The vehicle flew right by. That bought us mere seconds. I knew exactly where I was going, flooring the accelerator and praying to God the Blazer would react the way I wanted the old girl to.
Her performance was flawless and I raced behind a group of buildings, immediately skidding to a stop and turning off the headlights. From where I was parked, I was able to see a small portion of the road in front.
She was shaking, tiny moans slipping past her lips. “What now?”
“Now, we wait.”
It didn’t take long for the vehicle to fly by, never braking. Still idling, I said nothing, merely concentrating on the road. With the entrance to the interstate only one mile up the road, my hope was the fuckers would believe I’d finally taken the highway, a direct shot to New Orleans.
The silence in the cab was unnerving, but I could still hear her labored breathing. When I took her hand into mine, she stiffened, but only seconds later, intertwined her fingers with mine. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Fleur. I’m not angry with you nor do I believe you’re part of some conspiracy. Your brother wanted to warn you. We’re going to find out who murdered him.”
“And if you do?”
I turned my head, wishing I could see her lovely face. “Then the people responsible will die.”
“Good.” Her answer didn’t surprise me. Nothing about her could any longer. She was a strong, amazing woman whom I adored.
There went my sentimental feelings again. Not the right place or time.
After ten minutes, I realized we had no choice but to continue. I rolled out with caution, waiting by the entrance to the street for a full minute before venturing out. Another back road would delay our arrival by at least another thirty minutes, but it was necessary if we wanted to survive.
“Try and relax. We have a few hours, but we’ll get to our destination one way or another.”
“Easy for you to say,” she whispered, squeezing my hand. She kept our fingers locked together as she finally settled into the seat. “How’s your leg? You need to try and take it easy.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Nothing a massage won’t cure.”
As she yawned, I didn’t need to see her face to know she was rolling her eyes at me. “Only if you’re a very good boy.”
“Nothing I can promise.”
While I might follow in my brothers’ footsteps in longing to be a better man for her, I doubted it was possible.
Even though there was nothing more I wanted than to keep the promise I’d made to myself.
A single word filtered into mind, locking down as if there was no other choice.
Mine.
CHAPTER 27
Montgomery
The darkness had already drifted beyond being ominous, now becoming suffocating.
I sensed Fleur had felt it as well. Her silence spoke volumes.
Within fifteen minutes, exhaustion finally took a toll, her fingers slipping from mine. Reaching over, I took the weapon from her other hand before it fell to the floor, placing it on the dashboard. I would be damn glad to be in the comfort of my own house, able to pick up a phone and contact Gio or any of my other men as necessary.
I took a deep breath, constantly checking the mirrors. There was no chance of relaxing, so I concentrated on the road ahead, checking my phone for reception every few minutes.
An hour passed.
An hour of silence and anxiety. At least my companion was sleeping.
My thoughts had been solely concentrated on the needed actions, calculating every opportunity the assailants would have. At this point, my mind was full of anger as well as a level of anxiety I wasn’t used to experiencing.
