Page 46 of Lone Star Country Protector
“I have a back way out of the parking lot that should keep us from driving past your new bodyguard,” Ralph said. The spark in his voice said he was up for the adventure.
“I appreciate what you’re doing,” she said to him. “And I’ll text the marshal so he isn’t waiting all night. But I’d like to get a head start first because I’m sure he’ll head straight to my home, where I need to go to pick up my car.”
“What about the docket?” Ralph asked.
“I might be back by morning,” she said, realizing she hadn’t gotten past ditching the marshal out front. “But I’llcall out once I get on the road with my car. And I’ll take all the heat for asking you for a ride.”
“Wasn’t worried,” Ralph said.
When they had a ten-minute head start, she texted the new marshal and said she would meet him back at the courthouse in an hour. Then half expected him to blow up her phone with messages. He sent one.
Don’t worry about it. You’ll be reassigned.
Did that mean Dalton was being put back on the case? Her heart double-crossed her, flipping, at the thought.
Calm down.She couldn’t be certain of anything right now, and there was no use getting worked up if the man refused to ever set eyes on her again.
Her home wasn’t far from the courthouse. Ralph walked her to her car as she dug out the keys.
“Be safe,” he said once she was in the driver’s seat.
“I will,” she promised before closing and locking the door. She started the engine and backed out of the driveway as Ralph waved.
He became smaller and smaller in the rearview until he disappeared altogether. She’d made it into her subdivision. Now, she needed to make it to the highway. This time of year, it was already dark outside. Her stomach growled, making her wish she’d thought to throw a couple power bars inside her purse. She could stop once she got down the highway. Houston traffic was relentless.
Almost out of her subdivision, an aggressive vehicle pulled up from behind. The cab of the SUV was dark, the windows tinted. Bright headlights made it impossible to see who was behind the wheel. Her heart jackhammered the inside of her ribcage.
Was she going to have a reaction every time something felt off? Hadn’t she stopped panicking over every little thing years ago?
The engine behind her gunned as she approached a four-way stop. The next thing she knew, her back bumper was being rammed. The SUV didn’t have a front license plate, which was illegal in Texas. However, many vehicle owners ignored the regulation, and police didn’t have time or resources to pull vehicles over for every minor infraction.
The SUV pushed her out into the intersection as a vehicle came rolling up. She mashed the gas pedal and hooked a last-minute right, staying in her neighborhood. She knew these roads like the back of her hand.
Whipping down an alley and then making another right, the SUV kept close enough to watch her every move. Blakely released a string of curses that would have made her mother blush.
And then she wheeled left, cutting down a back road. She maneuvered through the alley that would dump her onto an outside street. The highway wasn’t far. She would have a better chance of losing the SUV on the highway.
In the meantime, she tried to use her voice to have her phone call for help. Of course, the phone didn’t respond. She’d never had much luck with that thing.
Glancing in the rearview, she realized she was alone. Hot damn. She’d lost the SOB who’d been on her bumper. The close call jacked her pulse through the roof and scared her. Losing the marshal didn’t seem like the best plan in hindsight.
But she’d done it. She’d lost the SUV and could maneuver out of the neighborhood and onto the highway. Once she could exhale, she would call and report the incident tothe Houston PD. If Johnny Spear was close, she wanted the law to know.
Halfway through the next intersection, a vehicle sped up and T-boned her. Her sedan went into a spin as the SUV hit Reverse, backed up to make another run for her, miscalculated and got momentarily hung up on a fire hydrant.
Gunning the engine, she made her move, speeding through the neighborhood toward the highway as she frantically checked her rearview mirror, expecting the SUV to show up any second.
The incident rattled her to the point where her hands shook.
And then she caught a glimpse of him speeding toward her.
She smacked the steering wheel with the flat of her palm as she neared the on-ramp. Freedom was within arm’s reach.Come on. Come on. Go faster.
Could she get there in time?
Chapter Seventeen
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Jules said to Dalton as they stepped into the hallway to head to the waiting room, where a fresh pot of coffee waited.
