It didn’t matter that she was so weary that she just wanted to lie down on the floor and cry.
Not an option.
She looked over to the spot where she’d crushed the phone.It was gone now.She didn’t know if Tanner had taken it for evidence or if the men who broke in had picked up the pieces.
She gathered the twins’ items and anything she would be able to fit in her car, and made her way back outside.
Tanner was crouched down by the back seat, murmuring something to one of the babies, but he straightened when she came back out.He took the stuff from her and placed it in her trunk without saying a word.
“I’m sorry I brought trouble into your town,” she finally said as she got behind the wheel.She was just trying to hold it together until she got away from him.There would be nothing but time to fall apart once she was on the go.
“I’m sorry this happened, too, Bree.Don’t stop driving until you’re completely out of town.Straight out Highway 70.Good luck.”
Without another word, he shut her door and turned away.
And that was it.She started the car and pulled away from the curb.By the time she’d made it out of Risk Peak, tears were stinging her eyes.She kept driving out Highway 70 like Tanner had told her.Why not?She didn’t have any better plan.
A few miles out of town, there was some sort of detour, and she had to turn off on a side road.She thought nothing about it until she’d gone a half mile and there was a large car parked horizontally, blocking the road in front of her and forcing her to slow.
Fear trickled down her spine.Had she literally just driven into a trap set by the Organization?She’d been so caught up in her own personal drama she hadn’t been paying attention.Maybe they’d been counting on that.
When two men got out of the car in front of her, she slammed on the brakes.She was just about to throw her car in Reverse when an SUV pulled up behind her, boxing her in.
Even though the temperature in the car was comfortable, sweat coated her body.With her own stupidity, she’d gotten them caught not even two miles out of town.Frantically, she tried to think of what she could do.If she ran, would they follow her?Leave the babies alone?But then what if nobody found them in time?
Her stomach was cramping in panic.She tried to think of what her mother would’ve done in the same situation.
Her mother never would’ve gotten herself in this situation.She would’ve left the babies at the first homeless shelter she could find an hour after they’d shown up in her car.
A tap on the window startled a scream out of Bree.She looked out the windshield first and saw two large men moving toward her, then looked out her window to see who had knocked, fearing the worst.
Chapter Seventeen
Tanner felt like a complete heel as he knocked on Bree’s window.She had no color left in her face and was looking like she might vomit at any second.He hated that he had put her through this, but there’d been no other way.Her car had the tracking device and a transmitter.
She was looking at him, sucking in deep breaths, confusion clear on her face.Tanner put his finger up to his lips in a motion to be quiet and then gestured for her to open the door.
As soon as she did, he put two fingers over her lips, then reached over and cranked up the radio.As he helped Bree out of the car, he nodded to the two men who were assisting him—Zac Mackay and Gavin Zimmerman, friends of Tanner’s brother—two men who had no tie whatsoever to Risk Peak.They went around to either side of the car and gently picked up the car seat carriers with the kids inside.
“I—” Bree started, but Tanner shook his head.
“There’s both a tracking device and a recording device in your car,” he whispered close to her ear.“The radio will drown out most of what we say, but not all.”
If anything, her face got even paler.She nodded, and he led her over to his mother’s car, a late-model Honda CR-V.They all got inside, a tight fit with four adults and two baby carriers.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Bree said as soon as the doors closed.
Tanner gave her the most reassuring smile he could.“This is Gavin and Zac.They both served in the army with my brother, Noah.They live a couple hours from here in Wyoming.Gavin is going to take your car back in that direction and hopefully lead the people searching for you on a wild goose chase.”
Zac gave her his charming grin that made Tanner itch to punch his friend in the face.“I’m just here as taxi service before going directly back home.”
Bree looked at Gavin and Zac before returning her eyes to Tanner.“But I thought you wanted me out of Risk Peak.”
“When I found the tracker and the bug, I knew you weren’t safe in town anymore.But I needed to make it look like I thought it was better if you were gone.That you weren’t my problem anymore and I had no idea of your whereabouts.”
And he was going to catch hell for it.His phone was already ringing off the hook—friends, family, damn near everyone—and it would just continue to get worse as word spread.
“Oh.I didn’t understand,” Bree whispered.
