Page 76 of Royal Flush

Sure, the cops might run DNA, especially after identifying the two dead thugs inside. By then, we’d be hundreds of miles away.

The crash hadn’t been unexpected. But in blowing away the driver, I’d thought for certain his foot would be taken off the gas.

Wrong.

I hated being wrong and in doing so, I’d almost cost my little lamb her life. As well as other innocent bystanders.

Thankfully, The SUV had flown over the crowded street, hitting what appeared to be an abandoned building. They didn’t make them like they used to, the force from the wreck doing very little damage except for crumbling bricks and a shattered window.

The sturdy structure was another reason she was likely alive. After checking for broken bones, I gently dragged her away from the wreck, pressing my hand against her cheek. Dear God, her breathing was shallow, her skin pale. Her hair was also matted with blood, her whimpers strangled. I couldn’t tell if the blood was hers or either the driver or the backseat passenger. I would have her checked thoroughly.

“Are you okay?” I gently pulled her face away, hissing when I noticed the blood in her eyes. I yanked at my jacket, tenderly wiping as much away as possible.

Thankfully, she opened her eyes, even managing to cling to me. “You’re… here. I called…”

“Yeah, I know, baby.” The phone had rung just before I’d bolted from my vehicle, the muffled sounds unmistakable. She’d been under attack.

I’d gone into an entirely different realm when I’d heard her single yelp.

Now with her in my arms, I couldn’t risk the possibility there were others.

The stench of gasoline was ripe, smoke billowing everywhere. Most modern tanks wouldn’t blow until fuel leaked, and a spark was formed. I had a bad feeling this was the perfect storm.

“We need to get out of here. Can you walk?” I scanned the area, ensuring there weren’t any additional goons. Whoever was behind this likely thought two big guys could handle one little filly.

They’d had no idea what they were dealing with.

“I think so.” Her voice was tiny and holding her against me was a reminder for all her bravado, she was fragile. “What happened?” Her question meant she was still in slight shock, totally understandable.

“The bad men are back, more determined than ever,” I told her.

“Oh.” A sudden laugh popped from her throat, the sound giddy. She was shifting into panic mode. I had to get her the fuck out of here.

The crowd was still clapping, still cheering.

And it seemed no one either knew or cared how much danger they could be in. Hell, there were dozens of photographs being taken likely by tourists. I should rip their phones from their hands, smashing them to bits. I certainly didn’t need to be on public display. However, doing so would only cause a bigger mob scene, which I also didn’t need.

All I could do was try to hide her face as well as shadow mine.

At this point I doubted it mattered. The assholes responsible had tracked her, probably by her phone, which meant they’d known I was involved all along.

Or, as my thoughts had drifted to, the entire thing had been planned. The ugly question remained whether Jasmine had been hired to lure me into a dark web of deceit or whether she’d been used.

And right now, I couldn’t think along the lines that she was betraying me. I’d seen true adoration in her eyes, the kind that couldn’t be faked. When the crowd refused to disperse, I growled at them in a vicious way, startling most.

“Get back,” I yelled, hopeful the crowd dispersing would provide a cover until I could get us away. Explaining to the cops what was going on would be a tall order. There was no time to waste. I had to get her on the damn plane.

She giggled again, pressing her face against my neck. Blood had trickled down the side of her face, sticking to my skin. The damn stench of copper was enough to keep my rage and testosterone at their highest levels. Did anyone actually believe they could fuck with me and win?

My yell provided enough of a distraction that I was able to half carry her across the street, heading down another sidewalk. The sirens were closer, now screaming all around us.

She continued clinging to me, holding on for dear life, yet she continued shaking like a leaf. When I noticed a string of cop cars and at least one fire engine headed directly for us, I was forced to pin her against the exterior of one of the shops. Shit. If we were in California, I wouldn’t have needed the cloak and dagger shit.

I held her face in both hands, rubbing hair from her eyes. Her breathing was still labored but I could tell she wasn’t nearly as rattled.

“How… How did they find me?” Her question seemed so small, full of fear.

After yanking her phone from my jacket, I held it up in front of her face. “My guess is the person responsible has a sophisticated tracking system. We’re not risking that possibility.” As the emergency vehicles were rushing by us, I threw the phone onto the sidewalk, stomping down with my foot. I wanted to bend down and see if it had been bugged with a physical attachment but there was no time.

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