could read her expression from this distance.The midday sun blinded him through windshields, causing him to squint.She would need to duck much lower for him to be able to read her expression.
Instinctively, he reached for the toolbox on the floorboard behind the passenger seat.He palmed a wrench and gave over a hammer to Ivy.Then, he turned to place his body between her and any danger coming their way.
“It’s okay,” his mother said when she got a good look at what he was holding.
He started toward her.
She waved her hands wildly.“No.Go back.”
“It’s my dad,” Ivy confirmed when the pair came into view across the parking lot.
A thunderous crack erupted, slicing the air in two.The single shot pierced the atmosphere with surgical precision.
Shock and then fear crossed over his mother’s features as blood squirted from her right wrist.
Beau ran toward her, knocking her onto the pavement before shielding her with his own body.
Ivy’s father instinctively hit the ground.They weren’t more than twenty feet from the truck.Ivy must’ve immediately hopped into action, jumping into the driver’s seat, because the next thing he knew, the vehicle was roaring up between the trio and the bullet’s origin.She sank low in the seat, making herself a more difficult target.Good move.
He helped his mother inside first, keeping her head low and out of range.The next shot would have to go through the truck body to hit her.
Once they were all inside, Ivy floored the gas pedal.
Questions flooded Beau.They would have to wait until they got to safety.
“Where’s the nearest police substation?”Ivy asked.“I’m not familiar with this part of town.”
Beau reached for his cell, then quickly realized his mother was in a state of shock while losing too much blood.He handed the phone over to Ivy’s father.
“I’m Jack, by the way,” the man said, taking the offering.“I already know who you are.”
Beau ripped off his undershirt and used it to put pressure on his mother’s wrist injury.
“This is it,” she said.“It’s all over.”
Ivy cut a hard right, catching them off guard.
“Sorry,” she said.“I’m just trying to lose the tail we picked up.”
“You’re not going to die from this injury, Mother,” Beau said.“It’s just blood, and I can fix it up until we can get you to the ER.”
Her face twisted.Pain and regret crossed her features.“I’m not talking about this.”
“Then what?”
“Jack and I did something bad, and it’s coming back on us,” she said.
“You’re going to have to start talking if you want my help.”Beau didn’t like the sound of this one bit.
“We used Beaumont’s name to blackmail someone into giving us money,” she said.She ought to be embarrassed, but there was no hint of it in her eyes.
“What?”
“This was before he died, and I figured he owed me something after all these years,” she said.“I might as well come clean about something else before I lose my nerve.Your ‘new’ family will find it out sooner or later as they dig into the books.”
Beau exhaled a slow breath and steadied himself for what fresh hell might come out of his mother’s mouth next.
“I blackmailed Beaumont at first.”
