Dangerously Close, page 4
“They have found us.”
FOUR
Hunter flattened himself against the brick wall and used his arm to keep Ashley against the wall beside him. His heart hammered as panic filled him. Slowly, he peeked around the corner. Joey’s small 4x4 truck crept by the few cars in the parking lot. Joey held a spotlight from the open window of his vehicle and scoped each car carefully.
Grumbling a cuss under his breath, Hunter reached down his right pant leg, pulled up the cuff, and withdrew his Glock. Next to him, Ashley gasped.
“Why do you have a gun?” she whispered.
“I work in a bar – in Queens. Isn’t that reason enough?” He held the Glock in position as he kept a careful watch.
“What is going on?” Ashley asked again in a low voice.
“Shh,” he told her. “I think you need to go inside the building. Hide in the bathroom or something.”
She threw him a scowl. “I’m not going anywhere.” She switched her gaze to his gun. “Are you going to kill him?”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “I’ll shoot only to protect us. That’s all.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.” She rubbed her forehead.
Hunter peeked around the corner again. Joey’s truck had passed Ashley’s car, but the man continued to use his spotlight to look at the other vehicles. Hunter could only assume that Joey – or Zander – hadn’t gotten a good look at her car when she was at the bar. That was a good thing. For now, anyway.
But then Joey’s truck stopped. Hunter held his breath as one of the crime bosses’ men climbed out and took his spotlight closer to the car right next to Ashley’s. Joey held a cell phone to his ear as he peeked inside the car. Joey shook his head as he talked fast. Seconds later, he climbed back in his truck, turned off the light, and drove out of the parking lot.
A gush of air escaped Hunter’s lungs and he relaxed, but he continued to keep his eyes on the truck. It drove into the next parking lot and the bright spotlight came on again as Joey scoped out the cars in that area.
“I think we’re good now.” Hunter looked at Ashley. “I’m assuming they’re not too sure what kind of car you drive.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, sometimes men aren’t very observant.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Ya think?” She massaged her head. “Where is Zander now?”
“That was Joey, one of the men who I talked to at the bar, and he is in the next parking lot.”
“Should we leave?”
“Not now. I want to make sure he doesn’t see a car pulling out of this parking lot yet. I don’t want him any more suspicious than he already is.”
Hunter took her hand and they hurried across the parking lot to her car. Using the remote, he unlocked the car and they climbed inside. As soon as the doors closed, they both sank lower in their seats.
After a few moments of silence, Ashley turned her head to look at him. “How do you think he found us?”
“I’m wondering if Zander figured it out when he couldn’t see our car on the interstate. I’m sure he has several men out there looking for us.”
She chuckled softly and shook her head. “With no description of my car? I’m sure he’s not going to find us at all.”
“Never underestimate Zander.” He stuffed his gun back into the holster wrapped around his ankle. “I know I never do.”
She stared at him for the longest time. Inside the car was dark, but there was a light somewhere in the parking lot that allowed him to see the shadows on her face. She was pretty regardless of the lighting, and he couldn’t pull his gaze away even if he wanted to.
“Hunter? How long have you known Zander?”
He blew out a big breath. “I’ve actually known him since college.”
“Really?” Her voice lifted. “I can’t imagine him going to college.”
“He probably didn’t go for very long, and he was probably only there to find men who wanted to work for him. When I met him, he was already making good money.”
“How long ago was that?”
He grinned. “Are you trying to find out how old I am, beautiful?”
She laughed. “Okay, you caught me.”
“I’m twenty-nine. And you, I’m assuming, are...” He reached across the seats and gently cupped her face, moving it from side to side. “You are in your early to mid-twenties.”
“I’m twenty-six.”
“You look younger.” He winked. “But then again, we’re in the shadows so I can’t see you very well.”
This time when she laughed, it was uncomfortable, and she pushed his hand away from her face. “I also know what a charmer you are, so I choose not to believe a word you say.”
“Oh, I’m wounded.” He clutched his chest.
“I’m also beginning to think you were in drama class in high school. Right?”
He laughed out loud. “I was, actually.” He lifted his chin proudly. “I played Hamlet one year.”
She giggled, but then it soon turned into a full laugh, so she slapped her hand over her mouth.
“You think that’s funny?” he asked with a touch of humor in his voice.
She nodded. “I can picture you wearing tights, and... it’s very funny.”
He laughed. “Ashley, I wasn’t this muscular in high school.”
“Okay, so maybe you played a good part, even wearing tights.”
Hunter really liked the sound of her laugh, but maybe he shouldn’t enjoy it too much. After all, he didn’t trust her, just as she hesitated to trust him. If his gut feelings were correct, Ashley Reynolds had something to do with his sister’s death.
Slowly, he rose up another couple of inches and looked out the window to see if Joey’s truck was still in the other parking lot. But the 4x4 wasn’t there. Scanning the nearby lots, Hunter couldn’t see the other man’s truck. Hunter still didn’t dare leave. Not yet.
“Are we going to stay like this?” Ashley asked.
“No. Sit up. I think we’ll be all right.”
Once they were sitting upright in their seats, Hunter drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Silence grew between them as he continued to watch the road. Ashley shifted in her seat a few times before he turned to look her way. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
“Are you cold?” he wondered.
“Just a little. Do you think you can turn on the car and start the heater?”
“No. I don’t want to draw attention. Do you have a jacket in the back or in the trunk?”
“Not in this car. My clothes are in my room.”
“And... where is your room?”
“At a motel.”
“Don’t you have a place to live?”
“Yes, it’s too dangerous to go back there.”
He narrowed his gaze on her. “You’re smart to think that.”
“Well, I wasn’t smart at first because right after realizing I’d lost my memory, I’d returned to my apartment. It had been ransacked. I was so scared, and all I could do was grab some clothes and personal items, and leave.” She rubbed her hands on her arms again.
“So where is this motel room? Anywhere near here?”
She shook her head. “It’s in Harlem.”
Grumbling, he scratched his head. “I don’t think we should head that way, only because that’s where Zander thinks we’re driving.”
“I know.” She frowned. “I think I’m a little cold because of the adrenaline that’s been shooting through my body tonight. But I’ll be all right, really.”
He watched her closely. She might be all right now, but in another hour, her teeth will be chattering. He sighed and motioned his head toward the back seat. “Let’s get back there. I have an idea.” She gave him a suspicious stare and he laughed. “Will you trust me? Please?”
TRUST ME, he’d said. He’d even followed it with a pitiful please. Ashley rolled her eyes, but she decided to give him another chance. After all, she was getting colder by the second, and he didn’t seem like he was anxious to drive anywhere for a while.
“Fine.” She opened the car door and hurried into the back seat.
Hunter followed. Once they were both sitting in the back, he scooted toward her with his arms open wide. “Come here.”
Shock rushed over her, mingling with a burst of confused excitement. “Are you kidding me? You wanted to come back here just to cuddle?”
“No, Ashley. I wanted to come back here because there is more room on the seat for me to share my body heat with you.” He motioned his arms. “Are you coming or did we get in the back seat for nothing? It’s up to you. Do you want to get warm or not?”
As much as she wanted to snap at him for even suggesting such a thing, the truth of the matter was he was right. That was the only way for her to get warm.
Blowing out an exasperated breath, she scooted toward him. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer to his chest. Immediately, warmth surrounded her. She’d forgotten how nice it felt to be in his arms. Of course, when he was carrying her from the bar to her car earlier this evening, that was a different matter altogether.
“Better now?” he asked with what sounded to be a deeper voice.
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Let me move us a little to make it more comfortable.”
He scooted them near the door so he could lean his back against the corner. He was right, again. Sitting this way was more comfortable.
She didn’t know what to say, but she had to say something. There was no way she wanted this moment to turn into something passionate.
“Tell me about yourself,” she said. “I now know that you were in college with Zander, so I’m assuming you lived somewhere near Upstate New York.”
“I did.”
His warm breath blew in her hair and pleasure shivered through her. He must have felt it because his large palms moved up and down her arm to bring more warmth to her.
“What was your major?”
“Engineering.”
Surprised, she tilted back her head and met his gaze. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
“I would have thought your major was body-building.”
His body shook with a silent laugh. “No, that’s just what I did on the side to earn money to pay for my degree.”
His face was too close, and his lips... were even closer. No, she couldn’t give into temptation, so she quickly rested her head back on his chest.
“Were you ever married?”
“No.” He paused. “Were you?”
“No. I was thinking more about my career than marriage and a family.”
“Same here.”
“Does your family still live nearby?” she wondered.
He didn’t answer right away, and she hesitantly tilted her head back to look at him. Sadness covered his expression as he peered out the window, and her heart tugged with emotion. Something terrible must have happened.
He cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to her. “My parents are still alive, but my sister died not too long ago.”
“Oh, Hunter. I’m sorry.” She placed her hand on his chest. “How long ago was it?”
“About four weeks.”
“How old was she?”
“Only twenty-five.” He tried to smile, but it was weak. “She was a beautiful woman and was trying to become a model. She had a bright future ahead of her, but... someone took it away from her.” His voice choked, so he cleared his throat.
“How horrible. I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about it.”
He inhaled deeply and then released it. “Yeah, I’m still upset over it, obviously. What about you? Have you ever had someone close to you die?”
She shook her head. “My father’s parents died five years ago, but we were never really close to them.”
“Death isn’t easy for anyone, but when it’s done in cold blood, that makes things even harder to bear.”
“I can only imagine.” She stroked his cheek, loving the feel of his soft goatee against her palm. When she realized what she was doing, she quickly dropped her hand back to her lap. She needed to change the subject, and quickly. She could not warm up to this man yet. “So, what made you decide to work for Zander?”
Hunter’s body relaxed. “Not quite six months ago, I was between jobs when Zander found me. He made me an offer to make some quick money. I accepted it.” He shrugged. “The rest is history.”
Once again, she didn’t believe his story. Hunter seemed like a smart man, so why would anyone want to work under Zander? Making quick money Zander’s way was illegal.
“At the time, did you know he was a drug dealer?”
Hunter shook his head. “He’s not a drug dealer. That’s what his couriers are for. Zander is a drug distributor. He organizes the drops from other countries and has them delivered to the United States. He also trades drugs for weapons. He’s a very dangerous man.”
Ashley’s heart raced with fear. She didn’t know that about Zander. And now, she was more frightened of him. Hunter had saved her from a fate worse than death when he pushed her in the car and drove away from the bar.
She swallowed hard, trying to moisten her suddenly dry throat. “He’s very powerful.”
“Yes.”
“You seem to be a strong man who knows how to use his brain. So, why are you still with him?”
He frowned. “Because it’s too late to get out. I don’t want to die.” He shook his head. “Men who work for Zander are with him until the end, whether their lives are cut short or not.”
“Has there been anyone in Zander’s organization who left him and not died?”
Slowly, Hunter nodded. “Yes.”
“Who?”
“You’re the only one I know about, beautiful.”
Dread sank inside her chest like a two-ton anchor, making it harder to breathe. “Then, I don’t have much longer to live, do I?” she asked with a tight voice.
“I’m going to try my hardest to make sure Zander doesn’t find you. Or me.”
Her body trembled from fear and she rested her head back on his chest. His arms tightened around her. As difficult as it seemed, she somehow needed to put her trust in Hunter... and pray they would both make it through this alive.
FIVE
Hunter’s mind drifted on heavenly clouds. Walking hand-in-hand, he and Ashley strolled along the beach in their bare feet. She wore the silkiest, sleeveless white dress that cuddled her perfect figure. When she gazed up into his eyes, she smiled. Her lovely gray-blue eyes sparkled with such tenderness it made him want to hold her against him for the rest of his life. She was the perfect woman for him. She fit in his arms; she made him laugh; and he enjoyed being with her every second of the day.
A gentle wind blew around them, teasing her long, wavy, blonde hair around her shoulders. She was a seductress of the best kind, and she was all his. He cupped her face, preparing to kiss her sultry lips, but in an instant, her face turned evil and she pushed him away. In her hand she had a butcher’s knife, and raised it toward him...
She’d killed his sister. She was now going to kill him!
He was too stunned to move, but he knew if he didn’t, she’d surely kill him. Just as she brought the knife down toward his chest, a bright light shone on them and the earth shook with a boom.
Hunter’s mind came alert as the startling sound turned into someone knocking on the car’s window next to him. A bright light shone on him and Ashley, who’d fallen asleep in his arms.
Cursing, he jerked to an upright position, which brought Ashley awake. She hitched a breath and shielded her eyes from the light.
Had Joey found them? Hunter wouldn’t believe it was possible. Just when he thought they might be safe... Couldn’t he have just a few more days alone with Ashley to help her regain her memory before they were put in front of Zander’s firing squad?
“Open the door,” a man’s deep voice from the other side of the door commanded.
Hunter shielded his eyes from the light as he reached for the doorknob. “Take the light away first,” he snapped. “We’re not animals, you know.”
The light moved and Hunter studied the man standing outside the window. Hunter’s first instinct was to swing the door open fast, which would knock him down and give Hunter the advantage of controlling the situation, but once he clearly saw the other man, he decided against it.
This wasn’t Joey or even one of Zander’s men. Instead, the tall man with a very wide middle and chubby face wore the uniform of the workers in the fast-food restaurant. Hunter exhaled slowly, trying to decrease his quick heart rate.
Hunter opened the door. The middle-aged man stepped back and lowered his flashlight.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Hunter began as he climbed out, “but my car wouldn’t start and I called for a tow-truck.” He shrugged. “I guess we fell asleep waiting for it.”
Hunter glanced around the nearly empty parking lot. How long had they been asleep? Even the lights from the building were all turned off.
“I understand,” the man said, “but I can’t have you here overnight. Does your car need a jump?”
“Probably.” He moved to the driver’s door. “Let me try it again.”
He withdrew the keys from his pocket and climbed behind the wheel. He turned the key into the ignition and started the car. Acting surprised when the engine roared to life, he swung his gaze toward the older man. “It started.”
“You probably just flooded it the first time you tried to start it,” the man said.
“I think you’re right.” Hunter got out of the car again and shook the man’s hand. “Thanks for understanding.” He looked over his shoulder at Ashley who was getting out of the back seat. “Isn’t that wonderful, Michelle? The car started.”
She smiled. “Yes. I’m so glad.”
She hurriedly climbed in the front as Hunter sat back behind the wheel and closed the door. Hunter didn’t like the way the man watched them closely, so he kept a smile on his face as he put the car in gear and drove out of the parking lot.
