He stopped to take the call but April kept walking, making her way behind the car, pausing just past the rear fender to dig out her keys.
She didn’t see the dark sedan speeding toward her until headlights appeared at the edge of her vision. She screamed the instant before Jonah slammed into her from behind, sending both of them flying toward the opposite side of the street, knocking her out of the path of the oncoming vehicle.
At the last second, Jonah must have turned midair, using his body as a shield, taking her weight on top of him as they landed, skidding across the rough black asphalt, her dress riding up, the bodice tearing, the front gaping open.
The car shot past, its engine revving, tires squealing as it disappeared into the darkness. April fought to battle down her fear and catch her breath. Her mind was spinning, her heart racing. It took a moment to realize she was still lying on top of Jonah, probably crushing him, his arms wrapped tightly around her.
Thank God he was wearing his leather jacket, she thought in some far corner of her mind. “My God, Jonah, you saved my life.”
FORANINSTANT,Jonah tightened his hold, grateful he’d been able to reach April in time. Grateful she wasn’t dead.
Cars coming down the lane slowed to a stop. Headlights illuminated the two of them lying on the pavement. April was shaking as she lifted herself away from him and Jonah followed, coming to his feet. Ignoring the scrapes on his hands, the dirt and cuts in his leather jacket and the rip in his jeans, he led her back to safety on the curb in front of the Derby.
He could hear voices inside but apparently no one had heard the commotion out in the street. April’s high heels were gone, the bodice of her sexy black dress ripped and hanging open, exposing the tops of her pretty breasts above a lacy black bra.
Without the shoes, she was inches shorter than he was. Her eyes were big and blue and filled with the remnants of fear.
“Jonah...” she said softly.
At the plea in her voice, the last of his control vanished and he pulled her into his arms. “It’s all right, honey. You’re safe. Everything’s okay.”
She was shaking all over. A shudder rippled through her body as she buried her face in the curve of his neck and just hung on. He thought she would start crying but only a sob escaped. Then her shoulders straightened, she pulled in a shaky breath and eased away.
April looked up at him. “The car didn’t stop.”
“No.”
“Were they...were they trying to kill me?”
“It looks that way. Come on. I’ll take you home.” Where he planned to spend the night. She was his client. She was right. He felt responsible for her. He wasn’t going to let her end up like David Dean.
“Should we call the police?”
He would—if he had a plate number or a decent description of the hit-and-run vehicle beyond a dirty white four-door sedan—one of thousands in the city. Unfortunately, he’d only had seconds, barely enough time to keep April from getting killed.
“We don’t have a plate number or anything else. We’ll call Detective Ford when we get you home and settled. Let him know what’s going on.”
She didn’t object when he led her to his black Land Rover and helped her climb in, let him fasten her seat belt across what he now knew to be soft, very feminine breasts. She was shaken up and he didn’t blame her.
He drove out of the parking lot and headed for her town house on Bowser, where he had been before.
“What about my car?” she finally asked, as if the thought had just occurred.
“We’ll pick it up tomorrow.” He drove along in silence, giving her time for the adrenaline to wear off. An occasional tremor still slipped through her.
“Who do you think it was?”
“I’d say whoever killed Dean or someone the killer hired.”
April fell quiet, digesting the situation in which she suddenly found herself. They had almost reached her town house when she asked the question that had been on his mind since the incident.
“How did they know where to find me?”
Jonah flicked her a sideways glance. “Did you tell anyone where you were going tonight?”
“No.”
“Then they were probably watching your house. You drove to the Derby from home, right?”
