Jo had to admit, she was relieved Cole insisted on driving. He stared at the dash, got himself familiar with the Land Rover, and then peeled out, spitting gravel at the small grocery store off Highway 101 where he left his Yukon parked for his brother, Hawk, to retrieve later. Cole had already texted him about their situation.
The shaking in her hands had settled to a slight tremble, but more than that, she was much too distracted. Her mind raced to catch up with too many events occurring in one day. The rain and wind had picked up, and frankly, she preferred to be alone with her thoughts, or rather preferred that someone else be at the wheel right now. She was not in a good place after witnessing a murder, being left to drown in a sinking car, and—oh yeah—being rescued by none other than her ex–almost boyfriend, Cole Mercer. She was grateful beyond words he’d shown up, but her emotions were tumbling down a staircase of confusion into a dark dungeon of anguish, at least where he was concerned.
She wanted him here.
She wanted him gone.
She wasn’t too proud to admit that she needed his protection. She needed his assistance and connections for two separate investigations, though he was working for someone else on her mother’s investigation and unofficially helping her learn more about her father. Where had he gone? What was the danger?
How had this all happened in one day? When she woke up this morning, the stormy day seemed like any other in her life. A person just never knew what the future held. Only God knew, and he had her in the palm of his hand right now. She had to believe that and lean into it if she was going to survive this mind-warping experience.
Cole’s cell buzzed, and he turned it on speaker as he drove so she could hear the Clallam County deputy.
“We have deputies all over the county looking for the aggressive driver and have notified the troopers for a statewide search.” Cole glanced her way.
She shared his concern that someone after her was still out there.
“The Sequoia license plate revealed the vehicle had been stolen.”
Figured.
“Thank you for your information,” Cole said. “Stay safe out there.”
“You keep her safe,” the deputy said.
See? Cole really knew how to make friends with law enforcement.
The call ended. He accelerated as they steered around Lake Crescent.
He floored it, and the vehicle took off. “What’s under the hood? Feels like a turbo.”
“For all my mechanical prowess, I really couldn’t tell you.” Now she wished she had taken more interest in the work Pop had done. She thought it was just a hobby. She hadn’tfor one minute considered it had been part of a proactive protection plan. Maybe it was just a hobby, and Jo, per usual, was overthinking and living in fear.
“I had a thought when that Sequoia rammed into me, I didn’t feel it all that much. It could have been worse. It would take a lot more than that to move this vehicle around or off the road. So I half wondered if Pop knew something was coming and just added this extra layer of protection. But that sounds ridiculous now that I say it out loud.”
“No, it doesn’t. I had the same thought. Still, we could both be way off.”
“He could have done it just for fun.”
“Did he customize other vehicles?”
She scratched her head. “That wasn’t really his business. Not what he was known for, but occasionally, sure, he would add some headers, upgrade the wheels and tires, and yeah, turbochargers.”
“Sounds like you should know what’s under your hood, Jo.”
She lifted a shoulder. “I know a few words that I sling around, nothing more.”
“You’re saying he never asked you to hand him a wrench? I happen to know that you’re pretty good with a wrench.”
Okay, now he was making her blush. “Not on cars. I can fix ... showerheads. I wish I had paid more attention to him. To the details of his life. Maybe he was trying to tell me something. Or left a clue. Something.”
As soon as she could, she would stop by the shop. Sit in his chair in his dusty, messy office. He had to have told his two employees that he’d gone. In fact, now that she thought about it, what would happen to R&D? Was Pop coming back? Was he selling it? What had he told Sarah and Jessie?
Cole pressed the accelerator with a brief punch, and theengine gave a deep, guttural rumble. “It handles really well on the slick roads.”
“You sound like you’re interested in buying this from me. It’s not for sale.”
He chuckled, flicking his gaze to the mirrors.
