Harlan stumbled and collapsed from weakness in the cold, dew-soaked grass alongside the road. His overnight case, the one item that the hired thugs hadn’t taken, only because they hadn’t seen it, slid down the embankment. He lay there, exhausted and disgusted with himself. He should have had more sense than to slink off in his hour of need to an ex-wife long shed of him. It would serve him right if he died of exposure and stupidity under a rusting, barbed-wire fence.
He heard the rumble of an approaching automobile. Edging down the embankment on his back, he scooted under the barbed wire, close to his overnight case and the stone wall. If the thugs tracked him to Vermont, they’d have no qualms about taking advantage of the isolation of the back road to finish their job on him. Dying of exposure and stupidity was one thing; dying at the hands of those charming individuals was quite another. And this time they wouldn’t miss his suitcase.
The car was coming fast, kicking up rocks and dust on the narrow road. There was something familiar about the sound of its engine. Something that grated on his nerves. It flew past him, a streak of sea green, rust, bald tires and bodywork not seen on the streets of America since the early days of the Beatles. Harlan gritted his teeth, as Beth’s refurbished 1965 Chevrolet Bel Air sped down Maple Street toward town.
If he could have been sure she wouldn’t run over him, he’d have crawled to his feet and flagged her down. Not the smartest decision he’d ever made— seeking sanctuary with a woman who might want to hurt him more than the men who already had.
Still, he had nowhere else to go. And if he played his cards right, she might never find out he was in close quarters.
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Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 75 novels, including her popular Sharpe & Donovan and Swift River Valley series. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and sold in over 35 countries. Whether creating stories of friendship, family and love or razor-sharp suspense, Carla always takes readers on a captivating journey.
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Within Reason: Mill Brook Trilogy, Book 2 Page 19
