Page 30 of No Bones About It

Closer.

Closer again.

“Okay, Kimi. Five seconds.”

She reached zero in her head when the gunshot shattered the night.

CHAPTER 11

Jumping Your Bones

Garrett wished he had a rifle rather than a handgun. He hoped his training was enough to save their asses. He also hoped none of the people in the truck were aiming their own weapons right now.

He kept low so they wouldn’t see his silhouette aiming at them. Then, he shoved away the emotions and the distractions as he focused.

His first shot would be the most important. If the other truck was beside theirs, he could aim for a tire, but not from this angle. His best option would be to take out the glass. Injuring the driver would be the best way to gain time and distance from the truck. He hoped not to kill him, but these people weren’t playing games, and if he needed to kill to protect Kimi, he would.

Kimi kept the speed steady, and Garrett regulated his breathing and took the shot. The bullet went through the windshield and into where he hoped the driver’s shoulder was. “Floor it, Kimi. Go.”

She didn’t hesitate. Their truck jumped forward as the truck behind them fishtailed and then slid toward the ditch. Surprise was on their side, and they had to take advantage of it.

The headlights behind them angled to the side, but with thedistance Kimi was creating, he wasn’t sure if they’d stopped or if they’d dropped into the ditch.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long to reach the main highway and make the turn to Keene. He briefly considered suggesting they stop in Keene to find a hotel to lie low. But the town wasn’t large and probably didn’t have dozens of hotels to choose from. They’d be easy to spot. Better to keep going. If the truck followed them, every road switch dropped their chances of being found.

He wondered if they’d been close enough to get Kimi’s license plate number. If these people were attached to organized crime, the group likely had access to those databases. Not that he would tell Kimi that at the moment. She was driving like it was her only task in life, and he didn’t want to disturb her by bringing up negative thoughts. When they moved through populated areas, she dropped her speed, but when the roads were deserted, she picked it up.

It was almost three in the morning, so there wasn’t a lot of traffic. Crossing the Vermont border felt like reaching home. Turning toward Phail, even better.

When they reached Kimi’s cottage, she shuddered out a breath as she turned into the drive and used a button on her visor to open her garage. She backed into the space and closed the door with the same button, then turned off the truck.

For a long moment, they said nothing, simply sat and enjoyed the safety. “Good driving.”

She cracked out a laugh. “Sheer terror does that to a person. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life.”

He put his gun under the seat and turned to squeeze her hand. “You were amazing. Like you’d been trained by James Bond.”

“I never want to do that again.”

Except he knew her better. She’d worry about the dogs and would work out another plan. She was incredible.

Adrenaline continued to race through his body. “I can’t believe you were out there on your own. Those are incredibly dangerous people.”

She huffed out a breath. “Which is why they shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near those dogs.”

He managed a laugh, and he thumped his head back on the headrest.

He heard Kimi undo her seat belt. Then she slid closer and took his hand. Her pulse raced and had his own thundering again.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this with me.”

Unable to keep his hands off her for even one more second, he hauled her into his lap. She straddled him, and his body strained for more contact without all the layers in between.

He squeezed her ass and ran his hands slowly up her body until she was grinding into him. Then he framed her face. “You scare the hell out of me, Kimi.”

Her face lit up, and she laughed. “Fear isn’t the vibe I’m getting.” She rotated her hips into him again, making him grin back.

“You know we’re running high on adrenaline, right?”

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