“Where am I gonna go?”
But she’s already moving to the back, shuffling sideways through the narrow aisles, and I resume my search.
“Goes faster if you ask,” Mabel’s disembodied voice calls out.
“I know, but what’s the fun in that?”I yell back.
My eye catches something on the shelving unit in front of the store window.It’s a set of individual pudding forms that look like pretty little Bundt cakes.It would look really neat to bake cupcakes in those.They’d come out with a little divot in the middle I could fill with a compote or fresh fruit.
I reach to pick one up when a sharp rap on the window outside draws my attention.Bending down, I peek between the two shelves.
I’m shocked when I see my brother standing outside the window.He’s waving for me to come outside and is nervously looking over his shoulder.
“Please,”I can barely hear his voice, but his plea is unmistakable.
Regardless of the bad things he’s done, he’s still my brother, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t still love him.Despite the pull on my heartstrings, I stop myself from running outside.I’m not an idiot.
But when he suddenly spins around as a white van pulls up, coming to a sudden stop, the bottom falls out of my stomach.I already know nothing good can come of this when the side door of the van slides open, and two guys dressed all in black jump out.
“Savvy!”I yell, even as I catch sight of some kind of automatic weapon in the hands of one.“Savvy!We’ve got trouble!”
I can hear commotion in the back of the store as I watch my brother raising his hands.The two guys rush him, grab his arms, and half drag him to the waiting van.
Instinct has me running for the door, when I’m yanked back by the hem of my coat and hear Savvy hiss behind me.
“Get down and out of the way.”
Just as I duck to the side, I catch a glimpse of the van doors closing.When Savvy pulls open the door, I hear the engine rev as it takes off.
Taking my brother with it.
Chapter20
Bess
“What are you doing?”
I ignore Savvy’s snarl and buckle up.
She was going to take off without me.So, when I poked my head out and saw her running for her cruiser, I didn’t think twice and took off after her, pulling open the passenger door just as she was jumping behind the wheel.
“It’s my brother in that van,” I point out as she peels away from the curb to give chase with sirens and lights going.
“Hugo’s gonna fucking kill me,” she mutters as she grabs for her radio.“Unit seven in pursuit of vehicle involved in a kidnapping.Heading southbound on Elm east of Victoria following a white Ecoline cargo van, license CJ95093.At least three suspects, armed and dangerous, and one victim.”
As my ears roar with a cacophony of noise—including the adrenaline-fueled pumping of my own blood—I’m beginning to question the wisdom of this endeavor.My friend—albeit Edwards County’s sheriff and therefore skilled as well as armed—is very pregnant, and I have no weapon nor skill to be of any consequential use.
But from the way Savvy is bent over the steering wheel, whipping around corners in dogged pursuit of the speeding van and barking directions into her radio, I don’t think anyone could get her to stop now.
Something hits the side mirror on my side with a crack, splintering the top of the molded frame.
“Shit.Get down,” Savvy yells, shoving at my shoulder.“All the way down, they’re shooting.”
I immediately undo my seat belt and make myself as small as possible under the dashboard, clutching my purse, which suddenly starts ringing.Reaching in, I find my phone and answer.
I don’t get a chance to say anything more than hi, because it’s Hugo and he immediately starts yelling.
“What the fuck do you guys think you’re doing?Are you trying to get yourselves killed?In case you didn’t notice, you’re under fire.Tell Savvy to fucking fall back, we’re coming up right behind you.”
