Her face lowered toward his. She grunted. “I’m coming with you.”
She hadn’t been trying to kiss him after all. She wanted to use him for balance to climb through the window. Her torso already hung halfway out of the cottage. Why did she have to be so tenacious?
“No, you’re not.” He gripped her ribs to push her back in.
“Ouch.” She pulled her injured arm to her chest.
He released her automatically to keep from hurting her any more. “You okay?”
“No, I’m not okay. You’re the only one who really knows what I’m going through, and you’re trying to leave.”
He stepped closer to the window to push her back in. “For your own good.”
She used his proximity to wrap her good arm around his neck. Was that the heat from the shower or her embrace that warmed his skin? “And for your good, I’m going to tell police everything.”
His insides burned. After all he’d done for her, she was going to hand him over to go to prison?
“Holly, please.” The whole world would turn on him. His parents would be harassed. That was, if they lived that long. Whoever had hanged Sergeant Beatty could also take out anyone else who might believe in Preston’s innocence.
Her eyes softened. “Even if I try to keep it a secret, it’s going to slip out. So take me with you. I can help prove you didn’t sabotage the operation. I’m a defense attorney, and I’m really good at my job.”
He wanted to believe she could help, but she was already in enough danger. He couldn’t ask her to sacrifice her future. That had to be his burden alone. “Holly—”
A pinecone skittered across the ground toward them. Preston’s muscles tensed. Was the shooter back? Had he just put Holly in the enemy’s crosshairs?
The blue light from a cell phone floated around the side of the house, followed by muffled cursing. The communication device flew to the ground. Officer Shaw stepped forward into the light from the living room window, fumbling for his gun. “Stop!”
CHAPTER FIVE
Holly jumped at the sound of Shaw’s voice, shifting more of her weight into Preston. The officer drew his weapon. Blood raced through her veins like a dam had burst. Preston didn’t know the police had his description and had falsely assumed he was the one trying to kill her. And now it would look like he was kidnapping her. She had to get him to the ground before he got shot, too.
Panic pushed through her toes onto the lid of the toilet seat, sending her hurtling out the window. Preston tipped backward with her sudden weight. His arm wound around her waist, but it wasn’t enough to slow her descent.
Solid dirt rushed up to meet them. Preston took the brunt of the landing, softening the jaw-jarring impact, but a nearby bush scratched against her injured arm, setting it on fire all over again. “Oh,” she moaned without meaning to. She clamped her mouth shut, despite the fact she was still tumbling along the ground.
“Stop,” Shaw called again into the blackness.
But the momentum of the crash kept them sliding downhill. She rolled after Preston over a rock and through the pine needles. Small plants and shrubs knocked them about like pinballs.
“Let the woman go.”
Holly slowed to a halt, the bare skin below her shorts burning from the scrape of stone. A flashlight beam sliced through the dark, forcing her to lift her good arm to shield her eyes to keep from being blinded. But it didn’t keep her from hearing the report of gunfire as Shaw fired what she hoped was a warning shot. But what if it wasn’t?
Her heart drummed against her lungs. She couldn’t handle any more gunfire. Especially not from the person supposed to be protecting her. “No. Don’t.”
A second shot drowned out her words.
She couldn’t wait and hope Shaw realized he was after the wrong guy. She darted to her feet, reaching through the darkness for Preston. Had he been hit?
The beam of light flashed over Preston’s form running toward her. He was fine. But they had to get out of flashlight range if he was going to stay that way.
His hand caught hers. Tugged her toward the trees. Toward the road. Where would they go?
Third shot. Leaves rained down from overhead. That one came a little too close to be a warning shot.
She couldn’t move fast enough. Her feet seemed to trip over every pebble, her ankles twisted on uneven ground. Yet the wind brushed against her as if she were riding the Jet Ski. Her pulse certainly roared louder than an engine.
She held her injured arm up as high as she could to protect herself from running into something or falling on her face, though a stabbing pain reminded her how weak her shoulder muscle was. She probably wouldn’t be able to catch herself if she tried. Please, God, get us out of here.
* * *
They were almost back to his truck. But that didn’t change the fact a police officer was chasing them. As if running from the bad guy wasn’t terrifying enough.
Shaw must have thought he was the bad guy. And it didn’t help that they couldn’t stop sliding down the hill when the officer yelled for him to stop. He would have gladly turned himself in rather than dodge bullets.
He couldn’t blame Holly for freaking out at the sight of a gun after what she’d already been through. He’d just blame her for trying to climb out the window in the first place. This was exactly why he’d needed to say goodbye. Now the people who were supposed to be helping her were hunting her.
Holly panted next to him as they burst from the woods onto the road. He pulled her arm to guide her toward the Chevy with one hand and dug in his pocket for keys with the other.
Grass crunched and footsteps pounded behind them. Static crackled. “Code eight. Requesting backup. Kidnapping in progress at Cedar Glen.” The voice wheezed between sentences and grew faint.
They were going to make it. Preston would have to drive into the mountains and lie low for the night—after he got Holly to the police station. She could report him if she wanted to. At least he’d know she was safe.
Preston swung Holly toward the passenger door and let go of her hand so he could run around to the driver’s side. She stared back into the woods as he turned the key in the lock and reached across to unlock her side. “Come on.”
She jerked the door open with a squeak and buckled herself onto the bench seat before twisting around to watch for Shaw behind them. “He called for help. The police are going to chase us. They are going to catch you before we find your saboteur. I’m so sorry.”
He started the engine and stepped on the gas, keeping his headlights off to avoid detection. Just up around the corner, he’d take a left onto the highway, then another left onto a back road. No flashing lights or sirens yet.
“They aren’t going to catch us, Holly. But you are going to turn yourself in. You’ve got enough to worry about without running from cops and trying to solve my problem.”
She covered her face. “I know. I just don’t want to think about my problems anymore. It makes me feel so alone.”
If only he could be there for her the way he wanted to. Preston glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure they still weren’t being followed. All clear. “I know, doll.” Doll. He didn’t mean to keep using the old nickname. He’d practically forgotten about it until it had slipped out. He should have forgotten about it, given it up. Just like his sister had given up playing with her dolls.
He needed to keep his eyes on reality and not on what he wished it to be. He focused forward.
A Jeep darted onto the road in front of them. Preston slammed on the brakes to keep from rear-ending it. Holly’s head whipped forward. His mouth went dry and his heart lodged itself in his throat at the idea of causing her even more pain.
The driver must not have seen him with his headlights off. Totally Preston’s fault. He waved an apology, though the other guy wouldn’t be able to see it.
Nope. The driver laid on the horn. Not the nicest guy in the world. Good thing they’d be turning left and would get away from the Jeep…The Jee
p? The dark-colored Jeep Cherokee? The license plate number starting with 5AO.
Preston sat up straighter. Could it be? The vehicle had turned out of the parking lot next to Cedar Glen.
Police lights flashed in the distance coming from town. Preston had to get off the road before he was spotted. Should he take a left turn and hide out in the mountains, or should he follow the Jeep, knowing if police caught him, he’d be able to point his finger at another suspect?
The Jeep flashed a blinker to turn right into the marina. Was Preston crazy, or was God answering a prayer in that mysterious way of His? Only one way to find out. Preston swung the steering wheel right into the parking lot and parked between two larger trucks in hopes that the Chevy LUV would remain out of sight from both the driver of the Jeep and police.
“Are we getting on your Jet Ski?” asked Holly.
No lights on his Jet Ski. Wouldn’t be safe to ride at night.
Speaking of lights, cop cars rocketed past, blue and red flashers spinning wildly. He and Holly were safe for the moment. Safe to follow the Jeep driver and find out if the man was truly the bomber/shooter.
Preston shook his head in response to her question. “No. The Jeep I followed in here looks like the vehicle that dropped the bomb off at your cabin earlier.”
Holly spun around from facing the highway to follow his gaze. “Are you sure? There are lots of Jeeps in this area.”
Preston pressed his lips together. “No, I’m not sure. But it came out of a parking lot close to the lodge. The driver could be your shooter, as well.”
She clutched her injured arm and leaned forward for a better view. “What do we do?”
Good question. Preston watched the man open the driver’s door and climb out under the streetlight. The bomber. “We follow to—”
Holly gasped. “I know him.”
* * *
Holly’s heartbeat tripped over the shock. “I can’t believe he’d try to kill me. I must have been right.”
Preston twisted to face her. “You recognize him? Who is he? What were you right about?”
Holly ducked behind the dashboard even though Lee Galloway headed the opposite direction. She needed the police now more than ever. Why had she insisted on climbing out the window to be with Preston? Her fear of being left alone had gotten her in trouble again.
Preston rubbed a hand over her back. “Holly, do we need to follow him or call the police immediately?”
His touch was probably supposed to soothe frayed nerves, but the pressure found a couple sore spots that must have been new bruises from falling out the cabin window. It put her even more on edge…if possible. She wouldn’t sit up. She wouldn’t risk looking out the windshield. She would wait for help to arrive.
“Call the police.”
“Okay. But that means we have to go into the yacht club. I don’t want to leave you here by yourself. And I don’t know what to tell the emergency operator, either.”
Her muscles stiffened at the idea of stepping into the open with a murderer. “I can’t.” But what could she do? “Drive to the police station.”
Silence. Followed by a deep breath. “I would love to, Holly. But then this guy could get away. And also, the police might be so busy arresting me that they wouldn’t listen to what we have to say.”
She dug her fingernails into the old vinyl seat. She didn’t want Preston to get arrested.
“Doll, why are you so scared?”
Doll. She’d loved the name when they were dating, but now the man wanted nothing to do with her. She was more of a dilemma than a doll.
What if Preston took off after the bomber was arrested, but the man got out on bail a second time and tried to kill her again? She’d have nobody to look out for her then. No fiancé. No childhood sweetheart. Nobody. Would she ever learn to look out for herself? She had to.
“That’s Lee Galloway.” She peeked to make sure the coast was clear before sitting up. “Caleb is defending him on murder charges even though Lee overheard me advising Caleb not to. Lee’s rich wife caught him cheating, which, according to his prenuptial agreement, would have kept him from getting any of her money in a divorce. But before she could file for a separation, she was found floating in the bay. He inherited everything. I…uh… I pretty much accused him of drowning her.”
She’d apparently been right. No wonder Caleb wanted to defend Lee. He could relate to the unfaithfulness. How had she been able to see the truth so clearly in another man, just not the man she’d been planning to marry?
Preston stared. “You didn’t think to mention this when I asked if you had any enemies?”
Holly shrugged. She hadn’t imagined her opinion on the case would be worth killing over. She wasn’t the prosecuting attorney. Though now she wanted to be. “I don’t know why he would try to kill me. Unless…” Did he know she’d caught Caleb cheating?
“Unless…?” Preston prompted.
Did anything else make sense? “Unless Caleb dropped him as a client because he’s trying to win me back.”
Preston stiffened. “He is?”
Holly paused. She was talking about the man trying to kill her, and Preston wanted to talk about the man trying to romance her? “Caleb said he came up to Tahoe in hopes of getting back together.” So beside the point. “Anyway—”
“He did?”
Holly closed her eyes and shook her head. What did it matter if Caleb wanted to date her if she didn’t survive to go on another date? “Preston.”
“Sorry.” He ran fingers through his hair. “So you think Caleb might have dropped Lee’s case to win you over? And now Lee sees you as a threat?”
Mentally, Holly went back over the words, over the logic. If the man killed people who got in his way, and he considered her in his way, then yes. It fit. “The person on the phone could have been Lee’s new girlfriend. She definitely wouldn’t want him to lose all his money.” Holly gripped the old metal handle to the truck. Talking had helped ease her nerves, but as she thought about making a mad dash to the yacht club, the trembling returned.
“All right,” Preston encouraged her as he gripped his door handle. “We can do this.”
Please help us do this, Lord. If Lee spotted her, would he follow and try to kill her in a public place? Caleb definitely wouldn’t defend him of that crime.
She yanked the handle and shoved the squeaky door open before slipping to the ground in the cool night air. Her heart shot terror through her soul with every pulse. She’d never dealt with such a cold-blooded criminal before. She liked to defend clients who appeared innocent. How had she gotten into this mess?
Preston joined her, shielding her body with his own. An owl hooted. She jumped.
She steadied herself and exhaled. One step at a time. Maybe she should move faster. She gripped Preston’s hand and picked up her pace. The slap of waves against the shore and creak of boats rocking against the dock had never sounded creepier.
She froze. Boats. This was the marina where Caleb docked his cabin cruiser. What was Lee doing here?
Preston jerked to a stop, anchored in place by her hold on him. “What?” he whispered. “You don’t have to worry that Lee went into the yacht club. He headed toward the dock.”
That was worse. What if Lee wasn’t after only her? What if he was here to hurt Caleb, as well? She might not like her former fiancé, but she didn’t want him dead. “We have to save Caleb.”
Preston lifted both eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
She crouched down and zigzagged from one car to the next to get closer to the water, knowing Preston would follow. But was she crazy? A moment ago, she couldn’t get away from the shooter fast enough, and now she was headed straight toward him. What did she think she could do against a man with a gun? Maybe nothing. Maybe all she had to do was warn Caleb.
“The dock is one big giant square, except it’s not connected on this end so boats can get into the middle. Lee will have to walk all the way around to get to Caleb’s cruiser. I can
swim there faster from here.”
Preston jogged after her. “You can’t swim. You’re injured.”
“I have to. I have to warn Caleb that Lee is after him.”
“You don’t know that.”
She kicked off her sandals in the soft sand. “Why else would Lee be going out to Caleb’s boat at night?”
He grabbed her good arm. “Did you consider the possibility that Caleb is part of this?”
Holly spun around to face Preston, ripping her arm from his grasp. What was he talking about? “The police already checked Caleb’s alibi. Caleb may not have loved me, but he wouldn’t kill me.”
“You didn’t think he would cheat on you, either.”
Holly’s mouth dropped open. How dare Preston go there? He was supposed to be helping her, and here he was, bringing up hurtful memories to hold her back.
“Yes, Caleb did cheat on me, but if Lee’s trying to kill him for righting his mistake, then I can’t just stand here and let it happen.” She pivoted on the ball of her foot and waded out into the frigid water. Goose bumps climbed up her legs, along her spine. She shivered but pushed on. “If you really think Caleb is guilty, then you might as well go call the police. I’m swimming out to Caleb’s boat.”
“Wait.”
She held up a hand to hush Preston. Sound carried way too well over water.
How much time did she have? Her quarrel could have given Lee the head start he needed. But she only had a short distance to go. It was nothing compared to the pool races she’d won in college. She lined her hands up in front of her body and dived under the surface. The icy water stole her breath. Her left shoulder screamed, reminding her she hadn’t been recovering from a bullet wound when swimming in college.
She couldn’t let it stop her. What was a little shoulder injury compared to Caleb’s life? Oh, except it wasn’t a little pain. The ache clawed its way up into her teeth, her temples. She moaned. Air bubbles floated toward the surface.
Three more strokes, then she’d take a breath. One, ouch, three. How did the night seem so calm when her insides rocked turbulently?
Presumed Dead (Love Inspired Suspense) Page 5
