Page 85 of Under the Radar

“I love you,” I murmured. “You make me so happy.”

“I love you too.”

“You ready to go home?”

She put her lips close to my ear. “You gonna sex me up when we get there?”

I turned my head, meeting her beautiful eyes. “Definitely.”

“Let’s go.”

I hopped off the table, holding out my hand. “We’re off.”

Stefano stood. “We’re parked in the field too. We’ll walk with you.”

Maxx looked over at Charly, slinging his arm around her shoulder. “Come on, Red. Let’s walk the kids to their car.”

We laughed, strolling toward the vehicles, acting like goofballs. The girls laughed as we played tag, using them to shield us as we tried to avoid being “it.” The game was silly and juvenile and fun. Maxx stopped walking as we got close to the spot my truck was parked, staring ahead. “You park on a hill, Chase?”

I frowned. “No, I don’t think so.”

Stefano tilted his head. “The angle is odd. You must have.”

We drew closer, and my stomach twisted as Hannah gasped. “Did a tree branch break?”

Across the hood was a big branch, broken and twisted. My windshield was cracked, a large dent in the metal and the paint destroyed.

“Fuck,” Maxx muttered.

“Holy shit,” Stefano added, walking closer. “Your tires are blown out. That’s why the angle is off.”

I stared at the truck and walked around it. Nothing else was damaged. It appeared the huge tree limb snapped off and fell on my hood by accident.

But when I lifted my phone, using the flashlight to inspect the tree limb, I had my doubts. Stefano stood beside me. “Would a tree limb falling really blow out the tires?” I asked quietly.

“Highly doubtful.”

“Does some of the end of the tree look as though it was cut?” I wondered out loud. “Deliberately?”

“Hard to tell in this light, but I would say yes.”

Maxx joined us. “I phoned the tow truck company and called in a favor. They’ll be here shortly.”

Stefano spoke up. “You head home, Maxx. Hannah and Chase can catch a ride with us.” He kept his voice low. “We’re taking the damn tree limb with us.”

Hannah came over. “Chase, I’m so sorry!”

I didn’t want to worry her. I pulled her close. “I’m glad we weren’t in it when it happened. We’ll get it towed and go home with Stefano and Gabby.”

Charly joined us, staring at the vehicle. “Aren’t those new tires?”

“Yes.”

She looked up. “The tree looks pretty healthy to me.”

I nodded grimly.

Hannah frowned. “You mean this wasn’t an accident?”