Long Road Home (13 page)

“I’m right.” She knew it without a doubt. She could still feel the searing pain of the knife as it sliced her back open. The fingers parting her flesh. They had planted the device then given her the tattoo to cover the scar. The bastards had always known where she was. She never had a chance. Mom and Pop never had a chance.

So as it turned out, she had in fact killed them with her carelessness.

“Why did you only now realize you were being tracked?” he asked.

She closed her eyes. She knew how damning it looked. Someone wasn’t likely to forget they had a piece of metal in their back. She’d effectively blocked the events of that day from her mind until it had been time to tell Manny what had happened. “I don’t expect you to believe that I didn’t know until now. The important thing is for us to get rid of the device.”

His lips thinned but he remained silent. She could see a slight tic in his jaw, though. He was angry. He had reason. She couldn’t fault him for that.

He drove through the crowded streets, and she kept careful watch for suspicious activity around them. After several city blocks, the buildings gave way to a large, grassy park. She nodded approvingly. The area was wide open. No one would be able to sneak up on them.

After parking in a place easily departed from, he switched off the engine and turned to her. “Can we do this in the car? I’d rather not chance you attracting attention with any hollering.”

She stared steadily at him. “I’d prefer to do it outside.”

He studied her for a moment then apparently decided she could handle it. Wordlessly, he opened the door and got out, taking the pocket knife with him. She opened her door and stepped out, her stomach lurching at what was to come. But she wouldn’t let him see her fear. She’d braved worse. She wasn’t going to make an ass of herself in front of him.

Manuel watched as she slowly stood up and shut her car door. She shrugged out of her jacket and threw it over the hood. “Where should I stand?”

He glanced around their surroundings. This was absurd. He couldn’t cut open her shoulder in broad daylight in a public park. Discounting the fact that he had no desire to hurt her, if they drew attention again, it was going to be damn difficult to extricate themselves.

“Jules, you’re going to have to get in the car. We can’t do it out here. I can leave the door open.”

She didn’t look thrilled by the announcement, but she nodded her understanding. He opened the back door then looked at her. “If you can just kneel down and face the door, I can shield the other side of you with my body.”

She complied, her fingers gripping the inside armrest of the door as she knelt on the pavement. He pulled up her shirt and quickly looked around to make sure no one was close. She trembled as he thumbed the small tattoo. Damn. There was no way to make this painless.

“Just do it,” she gritted out.

He flipped open the knife and set the point at the top of the tattoo. Not wanting to prolong her agony, he sliced down in a quick motion, flaying open the skin about an inch. She flinched, and he could hear her sucking in her breath.

Using the back of her shirt, he soaked up the blood that ran down her back. Then he gently pressed the point of the blade into the wound, feeling for any obstruction. To his surprise he came across a small, round disk no larger than a hearing-aid battery. He flicked it out into his palm and pressed her shirt firmly over the wound. “I’ve got it.”

Frowning, he stared down at the metal object. He was familiar with the technology, and as far as he knew, it wasn’t something the NFR would have access to. Shelving his questions for the moment, he turned his attention back to Jules.

He helped her up, keeping a steadying hand to her back. “Are you okay?” His heart lurched when he saw the pain in her eyes.

She nodded. “Is it still bleeding?”

“Yeah. It really needs stitches, but we’ll have to settle for stopping and getting some bandages somewhere. I’ll need to wash it out with an antiseptic too.”

She stared pointedly at his hand. “What are you going to do with that?”

“No sense tipping our hand by destroying it. Better to lead them away from us.” He glanced around, his eyes lighting on a nearby bus stop.

“Get in the car and wait for me,” he directed. “I’m going to go plant the device on the bus.”

She got into the car, and he could see the red stain at her back growing larger. He needed to get to a drugstore fast. He sprinted across the grass as he saw the bus approaching from down the street. When the bus pulled up, he boarded and looked at the driver. Pretending to dig into his pockets for change, he grimaced. “Sorry, must have forgotten my cash.” He quickly dropped the tracking device on the floor and stepped off the bus.

As it drove away, he hurried to the car. He climbed in and looked over at Jules in concern. “You okay?” She was pale and shaking. Her eyes reflected an inner turmoil that he imagined had nothing to do with the wound he’d inflicted on her.

“I’m fine. Let’s get out of here.”

He nudged her forward and frowned when he took in the amount of blood covering her shirt. “After I bandage you up, you need to get another shirt on.”

“Manny, can we just go?”

He fired the engine and pulled away. As they drove from the park, he kept his eyes peeled for a place he could buy medical supplies. After several blocks, he spied a small drugstore and pulled over. “Wait here.”

Jules watched him walk into the drugstore and marveled at how easily he trusted her. Had he forgotten how hard she’d tried to ditch him? She leaned back against the seat, not caring if she got blood all over the leather.

So much had happened in the last few days. Her life had changed irrevocably. Manny’s life had changed. She wondered how much he resented her. He’d been nothing but caring, but when he found out the truth about her and what she planned… She shivered at the thought. Of all the things she’d suffered, his hatred was something she couldn’t bear.

Her shoulder throbbed, slick with blood. The smell nauseated her, bringing back the memory of when they had implanted it.

Bastards.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the hatred, the desire for revenge. It would only make her vulnerable. And careless. But after so many years of coldness, she was awash with raw feeling. She was bombarded at every angle by differing emotions. Sorrow. Regret. Loss.

Goddamn it, she would not cry again.

Manny returned with a small bag, and she ignored his scrutinizing look. As he closed the door behind him, he motioned for her to twist in the seat.

“Take your shirt off,” he directed. “I bought you a T-shirt you can wear.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she tore off the bloodied shirt, keeping her chest to the door. Not that the sight of her boobs would send his hormones raging, but she would not feel any more vulnerable than she already did.

She flinched when his hand gently closed on her shoulder. A cool rag wiped over her wound as he worked methodically to clean it.

“Okay, this is going to hurt.”

She barely had time to suck in her breath before her back lit on fire. She let out her air in a long hiss of pain as the antiseptic danced daggers on her shoulder.

His thumbs pressed into her skin as he taped a bandage over the wound. Then he thrust the shirt at her.

She hastily pulled it over her head.

“It’s not the best, but it’ll do.”

She nodded. “Where to now?”

He sighed and started the engine then threw the BMW into reverse. He looked over his shoulder as they backed out of the parking lot and headed onto the street.

“I need to call Tony. We still need to get to D.C.”

She didn’t respond, and only halfway paid attention as he got on his cell phone to correspond with his partner.

Yes, they had to get to D.C. Her destiny awaited her in D.C. Her last miserable effort to try and get out of the life she had made for the last three years, and then she’d disappear and hope Manny could get on with his life.

She clenched her fingers into balls in her lap, her ragged nails digging painfully into her palms. If only she could draw Northstar out, she could put an end to everything. She’d take pleasure in killing the bastard who had heaped so much pain on her.

Manny’s hand crept over hers, uncurling her tightly wound fingers. “You’re drifting again, baby.”

She cringed. The endearment was back. He never could stay angry at her for long. Unable to help herself, she gripped his hand, holding tightly to it like a lifeline. She hadn’t even realized he had finished talking to Tony.

Composing herself the best she could, she turned her head to Manny. “What did Tony say?”

He sighed. “We drive to Beaumont, and he’ll have another car lined up for us. Then we hit the road to D.C.”

“Another Bondmobile?”

He halfway grinned. “If Tony lined it up, it’ll have all the bells and whistles.”

She leaned back in her seat. “I’m sorry, Manny. I never meant to involve you in my problems.”

His hand cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“I just wish you had involved me three years ago.”

Chapter Fifteen

They drove down Interstate 10 as fast as Manuel dared without drawing attention from any passing state troopers. Jules slumped in her seat looking unbelievably exhausted. He could relate. Fatigue had long since set in with him. He only wanted a safe place where they both could rest, and he could take care of her.

When they arrived in Beaumont, as Tony promised, another vehicle waited for them at the rendezvous point. They ditched the Beamer for an SUV then headed north, paralleling Louisiana through Southeast Texas.

His neck ached. His back ached. Hell, he hadn’t felt this bad since he was in high school when he tied one on graduation night.

Jules broke the silence. “Let me drive.”

He glanced over at her. “I’m okay.”

She snorted. “You look like you’re about to fall over. Let me drive. I won’t kill us. I promise.”

He sighed and pulled off. He’d pick his battles, and frankly this wasn’t one of them.

They changed seats, and he settled back, watching her from the corner of his eye. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her gaze directed forward, but at rapid intervals she checked the rearview and side-view mirrors.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask so many questions, but he halted before the first word left his lips. Truth be told, he didn’t even want to know the answers. And he didn’t want her to relive memories of her hell.

Never again, he vowed silently. She was his to protect.

“Do you want to stop for the night?” she asked, glancing over at him. “Or should we keep driving?”

“We should probably drive as long as we can,” he replied. “Put as much distance between us and the baddies as possible. We can stop when we reach Tennessee. Tony will line us up a spot.”

“You trust him.”

It wasn’t a question, but she voiced it as if surprised. But then he supposed she had learned to trust no one.

“Yes, I trust him. With my life. Our lives,” he added for emphasis.

She nodded, and Manuel felt a twinge of hope that she was allowing herself to trust
him
.

“Want me to drive?”

She smiled. “No, I’ve only been driving an hour. Why don’t you get some sleep? You can take over when we reach Arkansas.”

“Okay. Wake me.”

She nodded again.

Jules watched as he dozed off, his head leaning on his shoulder. She ached to reach out and touch him, burrow into his arms and sleep as well. She was nearly past her breaking point, exhaustion seeping from her every pore. But she knew Manny needed rest. She’d gone without sleep before, sometimes for days. She could certainly do it again.

She focused her attention on the never-ending road in front of her. The towns passed in a blur, and darkness began to fall. When she reached Texarkana, she turned east on the interstate toward Little Rock.

Who was trying to kill her? She had no doubt Northstar had known her every movement, but why after she’d agreed to do the job had someone tried to kill her? No one else should even know where she was.

Beside her, Manny’s cell phone pulsed and vibrated. She yanked it up and hit the button to silence it so it wouldn’t wake him.

She drove on mechanically, maneuvering through traffic, counting mile markers to stay awake. When they were a few miles outside Little Rock, Manny stirred beside her and shifted up in his seat.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“Yeah.”

“Want me to drive?”

Instead of speaking, she pulled onto an exit and parked at a gas station. They needed to fill up anyway. She turned off the ignition and leaned forward, resting her head against the steering wheel.

Strong hands stole over her back, creeping up, massaging her neck and shoulders, careful around her wound.

“You need to sleep, baby,” Manny said, his voice full of love and concern. “I’ll pump the gas. You want anything from inside?”

She shook her head and opened the door to get out. The cool air did little to revive her. It wasn’t as cold as in Colorado. She walked around the front, meeting Manny as he moved toward the pump.

To her surprise, he caught her in his arms and pulled her to his chest, enfolding her completely in his embrace. He stroked her back comfortingly, taking care not to bump her bandage.

She laid her head on his chest, soaking up the moment like the desert does the rain. He kissed her on top of the head and slowly pulled away.

“Get in and get some rest,” he ordered. “We’ll be on the road again in a few minutes.”

She slid into the seat and sighed. It was still warm from Manny’s body. She curled closer to the leather, wanting to absorb his presence.

A few minutes later, Manny got behind the wheel and started the engine.

“Someone called for you while you were asleep,” she said as they drove from the parking lot.

“It was probably Tony.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

He stared at her for a moment then reached for his phone.

She turned away and looked out the window, searching the sky for answers she knew she wouldn’t find. Behind her, Manny spoke in low tones. She supposed Tony was giving him information on the place in Tennessee. Or giving Manny more dirt on her. As if he didn’t know enough already.