Page 34 of Two Steps Ahead

Beside them, Leo deflated, as if hearing her agree had taken the weight of the world off his back. “Good. Thank you.”

Gunfire joined the commotion. This was definitely an attack.

“Do you have a plan?” Leo asked.

Weston crept to the door, keeping Kayleigh pinned to his side. “They’ve blocked everything off, so the garage is the easiest wayout, but getting in a car is exactly what they want. So, I’m going to get her out of here by foot.”

Leo’s gaze was concerned but he agreed. “Okay.”

“We’re going to go toward the fire.” Weston looked at Kayleigh and clutched her hand. “Into the wilderness area behind the house.”

Leo reached over and hugged Kayleigh. “Be careful. I love you. I’ll get my team to make a distraction so you’re sure to get out.”

“Be safe,” she said, hugging him tight.

“You too.” Leo squeezed her once more and let her go, pushing her back to Weston. “Get her out of here.”

Weston grabbed Kayleigh again and the two snuck into the back hallway. They pressed themselves to the shadows, using the chaos all around them to their advantage. Multiple guards were rushing toward Leo’s office, so he’d at least have protection.

Staying close together, it wasn’t long before they made it to the other side of the house where the fire raged. No one had spotted them.

Weston was surprised to see how much damage the flames had already done. Paintings were shredding into ash by the second, expensive wallpaper peeling from the walls. Even away from the direct flames, where they were, the floor tiles cracked from the heat.

Beside him, Kayleigh choked as she looked at the destruction of her childhood home. He grabbed her shirt and pulled it up over her nose, doing the same with his own.

He pointed to a little side door, thankful he still remembered so much of the house from when they were kids. “We’re going through that door. Once we’re outside, get ready to run. We’ll have to jump the back fence.”

The property butted up against the Hill Country State Natural Area—no houses, few roads, definitely their best direction for escape.

“Ready?” Weston asked. They were going to have to run through the fire to get out.

She squeezed his hand and nodded. Her trust meant everything to him.

Focusing again, he nicked a throw blanket from a nearby chair and wrapped it around his hand, moving Kayleigh so that she was farthest from the flames as they approached the door. The air was scorching, making his skin tighten. He reached for the doorknob, feeling the heat through the blanket, but it didn’t have time to burn him. Once the door was open, he pushed Kayleigh through and followed, rushing them outside.

Away from the oppressive heat of the fire, the light breeze felt like heaven. They both lowered their shirts off their noses and took a few deep breaths.

Behind them was the sound of more windows breaking and things crashing. He grabbed her hand once more and pulled her toward the back fence, keeping to the shadows. If they were spotted, they’d be in trouble.

Her backpack got stuck as they climbed the fence, so he took it off her back and put it on his own before helping her the rest of the way up and over. He climbed right behind her and jumped to the ground.

They sprinted to the cover of the low trees and then deeper into the surrounding wilderness. If the people attacking were truly trying to get their hands on Kayleigh—no doubt to control Leo—it wouldn’t take them long to figure out he and Kayleigh had headed in this direction.

They needed to be long gone before that happened.

Kayleigh ran with Weston like a trouper, staying right beside him despite the punishing pace he set. They weren’t nearly asfar into the wilderness as he would’ve liked before his instincts had him stopping and pulling her against a tree.

He covered her mouth with his hand, but quickly let go when he saw terror flash in her eyes dimly lit from the moon. He put his finger over his lips in a signal to remain quiet and she nodded.

He closed his eyes briefly, letting his other senses take over. He didn’t hear anything.

At all.

The silence was just as much of a giveaway that there was a problem as bad guys barreling through yelling. More so, because it meant whoever was chasing them was smart enough not to announce it.

A snapping branch to the north snagged his attention. There was definitely at least one person out there. Kayleigh’s eyes got wider. She’d heard it too.

A second rustling sound in the opposite direction alerted them to a second adversary.

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