Page 45 of Final Sins

She stared up at him. “How did you find me?”

“The car’s bugged. I added a tracker before we left the car lot.”

“You what?” Fury blazed in her eyes, followed by a cold fear.

“If I planned to kill you,” he cut in, careful to keep his tone even, “you’d already be dead.”

He watched the words sink in, saw the moment her anger deflated, replaced by confusion.

“Fine,” she said. “Then why are you here?”

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “I could ask you the same thing. Running to the enemy? Or from them?”

“Me? You’re the one who?—”

He stepped closer, using his height to his advantage. He could pin her down, force the answers out of her in seconds. But the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. “Who what? Followed you? Because from where I’m standing, you’re the one with some explaining to do. You’re the one who ran.”

Alex hugged herself. “You bugged the car.”

“And you’ve been acting suspicious all morning. Plus, I did that before. Good thing.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then make me.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

She shook her head hard enough to make her dark hair swirl around her face. “Not until I know who to trust.”

“Are you saying you don’t trust me?”

The way she clamped her lips together was answer enough.

An odd silence fell. They stood there, chests heaving, eyes locked in a battle of wills.

And then, almost imperceptibly, something shifted. The air between them changed, charged with a different kind of tension. Jason found himself acutely aware of Alex’s proximity, the fire in her eyes.

In that moment, he realized that getting answers might be the least of his problems.

The tension between them shattered as the whir of helicopter blades cut through the air. His training kicked in, his body moving before his mind fully processed the threat.

“Down!” He tackled her, shielding her body with his own as bullets peppered the ground around them.

Gravel bit into his palms as he army-crawled toward the meager cover of his SUV, dragging Alex with him.

“Friends of yours?” Alex shouted over the deafening roar.

Jason’s response was drowned out by another burst of gunfire. He risked a glance upward, assessing their options. The helicopter hovered menacingly, its occupants taking aim again.

He reached for his sidearm. “We need a diversion.”

Alex’s eyes lit up with a dangerous glint. “I’ve got an idea. Cover me!”

Before he could protest, she sprinted toward the Mustang. His heart leapt into his throat as he provided covering fire, forcing the helicopter to veer away momentarily.

She emerged clutching what looked like a flare. “Ready?”

---