“He’s over there. Cocktail hour is almost over. I’ll go talk to him.”
She headed in that direction, felt a little better when Brad became indignant at her suggestion.
“I can’t believe you’d be willing to lie about something like that. You don’t even remember what happened. You realize that’s blackmail.”
“I don’t see it that way.”
“If David was murdered, his real killer needs to be brought to justice.”
She gave him a smile. “I think you’re right, Brad.”
“You do?”
“Yes, I do. Moment of weakness. Have a good night.”
As she headed toward Jonah, Brad’s assessing gaze followed her. She wondered what he was thinking.
“How’d it go?” Jonah asked.
“He wasn’t happy with me. He isn’t sure David drugged me and he wants the real murderer found.”
“So we’re left with Collin and Peggy.”
“I can talk to Mark but I don’t think he’ll balk at whatever figure I come up with.” She sighed. “I can’t believe people can be so low. Don’t they care about getting justice for David?”
“Not enough, apparently. Since they don’t seem to care, maybe you shouldn’t either.”
“Unfortunately, my conscience doesn’t work that way.” She glanced around. They were calling everyone in to dinner.
As she took Jonah’s arm, she couldn’t help noticing the glances he was receiving from the women. She told herself it was a warning she needed to heed. Instead she walked beside him to their table, her heart beating a little faster than it usually did.
As the campaign speeches started, she caught a glimpse of Chase sitting next to a beautiful blonde not far away. Collin sat next to Peggy, and April wondered if they were discussing her proposal.
They were both attractive people. She wondered if they could be having an affair. If they were, they kept it under wraps. She noticed Collin excusing himself and heading out of the ballroom toward the men’s room, but he wasn’t gone long.
The speeches droned on. Or maybe it was just that she had heard them so many times. Her eyelids felt heavy by the time Jonah helped her up from her chair an hour later.
“Thank God it’s over,” she said, stifling a yawn.
“Come on. I’ll tell Chase we’re leaving.”
They were going home. As a condition of setting the trap, Jonah would be going with her.
It occurred to April that the most dangerous thing that was likely to happen to her was Jonah spending the night in her living room.
CHAPTER NINE
JONAHTEXTEDCHASEand Reggie, letting them know he and April were on their way out of the ballroom. The limo was waiting when they arrived out front, Reggie holding open the rear door.
“No problems?” the big man asked.
“Not so far.” Jonah settled April inside the plush interior and Reggie slid in behind the wheel. He cranked the engine, put the car in gear and pulled into the street.
He was rolling through an intersection three blocks away when an old black SUV shot out of nowhere, roaring up beside them. Bullets smashed into the passenger window on April’s side of the car. Glass flew and April screamed.
“Get down!” Jonah shoved her down on the floor, jerked out his weapon and started firing out through the broken window. “Hang on!” he shouted as Reggie punched down on the gas and raced ahead of the SUV, jerking the vehicle from side to side to throw off the shooter’s aim.
Two more bullets smashed through the rear window, shards of glass flying. Jonah returned fire, shooting out the front windshield of the black SUV bearing down on them.
