Page 101 of You Betrayed Me (The Cahills 3)

Heart thumping, trying not to panic, she flew up the staircase and burst onto the third floor, aware how empty the parking structure was. How stupid was she to have been lured here? She, who’d graduated at the top of her class at Fremont High? She broke into a run. She was sweating now despite the cold night, breathing hard.

Her van was parked just as she’d left it, no longer crowded between a Porsche and an SUV. Now her minivan stood alone, one of a handful of vehicles parked on the aging concrete.

She heard the rumble of the elevator as it ascended.

Her throat went dry.

Her heart pounded.

Frantically, she reached into her pocket and hit the remote to unlock her car and heard the beep as her headlights and taillights flashed.

Almost there!

The elevator stopped on her floor just as she reached the van’s driver’s door.

She slid inside as the doors of the elevator swept open.

Freaked, she jammed her key into the ignition and locked her minivan’s doors in one swift motion.

The engine roared to life just as a man in dark jeans, a camo jacket, and a stocking cap pulled down to his ears strode from the elevator car. He took a look at Charity, who was wheeling out of her spot.

Their eyes met.

Her heart jolted.

A gloved hand slid into his jacket pocket.

For a weapon.

Oh. God. No!

Her insides turned to water.

She rammed the minivan into REVERSE.

With a screech of tires, she backed up, swinging around wildly.

Her assailant suddenly in her headlights, she threw the minivan into DRIVE and hit the gas.

He lifted his arm.

Pointed a gloved hand in her direction.

Oh. Jesus. He was going to shoot her! Right here! Right now!

Her heart leapt to her throat.

No way! No effin’ way!

She wouldn’t let it end this way.

She floored it!

The van shot forward as a nearby Toyota blinked and beeped.

The guy’s mouth fell open in shock.

With a shriek, he jumped backward, dropping his weapon.

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