Page 48 of Raging Inferno

“Please, Presley.” Gia tugged her arm. “Stay with us. We can play games and make popcorn and watch movies.”

“I don’t know . . .” The offer was tempting—too tempting. She was quickly becoming attached to the Bianchis. “It would probably be better if I found my own accommodations.”

“Please?” Gia begged.

Presley looked down into her hopeful face and knew she couldn’t deny the girl anything. It would be so hard to say goodbye to her in a few days. She turned to Dominic. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Presley didn’t miss the gleam in his eyes. It made her entire body shiver with awareness. Oh boy, she was in deep trouble.

Streetlights illuminated the parking lot as they made their way to Dominic’s SUV. Gia chattered the entire time, not even stopping while she climbed into her booster seat and buckled into the back.

They’d left the restaurant when Presley noticed a set of headlights gaining on them. She glanced at Dominic and saw his eyes shift to the rearview mirror. The driver behind them switched to brights, causing her to squint as she tried not to panic. Usually, the situation wouldn’t faze her, but Gia was in the backseat.

The truck slammed into their bumper hard enough to jar them but not enough to deploy the airbags. Dominic fought the wheel and kept them on the road.

“Daddy, what’s happening?”

“It’s okay, honey,” Dominic assured her, but his voice was laced with tension, and he white-knuckled the wheel.

Presley wished she were the one driving. She’d been in this situation before. Her mind went over options. They were approaching another vehicle, with traffic in the other lane.

“Hang on.”

Suddenly, Dominic floored the accelerator and zipped around the slower car. The driver in the oncoming truck laid onhis horn. Dominic whipped back into their lane with plenty of time to spare but not enough for the following vehicle to pass. Enough traffic ensured that it would be a while before they could follow them.

Dominic put distance between them. When the cars behind them were out of sight, Presley instructed him to take a side road past a rock cliff. He made a U-turn and killed the lights.

“Daddy, I’m scared,” Gia whined.

“It’s okay, honey. We’ll be home soon.”

Presley reached back and squeezed her leg. “Everything’s fine. Your dad has it under control.”

When the other vehicles passed, Presley said, “There they are. Follow them. I want to get their plate number.”

Dominic switched on the headlights and pulled out behind the truck. He sped up, and Presley leaned forward to read the license plate. Surprise, surprise. There wasn’t one. She noted the make and model: an older black Ford F-150 with darkened windows. No distinguishing bumper stickers or dents.

“I’m taking back roads home,” Dominic announced.

He slowed and navigated the next turn. Presley glanced at him to see his jaw firmed. She knew he had the same thoughts. Gia was in the back seat. If the driver had succeeded in running them off the road, she might’ve been hurt.

“That was impressive driving,” she told him.

He nodded but didn’t answer. The rest of the ride home was silent. Major was excited when they arrived at the house. He dashed from person to person wanting attention, which they gave. There was something calming about petting a dog.

When Gia went to take a bath with Major on her heels, Presley turned to Dominic.

“I think it’s best if I go to a hotel.”

He dismissed her comment with a wave of a hand. “We’ve already had this discussion. Too many times.”

“That was before someone tried to run us off the road.”

“We don’t know that’s what happened. It could’ve been a drunk driver or a road-rager in a hurry.”

She gave him a disbelieving look. “Neither of those is true, and you know it. This is about me.”

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