Page 94 of Ruthless Cross

"You need to stay close to Callie," Wyatt said. "I'm on it."

"Take someone with you."

"Will do."

Flynn relayed the address. "Let me know what you find out."

As he set down the phone, Flynn finished his drink and set down the glass. "Wyatt will check out Barkley's house, but my gut tells me that the driver will not be returning."

"Wouldn't that mean he'd be giving up his job, his home? How does he just vanish so quickly? This wasn't planned out. Someone saw us at the museum and wanted to get rid of us. But we were only there an hour or so."

"It was an impulsive decision," he agreed. "I don't think Barkley is the one who made the decision."

"But he's once again tied to art—not only to the museum, but also that other courier service."

Flynn nodded, picking up his phone to send a text.

"Who are you contacting now?"

"Savannah. I'll see what she can dig up on Harriman Art Couriers."

"Do you need to go into the office?" Even as she asked the question, she was hoping he would say no, because her nerves were rattled and she didn't want to be alone.

"No, we'll stay put for the moment."

She took another sip of scotch, relieved by his answer. "Do you think someone paid this man to run us off the road? Or was he operating on his own? He works at the museum. He could have been involved in Arthur's murder. Maybe he saw us there and took it upon himself to try to get rid of us."

"It's possible. This was a good thing."

"Are you serious?" she asked, bewildered by his words. "We could have died. You have no idea the visions of smoke and flames going on in my head."

He smiled. "I was not letting us go over that rail. Since we survived, the good news is that we have another lead to follow. Our perpetrator is getting nervous, making impulsive decisions. Bad decisions can lead to big mistakes. Barkley could be our key to this whole puzzle."

"If he lives. What if he ends up like the guy at the hotel?"

"That would not be good."

She shook her head in bemusement. "I can't believe we're talking so cavalierly about people dying." She got up from the table, feeling too filled with adrenaline to just sit.

"Sorry. I sometimes forget that you're not used to this."

"No, I'm not. What's next, Flynn?"

"We'll wait to see what my team comes up with."

"Waiting doesn't sound very proactive. You don't like it either," she said, noting his nervous energy as he went to pour himself another drink. "You want to be the one kicking down doors and chasing down leads instead of babysitting me."

He set down the bottle and moved across the room to her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "This is exactly where I want to be and where I need to be. Keeping you safe is the most important thing in the world."

She was incredibly touched by his words. "I—I don't know what to say."

"Well, that might be a first," he said lightly.

"You're a nice guy, Flynn."

He winced. "Nice? Ouch."

"It's not a bad thing," she said with a laugh.

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