Texas Bodyguard--Luke, page 4
Sure enough, it hadn’t taken long before the same men who’d broken into her house appeared. They’d gone inside the hotel and Claire had no doubt they knew what room she’d been given—it would be easy for Ballard to hack a computer system.
Claire had gotten back into her car, once again parked down the road, and left. Her little experiment had proven just what she thought it would. Ballard would trace her any time she used a credit or debit card.
She’d slept in her car at a rest area that night—as much as she could sleep, which wasn’t much at all.
Not knowing who to trust and being down to her last few dollars, she’d gone to her last foster family’s house. The Romeros had cared for Claire through the tail end of high school and still checked in with Claire every once in a while to see how she was doing.
She was running out of money and soon wouldn’t be able to feed herself or Khan. Popping into the Romeros’ and getting a meal—and maybe a bed that wasn’t her car—had seemed like the perfect plan. They’d definitely take her in for a day or two. Give her a chance to rest and figure out a plan.
She’d parked down at the end of the block and had been walking toward their house, rehearsing her story in her head, when she’d realized there was a car at the curb across from the Romeros’ house.
They were being watched.
She’d immediately turned to make it look like she was going to a neighbor’s house, then as soon as she was out of sight of the car, had jumped a fence—leading to more scratches and bruises—and run to her car in a panic.
Her entire body had been shaking. Ballard had figured out where she would go before she had. He had resources she hadn’t even dreamed about.
He was going to hunt her down wherever she went. There was nowhere she could go where he wouldn’t find her. And going to the police without evidence was just going to make it her word against Ballard’s.
He was a millionaire businessman with huge ties to the community. He had friends everywhere and was highly influential.
She was...nobody. No friends. No family.
She’d spent another night in her car, in a random apartment complex parking lot, nearly out of gas and hope. When she’d watched the sun come up, trying to keep from having a complete breakdown, a last-ditch plan had come to her.
Luke.
It had been his voice in her mind telling her to get out of Passage Digital.
She’d never forgotten him. Had wondered what had happened to him.
Then she’d seen him on the news a few weeks back, stoic and handsome. The same Luke, but all grown up. Obviously successful and...
No longer Luke Baldwin, like when she’d known him. He was Luke Patterson now.
Of San Antonio Security.
Protection was definitely what she needed, and she prayed maybe he could help her. Protect her like he had when they were kids.
That was, if he even remembered her.
But she hadn’t had any other options, so she’d looked up San Antonio Security’s office and driven there. She sat in the parking lot across the street for three hours before finally going inside.
He’d remembered her.
He’d helped her.
He’d somehow heated the female parts of her she wasn’t even sure worked correctly. Despite her fear and exhaustion, a few minutes in Luke’s presence had her more wound up than any of the guys she’d had relationships with during college—all two of them.
She turned off the water and towel-dried her body, getting dressed in one of the two sets of clothes she had left to her name. Then she lay down on the bed, rubbing Khan’s gray fur, stretching as she thought of Luke.
No matter how uncharacteristically revved up he’d gotten her, she still hadn’t been able to tell him the truth. What if he didn’t believe her?
Even if he did buy her story, he couldn’t protect her from Ballard. No one could. But he’d bought her a little time.
Khan meowed again and climbed up next to her head on the pillow.
“It’s okay, buddy.” She scratched the magic spot behind his ears.
A loud purr filled the room.
“You like it here?”
After Luke left, she’d taken Khan outside to do his business and seen the sliding glass door in the adjacent room. With that, Khan would be able to go in and out as he pleased.
All it took was telling the guy at the front desk that her room had a musty smell. He’d traded her key, barely looking away from the TV.
After three days trapped in a car, her precious dog-cat was thrilled to have space and freedom.
“We won’t be able to stay long. Sorry. But we’ll find a safe place. Somewhere.” She didn’t know how, but they would.
Claire nestled deeper into the pillows and Khan was finally feeling comfortable. Her eyelids grew heavy, and before she knew it, they couldn’t stay open.
Bang!
Gasping, Claire sat straight up in bed. Khan hissed, his fluffy tail swishing against her face.
Had that been a gunshot?
“Police.” More banging. “Open the door.”
Not a gunshot, the cops knocking on her door. She felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the planet.
More banging.
But wait... The voice had been too muffled. The police weren’t at her motel room; they were at the one next door.
The first room she’d checked into.
That wasn’t good, either. These “police officers” hadn’t gone to the front desk like real ones would. If they had, they’d have known she switched rooms.
That meant they’d gotten her room info via a computer search—the Vance Ballard way.
Unless Luke had turned her in.
No, she couldn’t think like that. Not if she wanted to keep it together and not get arrested.
“Ma’am, we’re going to need you to open the door.”
Claire threw the blankets off her legs. She needed to get out of there.
Grabbing Khan, she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her small purse with the computer drive. The bit of money she still had was in it, along with her car keys.
Not that she could make it to her car, which sat in the front parking lot.
As quietly as possible, Claire opened the sliding door. Thick woods separated the motel and the interstate. She could hide there.
The loud crack of wood made her cringe. They’d broken the door to the room next door. Muffled male voices barked at each other.
It wouldn’t be long before they figured out that they had the wrong room.
Holding Khan for dear life, Claire bolted for the woods at an angle away from her predators, in case they looked out the window and spotted her.
She ran as fast as she could, not daring to look back. Cursing at how much time she spent at a computer instead of getting exercise, she was gasping for breath before she even hit the tree line.
Were they behind her? She didn’t know. She couldn’t hear anything anymore and it was getting dark. The dark would work in her favor.
She had to keep going, just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Khan was so damn heavy in her arms, but she didn’t dare let him down. If he decided to go after some critter, she might not have time to find him again. That was an unacceptable option.
She tucked the squirmy cat up against her and she stepped around a big tree, almost sobbing in relief at the sight of a bridge visible through the woods. If she could get to that, it would take her over the interstate.
She heard sounds behind her. Men talking. They’d figured out she’d come this way. She gulped in a couple of deep breaths, then forced herself to run again.
She’d only gone a few steps before she was stopped mid-stride. Terror engulfed her as an arm wrapped around her waist from behind, lifting her up. A hand pressed hard against her mouth, muffling her scream.
It was just like in her dream earlier, except this nightmare was a reality.
There would be no waking up from this.
Chapter Five
“Kitten, it’s me,” Luke whispered into Claire’s hair, ignoring the sting from that giant cat’s scratch. He hadn’t wanted to scare her, but he was afraid she’d scream if he just stepped out in front of her.
Her squirming subsided and he loosened his hold so she could turn around.
“Luke?”
“Shh.” He put a finger to his lips.
She nodded at his forearm. “Khan scratched you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I almost let Khan loose on you.” Claire’s voice shook.
It sounded like a joke, but the vicious feline could no doubt do some real damage.
“There are men at the motel,” she continued. “They said they’re the police, but I don’t think they are.”
“I know.” Luke stole a glance around the tree. They were in a good hiding spot for the moment, but they couldn’t stay long. Someone had tailed him from the office, and it had taken him a while to lose them without seeming like he was losing them. He’d parked around the corner and walked over. “Cops don’t have MAC-10 semiautomatic machine pistols. Those are what bad guys use.”
They were close enough that he could feel the shiver come off her.
She had every right to be afraid. Whoever it was breaking into her room had meant business.
“How did you get out of your room?” He took her hand and they walked quickly toward the bridge. He didn’t run; right now, stealth was more important than speed.
“I traded rooms so Khan could use a sliding glass door to get in and out.”
He picked up speed when they heard shouting not far behind them. They must have figured out what had happened.
“There’s something a lot more serious going on than mugging and falling in with the wrong crowd, isn’t there?”
She deflated and buried her nose in Khan’s fur. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
He squeezed her hand. “There’ll be time for explanations later. Right now, we need to get out of here. Stay close to me and keep as low as possible.”
He moved them forward at a rapid pace, keeping her in front so he was between her and the MAC-10s.
They broke from the trees to the roar of traffic. Cars whizzed by, nothing more than blurs of color. Luke glanced over his shoulder but didn’t see anyone.
“When I say run, get to the divide.” Luke studied Claire to make sure she’d heard him.
“O-okay.”
“Now!” Taking advantage of a break in traffic, they ran for it.
Claire kept up, despite her heavy load with the cat. They made it to the divide, then successfully across the other side of the interstate.
Climbing over the low railing between the road and a Laundromat, Luke checked over his shoulder. Still no sign of the attackers.
Which almost felt worse than seeing them would.
If they weren’t in sight, Luke didn’t know where they were, and he liked to always have a target on his enemies.
“Where did you park?” Claire adjusted Khan in her arms as they continued.
“Right up here. Half a block.” Luke pointed. “Let me carry him for a minute.”
She pulled the cat closer. “I don’t think he’ll let you. He’s very protective.”
Luke nodded. Now wasn’t the time to find out. He quickly moved again, keeping her hand tucked in his.
They crossed behind the Laundromat not far from where he’d parked when a gruff male voice from around the corner made them freeze. Luke yanked Claire down with him behind the side of a dumpster.
“Jennings swears he saw two people cross the highway.”
“Jennings also told us she would be in the motel room where she obviously wasn’t,” another man barked back. “Just because we found her car and stuff in the next room doesn’t mean she hadn’t run a long time before we got there.”
Claire let out a low whimper and shrank into herself. Luke put a hand on her arm and pulled her to his side. Their shoulder blades pressed against the hard brick of the Laundromat. The voices had sounded close, real close.
Khan decided he’d had enough of being held. He struggled in Claire’s arms before slipping through her crooked elbow. As Claire gasped, Khan jumped onto a nearby trash can. He didn’t quite make the landing, though, and the can toppled over with a loud crash.
“What was that?” one of the men asked.
Claire reached out for Khan, but Luke wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her back. She loved that cat, but he wasn’t letting her get killed for it. He slid them both farther behind the dumpster, peeking through the crack.
Spooked by the trash can, Khan skirted farther into the parking lot, his tail fluffed out in surprise.
A man laughed and hit the chest of the guy who’d pulled at his gun. “It’s a damn cat. Come on, there’s nobody around here. Let’s check out the parking lot and see if anyone is around.”
Luke stayed flush against the wall with Claire pressed up against him as the men made their way toward the parking lot. With every breath, Claire heaved against him. She’d buried her face in his chest at some point, and one of her hands fisted his shirt.
Heat rushed through Luke and his heart sped up.
Neither physiological response could be completely blamed on the danger they’d just dodged.
“You okay?” he whispered against her hair.
She nodded, then took a step away from him. “Khan. Come here.”
The cat leaped right into her arms, and Luke swore the thing looked sheepish and Claire looked like she was about to lecture the cat about proper behavior.
“Save it,” he whispered, taking her hand once again. “You’ll have to give the cat a time-out after we’re not about to get shot.”
Making it safely to his truck a few minutes later only slightly lessened the adrenaline coursing through Luke’s veins. He gripped the steering wheel tight as they drove out of the city, his gaze raking the road ahead and behind them for any signs of being followed.
Next to him, Claire looked out the window. Her tangled hair fell in front of her face and her shoulders curved forward like she wanted to disappear.
Luke’s chest constricted. He almost didn’t want to say anything or ask details about what was going on. She looked so fragile, like the wrong word might break her into a thousand pieces.
But silence wouldn’t do, either.
“Were you able to get any sleep this afternoon?” he asked as gently as he could.
“A little.”
He turned onto a side road leading out of San Antonio. He wasn’t sure where they were headed yet; he just knew that they needed to get the hell out of Dodge.
“Want to tell me what’s going on?”
She continued staring out the window for a long minute before she finally spoke.
“I work—well, worked, past tense now, I guess—for Passage Digital.”
“The software and apps company. Yes, I did a little research on you this afternoon.”
She glanced over at him but didn’t look surprised. “I developed this business-to-customer mobile application with someone at work. Julia.” Her voice cracked on the name.
“Three days ago, Julia told me that our boss, Vance Ballard, had removed certain safety restrictions from our coding. Basically, he made it so that Gouda would illegally collect data from users. That data could eventually be used for financial and identity theft—bank account information, Social Security numbers...pretty much everything.”
Luke shook his head. “Hold on. Business-to-customer? And what was that about cheese? The only word I understood was illegally.”
She gave him the tiniest smile. “Sorry. The program is called Gouda. It’s the app Julia and I developed.”
“Gouda. Catchy. Okay, keep going. What happened?” He wanted to understand the details more, but that wasn’t what was important here. What was important was that she was finally talking.
“Julia transferred Ballard’s files to me while we were at work. Evidence we would need to prove what he did. And then...” She lowered her face, nearly burying her nose in Khan’s fur. “And then they killed Julia right in front of me, while we were on video chat. They didn’t know I was at the other end or that I was watching. Vance Ballard ordered one of his guys to kill her and the guy just snapped her neck.”
He wanted to pull over and stop the truck. Haul Claire into his arms and just hold her.
He muttered a curse under his breath. He had witnessed death in the army, and it had been scarring enough. He couldn’t imagine what witnessing the brutal murder of a colleague would do to a person.
He reached over and took Claire’s hand where it was balled in Khan’s fur. It wasn’t enough, but it was all the comfort he could offer for now.
“I was lucky to get out of the building before they realized it was me. I’ve been on the run ever since. I can’t use my credit cards and I’m almost out of cash. Ballard seems to have people watching anywhere I might go to get help or rest.”
“Well, he doesn’t have anyone watching us now. You’re safe, and I’m not leaving you alone again.”
Claire nodded, then turned to stare blankly out the windshield. He didn’t press her for more info. Her blue eyes had such deep shadows under them that they looked like bruises. The latest adrenaline spike from being chased and almost caught was gone now, and she was bottoming out.
Her physical and emotional reserves were on empty. He’d seen it before in soldiers, and it was never pretty. He needed to get her somewhere immediately so she could rest before she completely broke down.
Going back to the office wasn’t an option, and neither was his house—both were probably being monitored.
Luke pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. He shouldn’t have been doing it while driving, but the current situation made stopping the vehicle for even a minute seem riskier.
