Page 93 of Protecting Kelli
Brant hadn’t won yet. Kelli might be bruised and battered, but she wasn’t dead. And as long as she was still breathing, she had hope that Flash would find her.
Jerking her head so she was facing forward again, Kelli took a deep breath. Then another. She wouldn’t do anything that would give Bree away. The woman was literally her best hope at getting out of this alive. For both of them getting away alive. Because if Brant found he had a stowaway, there was no telling what he’d do.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Smiley held onto the oh-shit handle of Flash’s SUV as he took a corner on two wheels.
“Come on, come on,” Flash muttered, as both men frantically searched for the piece-of-shit brown, four-door car that Williams had used to steal Kelli right out from under their noses.
The memory of Kelli’s shriek of pain when the asshole cut her leg wouldn’t be something Smiley forgot anytime soon. Nor the anguished noise that flew from Flash’s lips. Seeing the woman he loved—yes, Smiley was aware that his friend was well and truly hooked on Kelli—being hurt, but not being able to do a damn thing about it, was terrifically painful for his teammate.
Seeing a car on the side of the road with its side all scraped to hell—and its front end bashed in from hitting a light pole—Smiley yelled, “Go right!”
Flash took another corner way too fast as they did their best to track the path Williams had gone by the destruction left in his wake.
Just when they thought they might’ve lost him, Smiley’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Feeling like an idiot for not calling in backup immediately, he yanked it out and stared down at the text from an unknown number.
Unknown: This is Bree i’m in car w Kelli & asshole just passed 37th st
It took Smiley’s brain a beat to understand what he was reading. He was confused as fuck. Bree?HisBree? How did she have his number? And how thefuckwas she in the car with Williams and Kelli? Was she working with him?
What the absolute fuck?
Unknown: was visiting K when u guys came outside I saw what happened & got into car while he was distracted by u guys and hurting K we just turned on Aspen st
“Keep straight here!” Smiley told Flash.
“But I think he went west,” he protested.
“Straight!” Smiley barked. Thankfully, his friend listened and continued straight instead of turning. “Bree’s texting me. She’s in the car with them. She’s telling me where they’re going.”
“What the fuck?!” Flash asked.
That’s what Smiley wanted to know, but at the moment, he needed intel on Williams more. He had no idea what Bree’s intentions were, but if she could leadthem to Kelli, he wasn’t going to question her…not yet. Later? Yes. She had a lot to answer for. But Kelli needed to be his focus right now.
Smiley: Got it
He couldn’t resist one question.
Smiley: r u ok?
Unknown: for now. passing 40th
Smiley continued to pass along the information Bree was giving him. A ball of panic sat in his throat, as there were now two women in danger instead of one. And because, for the second time, Bree was putting herself at risk in order to help one of his friends. When he got his hands on that woman, he’d make certain she understood that was unacceptable. That she needed to stop putting herself in danger.
Unknown: slowing down. going down cedar. pulling into drive. Brown hse, one sty, 47. We r at 47 cedar st!!!
Smiley: We’re coming. Stay put. Do NOT leave. I mean it.
Unknown: I wont. Tired. Need help.
Smiley was almost as alarmed at the fact that Bree was admitting she needed help as he was that she’d stowed away in Williams’ car in the first place. From everything he’d learned about this woman throughout his long and unsuccessful search for her, she was very stubborn and far too independent. Now, he didn’t like how…defeated she sounded. Which was crazy, since it was just some words on a screen. But he couldn’t shake the thought that she was definitely at the end of her rope.
He and Flash would take care of the Williams situation, then he and Bree Haynes were going to have a very long talk.
Kelli’s eyes widened as they pulled into a driveway in front of a dilapidated house that looked like no one had lived there for a very long time. Brant didn’t give her time to even try to open her door and run, not that she could’ve outrun him with her leg throbbing as badly as it was. He grabbed her by the arm and manhandled her across the front seat and pulled her out the driver’s side door.
Without a word, he half dragged her to the front door. He kicked it hard, and it flew open. Dust swam in the sunlight coming through the door as he pulled her inside then kicked the door shut behind them.
