is impossible for You. We need a way out of this town.
They passed by a convenience store and he slowed, scoping the area. Only two cars were present in the lot—one at the gas pumps and the other parked at the front entrance. Neither was a cop car, so that was good. He was taking a risk even stopping, but they had a need they couldn’t do without any longer. He had to contact Matt and the only way to do that was to find a phone.
Holly popped up in her seat as he turned the Dodge toward the gas station. “What are we doing?” she asked, her voice raw and scratchy.
“I need a phone to contact my friend. This store will have a prepaid one we can purchase.”
He pulled into a parking space then cut the engine and started to pull the door handle. Her hand on his arm stopped him. It sent chills rattling through him. “I should go.”
“That’s not a good idea. You were barely able to stand when I pulled you from the precinct.”
“I’m better now that I’ve gotten some oxygen to my muscles. Besides, you’re too high-profile. If they’ve blocked the roads, they could be searching for us. I’ll be right inside. You can even see me through the windows and come in if something goes wrong.”
Still, he hesitated. He should be the one to go.
She blew out a weary breath. “Do you think I’m going to call the police on you?”
“No, that’s not what I’m concerned about. I’m worried about your safety.”
Her face softened and she smiled. “We’re in this together, Blake. We have to be able to count on one another and that means you have to trust me. I’ll be fine. Only, the longer we sit here, the more obvious we become.”
He knew she was right. He was the one with the gun. He needed to watch out for Mason or other officers that might spot them. He nodded his agreement and she removed her hand. He found he missed it when it was gone. He pulled out his wallet and counted several bills. “Make sure you get one that has internet access, as well. We might need it. Maybe we can find another exit on a map of the town.”
She nodded and closed her hand over the cash.
“And be careful,” he insisted.
She nodded then slipped out of the vehicle.
He shook off the feeling of paranoia that threatened his thoughts. If she’d wanted him captured, she could have shouted out at the police station. He hadn’t forced her to come with him, but she had. And she’d been right when she’d said they needed to trust one another. The problem was he didn’t trust her, and it had nothing to do with anything except her gender. He’d been fooled before by a beautiful face. He pushed away those fears. He wasn’t starting a romantic relationship with her, just trying to get out of a difficult situation alive. He had to trust her and she had to trust him. Neither of them had anyone else at the moment.
He watched her move through the store, stopping every few minutes to toss something into her basket. She moved smoothly and determinedly, not like someone on the run and frightened. She put on a good act. He knew she was frightened. He’d seen her hands shaking after Mason had attacked her. She wasn’t downplaying the danger they were in. She simply wasn’t allowing it to control her. Amazing. He imagined her job as a nurse had trained her to stay calm in a crisis situation. That would definitely work in their favor today.
He started the engine as she exited the store and slid into the passenger’s seat. “Any trouble?”
“Nope.” She held out a baseball cap. “I got this for you. I thought you might need it since most of the police force knows your face. It won’t hide you completely, but if you wear it low, it might shade your face a little.”
“That’s a good idea. Thank you.” He slid the cap onto his head and pulled it low.
She nodded approvingly, then pulled out a Twizzlers and bit into it before offering him one.
“Candy?” he asked, and she shrugged.
“I eat when I’m nervous.” She pulled out the phone she’d purchased to set it up as he drove, plugging it into the outlet to charge. “I had the cashier activate it for me on his cell after he explained that you had to activate it from another phone. I told him if I had another phone, I wouldn’t be buying this one.” She pulled up the maps on the browser and her face fell. “We were right. The bridge and the access road are the only two routes out of town. If there are any others, they’re not on this map.”
He looked over her shoulder at the phone, noticing the sweet scent of her hair and how soft it was as it tickled his cheek. He moved a bit so it was no longer touching him. He couldn’t go there, couldn’t even think it. Falling for this woman wasn’t an option, so it was better not to tempt fate.
He took the phone from her and dialed Matt’s cell number, thankful when he heard his voice on the line.
“I’m in trouble,” he said when Matt answered. “My cover’s been blown.”
“What happened?” Matt’s voice was serious.
“I’m not sure. Mason Webber had my file.” He glanced at Holly then lowered his voice. “My real file, Matt. How did that happen? I thought the DOJ buried it.”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll find out. What’s your status?”
“He shot me. Don’t worry, it’s just a graze. But we’re on the run.”
“We?”
“I’m with a woman. Holly Mathis, a nurse at the med center. She’s the widow of Mason’s old partner. He attacked her, too. He said he was going to set it up to look like I was obsessed with her, killed her and then killed myself. He also claimed the boss was someone high up in the town. He said they had the coroner under their control.”
“But he didn’t give you a name?”
“No, but when Holly went to the police, Chief Waggoner tried to hand her over to Mason. He’s definitely dirty.”
“We’ll figure this out once you’re both safe. Where are you?”
“A convenience store on the south side of town.”
“Wait, you’re still in Northshore? You’ve got to get out of there.”
“We tried. All the roads are blocked. Mason has had me labeled as a dirty cop and told everyone at the precinct I kidnapped Holly. The whole force is out there looking for me.”
“Let me make some calls,” Matt said. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. You just stay safe.”
Blake turned to look at Holly and realized he was now responsible for keeping them both alive and well. He hoped he was up to the task. “I’ll do my best,” he told Matt before he pressed the off key. “We need to find a place to hide while we think this out.”
“Should we go back to my friend’s apartment now that Mason is gone?”
“No, he may still be watching it. We can’t go to my place or yours, either.” He leaned back in his seat and sighed. His mind spun at the notion
