The phone shrilled, jangling under the sirens.
He twitched. “Don’t answer that.”
“If I don’t answer, the police will come,” Jane said.
Lauren closed her eyes a moment.Oh, Jane.
But Travis only stuffed the bills into his jeans pocket. “Let ’em come. I’m out of here.”
“What about Aidan?” Jane said. “Where’s Aidan?”
“I’m taking him with me.”
“No!” Jane cried. “I gave you the money.”
“And you’ll send me more after we’re gone, right?” He grinned horribly. “Child support.”
“Aidan!” She struggled against his hold.
Travis shoved her away from him, sending her sprawling onto the floor.
Lauren’s lungs constricted. The sirens blared.Save me, she thought, but there wasn’t time.
She would have to do the saving herself.
She scrambled through the tables and threw herself in front of the door.
“Move it, bitch.”
She gulped for air. “You really don’t want a child on the road with you,” she said in the most conversational tone she could manage. “Think of the potty stops.”
He gaped at her.Good. She’d broken his concentration. Now if she could only buy them time... “Have you thought about where the two of you will go?”
“I don’t know. Florida.” He reached past her for the door handle.
She flinched. “That’s a really long drive,” she said, pitching her voice low beneath the blasting sirens, using the smooth, soothing tone favored by psych staff and hostage negotiators everywhere. “Is that what you want? I hear that you’re frustrated, but you have to think about what you want.”
“I want you to get thefuckout of myface.”
“Aidan’s only six,” she persisted. “That’s a lot of responsibility for a—”
He seized her shoulder, his fingers digging in, and threw her out of his way. She flung out her arms to save herself and crashed into a table. She went down hard, the table on top. Her skull cracked against the floor. Her head rang.
After that, things got a little fuzzy.
There were sirens, more sirens, the thud of booted feet, raised male voices, the sounds of a scuffle.Just like the bank. But instead of terror, she felt gratitude. She’d done everything she could.Now Jack could deal with it.
She lay stunned, sprawled in an ungainly heap on the floor, her shoulder aching and her elbow throbbing and her head splitting with the scream of sirens. Her thoughts hovered and sparked like mosquitoes or fireflies in the dark. And then, blessedly, the alarm cut off.
“Oh, God, Lauren.” Jane’s voice. “Are you all right?”
“I’ve got her. Go with Hank.” Jack’s voice.
Lauren smiled and opened her eyes.
Jack stood looking down at her, face taut and pale, mouth grim, a line of sweat at his temples. His usually neat uniform was rumpled. But when her gaze met his, his lips curved in a faint half smile. “Hello, Lauren.”
Her heart bloomed. Her smile spread. “Hello, Jack.”
