Shifting her jacket to the crook of her arm, she reached for her purse, then froze. Now less than twenty feet from her window, the runner’s face came clearly into view. She’d never met the man, but she knew him. She knew all of Callie’s new family. James Hardy Church—aka Lovell—was the topic of those men’s conversation.
Oh hell no. No one would hurt her sister’s new family.
Dropping enough cash on the table to cover her bill and a generous tip, she tugged on her hat and jacket as she made her way to the exit, not looking back at the men she left behind. She didn’t need to give them a reason to remember her.
Making her way to her rental SUV, she kept her eye on Lovell’s form, now a block ahead of her. She couldn’t help but admire his backside, encased in a pair of insulated running tights, as his muscles flexed with each step. A backside she was about to save.
He made a right turn, taking him from her view, and a flash of panic burst through her. Two breaths later, she had it under control. She didn’t need to follow Lovell; she needed to follow the two men following Lovell.
Climbing into her SUV, she started the engine, then flipped the heat up and turned on her seat heater. With her eyes on her rearview mirror, she pulled her hat off, tossing it onto the back seat, followed shortly after by her coat.
Ten more seconds passed before the two men emerged from Maggie’s Café, home of the amazing pancakes. They jaywalked across the street, then climbed into their own SUV. A smaller, older version than an average rental.
They flipped a U-turn as she put her car in gear, rolling out of her spot as they approached. Predictably, they honked at her, and she made a show of slamming on her brakes. In case they looked over as they passed, she gave a clueless shrug and wave, then pulled out behind them.
The rusted beige vehicle approached the road Lovell had taken. Again, in case they were watching, she flipped on her right turn signal before they did. They didn’t bother with their indicator and barely slowed before rounding the corner.
“Unlawful U-turns, not using your signal. You two are making a lot of rookie mistakes for not wanting to draw attention to yourselves,” she muttered to herself.
They made a left turn and mentally, she ran through the map of the town she’d studied before visiting. The street they were on was picturesque, but short. It ended at a T-intersection. To the right, a road headed deep into the western mountains. To the left, it wound through a neighborhood scattered with houses tucked between the mountains and a creek before reconnecting with the main road back into town.
Taking an educated gamble, she made a left turn before the T-intersection and began navigating her way through a series of streets that would, eventually, meet up with the road she hoped Lovell took. Pausing at a stop sign, she let out a breath of relief as the beige SUV cruised past. Waiting a beat, she pulled out behind them again.
A half mile ahead of her quarry, a spot of red moved steadily down the cleared shoulder of the road. Focusing on the car in front of her, she tuned out the stunning, towering trees and blindingly white virgin snow. If the two men planned to harm Lovell, now would be the right spot to make their move. The houses were few and far between, and a mile and a half up the way was the turn onto the main road. If they headed south, it would take them all the way to LA and away from Mystery Lake.
Ahead of her, the beige car swerved, then jerked back into its lane, but the change in angle allowed Daphne a glance through the dirty windows. Enough of a look to see the man in the passenger seat holding a gun.
A jolt of adrenaline electrified her body, and she adjusted her sweaty palms on the steering wheel. Despite having a witness, despite the fact she was thirty feet behind them, they were still going after Lovell. They were either stupid or desperate. Likely both.
Then again, covered in gritty mud, their rear license plate was unreadable. She could easily identify the make and model, but it was a popular brand. Without the license, there wouldn’t be much she could give the police. Or so her two felons probably assumed.
It wasn’t going to come to that, though. She wouldn’t let it. She was going to nip this little escapade in the bud and return Lovell safe and sound to his family. Smiling, a plan took shape in her mind. Sure, it was risky, but she’d done riskier things. And for much less noble reasons.
With no time to waste if she wanted to take advantage of the upcoming bend in the road, she gently pressed the accelerator. The powerful engine responded, and she gained speed. Again, the SUV in front of her swerved, giving her a glimpse of an arm—and a gun—hanging out the passenger window.
Refusing to let her nerves cast so much as a whisper of a doubt, she focused on the road. Hitting her target hard enough to accomplish her plan, but not so hard as to set off her airbag, took skill. It was all about the timing; it had to be perfect.
Easing up on the accelerator, she fell back six feet as her quarry entered the gentle bend. Quickly calculating speed, distance, and force, she hung back until their wheels were turned at the exact angle she needed.
Her foot pressed down on the pedal and her lovely, perfect rental responded like an eager assistant waiting to please. Swinging into the oncoming lane, she gave the engine another not-so-gentle nudge.
As she’d hoped, the driver of the beige SUV sensed something wasn’t quite right and hesitated. That tiny second when he took his foot off the gas was all she needed.
Gunning it, she angled her car, braced her arms and body, and aimed for her target, the back left bumper.
Metal collided with metal, and she winced at the sound as she held the steering wheel steady. She heard a shot fire, but she couldn’t think about that. For now, she pushed and pushed until finally, the lesser of the two vehicles overcorrected, skidding into something resembling the start of a spin.
Easing up enough to unlock their bumpers, she then whipped around the two men. A quick glance in her rearview mirror showed the SUV wobbling for control, but now wasn’t the time to focus on them. Scanning the road, her attention fixed solely on finding Lovell, her heart stuttered when she didn’t see the familiar red. Had the shot hit him?
Her stomach curled in on itself as that intrusive thought knocked on the door of her mind. Fueled only by her need to protect Callie and Gabe’s family, she forced it aside and scanned the road.
There!
Lying on his back in a snowbank the height of her car, Lovell looked wary and a bit dazed, but the only red she saw was his running jacket. No blood.
Slamming on her brakes, she leaned over and shoved her passenger door open. Dark, steady green eyes met hers.
“Get in,” she barked. “We need to get out of here.”
