Page 10 of Conquered Betrayal
Her head bobbed in a nod. “Let’s get to a safe spot first.” Then she muttered under her breath, “Stop the commentary. It isn’t helpful.”
My brain rattled with memories. I’d had a crush on Jolyn since I was twelve years old. When she applied for the job as my personal assistant, something had told me it was too good to be true. Once she started working for me, when we became closer, all those initial concerns faded into the background.
Now I knew not to trust the woman who’d lied to me for a year.
Right after she left Vancouver, she’d been a ghost. If it hadn’t been for her condo being emptied in one day, I would have thought foul play, but who emptied their condo before getting abducted?
Those first few days, weeks, had been the worst.
“Where are you staying anyway?” she asked, breaking into my thoughts. “I don’t want to head back in that direction.” Then, she snorted. “Actually, let me guess. You’re at the Element.”
“Fort Pontchartrain.”
“Slumming it, are we? Rather pedestrian of you.”
I narrowed my eyes, not liking the familiarity she’d slipped into. She didn’t get to poke fun at my expensive tastes. Not anymore. I’d worked my ass off to get where I was. I hadn’t been given a company on a silver platter like her brother. She should know. She’d been there during the beginning stages of Urick Enterprises.
We drove in silence, heading south. For a minute, I thought she’d drive to the border, then she changed directions, going east again.
“We could travel into Canada if we need to stay off the radar.”
She shook her head before I finished speaking. “Then we’d have to clear customs and I have no idea if my brother has anyone on the payroll there.”
I raised an eyebrow and watched her drive. She made it sound like her brother had people in every level of the government. And despite having gone through the past hour with her, I couldn’t understand why she would fear her brother, the CEO of a prestigious pharmaceutical company, unless she’d stolen from him.
About to ask questions, I stopped when she stiffened, her scent spiking in alarm.
“What is it?”
“Our tail is back,” she said, her eyes flicking between the rearview mirror and the road.
I turned around, and sure enough, a black SUV accelerated toward us from two car-lengths away. “How did they find us again?” I asked, facing forward, my pulse picking up speed.
“Don’t know. Maybe live satellite imaging like us. But this time they mean business.” She switched lanes and stepped on the gas.
And they hadn’t before?I gripped the edge of my seat as she went faster, weaving between cars going half our speed. This lifestyle was going to get her killed. How many companies had she robbed? And did those “friends” help her with each theft? Had they been in Vancouver with her?
“Maybe you should return whatever it was you stole, pay for your crimes, and be done with it.”
She tossed me a confused glance, then hollered, “Hang on!” She braked, and turned the next corner way too fast. The tires felt like they lifted from the pavement.
Ping. Ping. Ping.Bullets bounced off the bumper.
“For the love of—” This wasn’t how I wanted to die.
“I’m sorry!” she shouted, accelerating once more after we’d cleared the corner. “I’ll buy you a new paint job!”
She wasn’t even apologizing to me.
Ping. Ping. Clink. Clink. Clink.They hit the back window, bullets connecting, but not shattering the glass.
“And a window!”
More bullets followed, and she pushed down my head with one hand. “Keep low.”
I couldn’t see much except the floor of the car, but heard the roar of the engine of a vehicle close by, gaining on us.
“Quick. Grab a gun out of my bag,” Jolyn said, her voice composed despite the life-and-death situation.
