When they returned to the table, Grady stood. “My turn. When I’m finished, I’ll pay the bill, and then we’ll head out.”
“Sounds good.” She grabbed Lucy’s coat from the bench seat. “Here, put this on.”
Ten minutes later, they were back outside. Grady sat behind the wheel for a minute, rubbing his hands together as the car slowly warmed up. This make and model didn’t have accessories like heated seats or a heated steering wheel. Not that she was complaining. After all, they’d stolen the vehicle from someone who probably desperately needed it.
She still felt guilty about that. At least once they were able to get to the rental car agency, the stolen car should be recovered and returned to their rightful owner. To that end, she opened the glove box and searched for the registration. Finding nothing, she closed it. Surely, she’d be able to find the owner to properly reimburse him or her once this was over.
Grady glanced at Lucy, then at her. “Be prepared.” His voice was low and husky. “We may attract attention when we get near the city limits.”
She swallowed hard and nodded, understanding his concern that the stolen car might get flagged despite his efforts to alter the license plate. A tampering, now that she thought about it, that was completely illegal. Honestly, she was surprised they’d lasted this long without being caught and arrested.
Grady put the car in gear and slowly backed out of the parking lot. Driving around to the back, he left the restaurant, turning right toward Madison.
There was more traffic now, and she found herself craning her neck to see if there were cops nearby. Not that she could stop the officers from pulling them over if there were.
Turning to look behind them, she saw a dark car pulling out from a side street. She frowned. Were those tinted windows?
“Grady? Do you see this SUV?” The words barely left her mouth when the driver of the SUV put on a burst of speed and caught up to them.
“Get down, both of you!” Grady barked as the driver’s side window slowly lowered. She saw the metal barrel of a gun just as she ducked her head.
Grady wrenched the wheel, sending her sideways against the car door. She heard metal screeching against metal as the two cars collided. The sharp report of gunfire had her praying for safety and that Grady hadn’t been hurt.
Or worse.
“Mommy!” Lucy cried. “We crashed!”
“We’re going to be okay.” Grady’s voice was calmly reassuring. “I just need you and your mom to keep your heads down.”
Her daughter started to cry, which only made Lauren feel worse. Why was this happening? And how on earth did the gunmen find them?
Grady hit the gas, going as fast as possible, the car engine practically screaming in protest from the effort. She didn’t know much about cars, but this one didn’t have nearly as much power in the engine as her Porsche did.
Then another sharp crack of gunfire rang out. There was no sound of shattering glass, but that didn’t mean much. Lauren closed her eyes and prayed that God would grant Grady the strength and ability to keep them safe.
10
Grady pushed the small car’s engine to the limit to escape the gunmen. There was a turn up ahead that he took so fast the tires squealed in protest. Then he took another turn, hoping to shake the black SUV loose for good. The driver hadn’t anticipated he’d sideswipe him, and the last glimpse of the SUV revealed the car was off on the side of the road.
The shrill sound of police sirens indicated someone had reported the gunfire. He wasn’t sure he wanted the police to find them. At least, not yet. They’d have to report the incident, but not until they were closer to the rental car agency in Madison.
“Are we safe now?” Lauren asked, poking her head up. She turned to look at her daughter. “Lucy, are you okay back there?”
He glanced at Lucy in the rearview mirror. “Lucy, it’s okay. You can sit up now. But we need to know if you’re hurt.”
“I’m not hurt.” Lucy lifted her head and sniffled loudly. Her tear-streaked face ripped at his heart. This guy should not have been able to find them, especially since they were in a stolen car.
He forced a reassuring smile, despite the near miss. “We’re safe, Lucy. I’m sorry you were scared, but we’re safe now.”
Lucy’s wide eyes clung to his in the mirror. “Is the car broken?”
“Nope, it still works.” He hadn’t heard the metallic strike of a bullet, but he knew there was damage to the entire passenger side of the car from his ramming into the SUV. He scanned their surroundings, looking for any sign of the police. Seeing flashing red and blue lights up ahead, he turned into a neighborhood to avoid being seen.
“Where is the SUV?” Lauren asked with a frown.
“We lost them.” How he’d managed to do that, he wasn’t sure. Ramming into them had given him a slight advantage. “We’re still a few miles from the rental agency.” He shot her a concerned glance. “I’ll get closer to the rental car agency, but we may need to abandon this car and walk for a while.”
Lauren grimaced but nodded. “Whatever you think is best.”
