Page 14 of Unplanned Target

I would explain to him that people around here don’t usually lock their doors, but I haven’t reclaimed enough air to get words out, so I just lean against the house, fighting for my life as Owen manages the situation. He urges my daughter into the car first, sending her through the driver’s door, over the console bridging the gap between the front seats, and into the back.

Then it’s my turn. After spending the whole day walking on my treadmill, and then running a damn marathon in the dark, my muscles aren’t super cooperative, so Owen has to offer some assistance getting me across the console and into the passenger’s seat.

Assistance that involves both his hands gripping my thighs and hefting the majority of my body weight into place.

I tumble into the seat, head falling back against the rest as Owen slides behind the wheel.

Or tries to anyway. Mrs. Landis is barely five feet tall on her best day, so it’s almost comical watching him try to get his giant form in. After pausing to shove the seat back as far as it will go, he manages to get into place.

Gripping the underside of the steering column, he snaps the cover off, tossing it onto the console between us before digging through the mess of wires he exposed. After pulling a couple free, his eyes lift to my face. “Cross your fingers Mrs. Landis has a new battery.”

I hold my breath as he taps the bare wires together. My stomach twists as the engine tries to turn over. I don’t know what we do if the car doesn’t start. We’re basically sitting ducks, exposing our location with every sound we make.

And right now, we’re making a lot of sounds.

Allie grips our seats, watching Owen between the gap as he tries again, a spark snapping as he attempts to get us moving.

This time, it works. The engine fires to life, the sound feeling crazy loud in the quiet of the night. The idle is rough, but it doesn’t seem close to dying, so hopefully it can get us the hell out of here.

“Lock your doors, ladies.” Owen grips the gearshift, putting the vehicle into reverse. “Then buckle up and duck your heads, because this is probably going to be a rough ride.”

I turn to my daughter. “Get as low as you can. Don’t sit up until Owen tells you it’s safe.”

I’ve never deferred caring for my child to anyone else, but there is no denying that the man next to me is the more capable adult in this situation. If we were trying to merge two companies or find a way to increase revenue without also increasing expenditures or sacrificing employee morale, I would definitely be the one calling the shots.

But as much as I hate it, I am the weak link right now.

Allie nods, her eyes wide as she does what Owen directed, strapping herself in before stretching across the seat. I do the same, buckling in then folding forward to hug my knees like I did in the Jeep.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to pull in deep breaths. I thought I would feel better once we had my daughter, but the helplessness of not being able to do anything to get her out of this is fucking awful. Knowing she needs me and I’ve got nothing to offer is terrifying.

Owen slowly backs out of the driveway, lights off, foot never touching the gas. We bump over the curb and onto the road. After shifting into drive, he accelerates for the first time, the move slow and deliberate, keeping the rev of the engine to a minimum.

My whole body is tense as I wait for some sign we’ve been found. If we get shot at again, there’s very little to stop a bullet from reaching me or my daughter or Owen. Hopefully, I’m the one who gets hit, because without Owen, Allie will be as good as dead.

And I can’t even let myself think about what would happen if it’s Allie who gets hurt.

“Breathe.” Owen’s hand lands on my back, the heat of it sinking through my shirt as he rubs up and down my spine. “We’re almost there.”

I nod, even though I can’t imagine he’s anywhere near right. We are so far away from almost there, it isn’t even funny. Yes, we might not be in immediate danger, but I obviously can’t go back to my house. My purse and cell phone and wallet were in the Jeep that is now God only knows where, with God only knows who. Allie can’t go to school. I can’t do my work.

We’re basically fucked.

“You’re not breathing.” Owen’s hand goes to my neck, gently massaging. “Everything is going to be okay. We will get through all of this and handle whatever needs to be handled.”

The words coming out of his mouth are foreign to me. Never in my life has a man tried to reassure me. He’s certainly never acted like he was going to be part of the solution. And almost without exception, when things are going bad, the men I’ve dealt with act like I’m the problem.

Not Owen. Never once has he been annoyed by my questions or aggravated by my temperament.

And I don’t know what to do with that.

The car seems to speed up, and the lighting around us shifts. With another squeeze to my neck, Owen says. “It’s safe to sit up now.”

Allie’s head pops up between us, her eyes going straight to the giant man responsible for our successful escape. “Who are you?”

“Owen. I know your uncle.” He glances at my daughter before putting his eyes back on the highway stretched out in front of us. “You kinda look like him.”

“That’s a mean thing to say.” Allie scans Owen. “Are you a cop?”