Page 29 of Cassidy

“What?” She turned in her seat in time to see a black SUV coming up hot behind them. Even with Steele using lights, they were closing the distance. “Gabe, get down!”

He ducked just as the sharp report of gunfire echoed around them. Steele wrenched the wheel to the left, abruptly changing lanes, but she thought she heard a metallic ping as one of the bullets struck the vehicle.

Thankfully, the rear window was still intact. She sniffed the air but didn’t detect the scent of gas either. Steele had the advantage, as cars moved out of his way. But that only meant the black SUV behind them had a clear path to follow as well.

“Call 911,” Steele shouted. She quickly found her phone, hoping the state patrol was stationed nearby.

Steele jerked the wheel again, moving to the right this time, crossing three lanes of traffic in time to exit the interstate. It was a smart decision, and a quick glance confirmed the black SUV had not been able to mirror their movement.

They were safe for now.

But whoever these bad guys were, they had every intention of eliminating Gabe.

Permanently.

ChapterSeven

This was all his fault. Gabe hated knowing Cassidy and Steele were in danger because of him. And even though Steele had claimed they’d lost the gunmen, he’d turned in his seat to stare out the back window, expecting them to materialize at any moment.

As if they had some sort of superhuman powers.

“Gabe, is it possible they can track your new phone?” Cassidy asked, diverting his attention from the road behind them. “I know you said the device was wiped clean, but does that prevent it from being tracked?”

“They can track it.” He quickly powered the device off. He hesitated, hating to toss the phone Cass had paid for, but the possibility of her being hurt trumped concerns over money. He opened his window and tossed his brand-new phone out, wincing as it shattered on the ground. “If so, that’s not a problem now.”

There was a long moment of silence. “Okay, then,” Steele finally said. “That takes care of one problem. However, it occurs to me that if these guys know you personally, they’ll know where you work.”

“Do you think the safe house is available?” Cassidy asked. “We could sure use it.”

“That’s not going to help. I need computer access,” he quickly interjected. “I would rather work at the precinct.”

“I’d rather you be safe,” Cass shot back. “We can get one of our laptops to use at the safe house. It has internet access.”

He was about to press the issue, but she had a good point about the safety factor. The precinct wasn’t foolproof the way a safe house might be. “Okay, I’ll go to the safe house as long as you stay with me.”

“Do you remember the safe house?” She turned in her seat to look at him. “I don’t think you’ve ever been there.”

A vague impression of a brick house in a residential neighborhood flashed in his mind. A memory? How could he know? “I’m not sure.”

“Call Rhy, see if the safe house is even available,” Steele suggested. “It’s often in use, especially for families.”

The photograph of his mother and her husband flashed in his mind. Somehow Gabe had sensed he was not a part of their family. The picture on Steele’s phone had been like seeing a stranger. Someone he knew from a distance, but not on a personal level.

Yet he must have communicated with Travis, otherwise how had his half brother’s phone ended up smashed and broken at the same location where he’d been assaulted?

He glanced over his shoulder again, but there was no sign of the black SUV. If they had been tracking his phone, then they should be fine.

But he wasn’t taking anything for granted. Not after he’d been used as target practice on three separate occasions.

Interesting that they’d let him live in the first place. Maybe they had thought he was dead and had been in a rush to get away from the scene of the crime. Or they had figured he’d be in a coma or something. Having amnesia had certainly worked to their advantage.

No matter the reason he’d made it this far, it was obvious that these guys were trying to make up for their mistake of allowing him to survive.

He pressed his fingertips into his temples. Remember! He needed to remember!

“Rhy? Hey, a black SUV found us on the interstate and fired several shots. Steele’s SUV is drivable,” she quickly added, “but we think they may have tracked the replacement phone we picked up for Gabe. That’s gone now, too, but we’re wondering about using the safe house. We don’t want to bring danger to the precinct.”

Noticing Steele’s concerned gaze in the rearview mirror, he dropped his hands and listened to Cassidy’s side of the conversation.

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