The Exit Strategy Bundle

by Jocelynn Drake

  It took only a few minutes for Justin to pull into the large shopping plaza that had the chain grocery store along with some other shops. The place was a little busy and was probably going to get busier as people got off work and stopped in to grab something for dinner before heading home.

  Gabriel sat up straight in his seat and ran a hand through his hair as he looked over the cars and shoppers, trying to get the lay of the land. If Devlin had told his friend he would be going to the store at six, then it was unlikely he was going to show up two hours early unless his friend contacted him and said that the money was sent. Gabriel could only hope that Marilyn was still monitoring things and would be able to tell him if Devlin heard from his friend.

  Justin drove slowly up and down the aisles until he finally got a spot that gave them a good view of the front door without being too out in the open. It wasn’t like Devlin was going to recognize them, but Gabriel didn’t want him to notice two men sitting in their SUV watching him walk in and out of the store.

  “Now we wait,” Justin announced as he shifted the car into park.

  “Always the best part,” Gabriel replied, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice, but judging by the smile that grew on Justin’s lips, he hadn’t been successful.

  Two hours slowly ticked by. They took turns walking into the store. Grabbing one of those little baskets, they each wandered up and down the aisles, picking up some random food to eat while scoping out the store. The front customer service desk handled questions, money orders, wire transfers, lottery tickets, and returns. Unless Devlin needed to grab food, he wouldn’t have to go any farther than that desk. Gabriel had never needed to wire money this way, but he could guess that it would take only a few minutes once the man entered the store.

  “Holy shit, it worked!” Justin shouted. He pointed across the parking lot to where a man who looked to be in his midthirties with brown hair and slim build was walking with a young boy. The kid wore a pair of red shorts and a bright-blue shirt that had some kind of superhero on it. He held his father’s hand while animatedly talking, his left hand waving all over the place. He looked down at the boy and smiled broadly.

  Gabriel snatched up a pair of small binoculars he’d removed from the glove compartment earlier in the day and quickly looked the guy over. He matched the pictures Marilyn had sent them before they left Colorado. This was definitely Devlin Relic.

  “He looks tired,” Gabriel said. He handed the binoculars over to Justin, who looked him over.

  “Not surprising. He lost his husband, was framed for the murder. Probably had someone else threaten him again after that. On the run for close to eight weeks with his son. I have a feeling contacting the friend for money was a last desperate act.” Justin turned his gaze from the front doors after Devlin and Jake disappeared inside. He slowly moved the binoculars over the parking lot, trying to scan for anyone else who might also be watching the Relics.

  “Kai?”

  Justin lowered the binoculars and shook his head. “Not that I saw. I’m hoping that we’re a step ahead of him. If we can get to Devlin first and get them to return to Colorado with us, we can hunker down, strengthen our defenses until we can get our hands on the bastard behind the contract.”

  The contract owner. That was a totally different problem. Considering the amount of money behind the contract, this person was going to be well protected. If they could get Devlin and Jake, then Marilyn could start working her magic and her contacts for the identity of the person who wanted Devlin dead.

  But they could manage only one problem at a time.

  Five minutes barely passed before Devlin was walking out of the grocery store again with Jake. They had no bags. Devlin looked from left to right again and again as they briskly walked across the lot. Jake had to skip here and there to keep up with his father’s long, brisk steps.

  “He looks scared,” Gabriel said. He didn’t need the binoculars to see the man’s stiff posture and frown.

  “Probably the money in his pocket. Or the fact that he’s been out in the open for so long.” Justin started the car and shifted into reverse but didn’t take his foot off the brake.

  They waited, watching while Devlin helped his son up into the old Ford truck. The battered white thing looked like it was at least thirty years old, if not more. Gabriel was willing to bet that Devlin had sold his car and bought this monster with the cash in hopes of losing anyone who was following him. He might have done it the moment he reached Montana, and that had been how Marilyn managed to track him to the state.

  Devlin smoothly pulled out of his parking spot and Justin mimicked the action. They were several lanes away, and they weren’t the only cars moving. Gabriel hoped that Devlin just took them as more evening shoppers.

  They followed Devlin out of the city, trying to keep several cars between them. The big white beast was easy to spot on the road. They headed west, moving farther and farther away from homes and business. Car traffic became thinner on the road, making Gabriel more nervous the longer they followed Devlin. Their target was going to notice them soon if he hadn’t already.

  “We should have put a tracking device on the truck,” Gabriel grumbled.

  “We didn’t spot what vehicle they were in until they left the store,” Justin reminded him.

  “We need to back off.”

  “And go where?” Justin huffed a laugh. “There’s nothing on this road for a bit and if we turn off, we risk losing them.”

  Gabriel scrubbed a hand through his hair and sighed. “If he panics, he could hurt himself or the boy in an accident.”

  “I know,” he mumbled. It was a dangerous game they were playing. They couldn’t risk spooking Devlin and losing him. Time couldn’t be wasted trying to find him and Jake again.

  “Look!” Gabriel said excitedly. “He’s turning off. We checked the campground down that road this morning. We were close.”

  “And now that we know what we’re looking for, we can drive by now and circle back later.”

  As Devlin slowed down to make the right turn, Justin changed lanes and went around them. They both were careful to not look over at the truck as they passed it, but Gabriel watched in his side mirror. The white truck trundled up the rutted and worn road, heading into forest land that included some nice campgrounds. They’d heard there were some cabins back there, but no one had seen a kid, so they’d skipped the cabins. Devlin must be keeping Jake hidden to protect him.

  Justin drove another few minutes until he was sure that Devlin had enough time to get into the woods before making an illegal U-turn and heading back. They moved slowly, looking for a sign of the white truck. It was a tense drive as they traveled deeper and deeper into the darkening woods. The sun was setting and the thick trees blocked out the waning sun. Justin seemed reluctant to turn on the headlights and give away their approach.

  It took them nearly an hour to catch sight of the small cabin tucked into the woods. There was a faint light peeking through the curtains. Devlin had thrown a dark-brown tarp over the white truck, making it harder to spot, but this time, he’d been in a hurry. The tarp got caught on the tailgate and the old white paint stood out like a beacon.

  They drove past the cabin and pulled off the narrow road, parking back in the trees. Justin turned off the engine and turned to look at Gabriel. “How do we do this?”

  It was almost funny that they hadn’t discussed this part yet. This was supposed to be the easy part. Gabriel suspected that they both had been skeptical about their ability to find the man in the first place.

  “I say we try the direct approach. Walk right up to the front door and knock.”

  “Really?” Justin stared at him, skepticism narrowing his eyes. “You’re a fucking spy. I figured you’d want to shimmy down the chimney or creep in through the little kid’s window.”

  “Ex-spy,” Gabriel corrected. “And that last one is just fucking creepy.”

  “True.”

  “Knocking on the front door r
educes the chances of him panicking. We don’t want him to hurt Jake or himself by accident.”

  Justin gave a little eye roll. “Yes, but it increases the chance that he tries to shoot us through the door.”

  Gabriel leaned across the console and stole a hard kiss, ending it with a loud smack. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

  Chapter 6

  Justin didn’t think Gabriel’s idea was a bad one—just one that was likely to get them shot. Even though their goal was to keep Devlin from panicking, Justin was still bringing his gun along. They hadn’t seen Kai yet, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t out there somewhere.

  They walked up to the cabin, looking around them. Justin paused by the truck and quietly adjusted the tarp so that it fully covered the tailgate. The trees nearly blocked the view of the small structure from the road. The place looked like it might have only one bedroom. Small enough for the two of them.

  To Justin’s surprise, Gabriel stepped back and motioned for him to knock. When he shot the man a questioning look, Gabriel grinned.

  “You’re less scary. You’ve got this golden, all-American look about you. Total boy scout.”

  Justin shook his head at Gabriel but knocked on the door anyway. They stood, silent, straining to hear what was happening inside the cabin. Muffled footsteps reached them and what sounded like a door closing.

  “Who is it? What do you want?” a man demanded. His voice was hard and angry, but there was also an undercurrent of fear.

  “We just want to talk, Mr. Relic,” Justin replied.

  “You’ve got the wrong cabin. I’m not Relic.”

  “Mr. Relic, we know it’s you. Your son Jake is with you as well.” Justin looked over to see Gabriel wince. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned the boy. He hadn’t meant it as a threat. Just knowledge. “We want to help you.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Go away!”

  “Mr. Relic, we don’t mean you any harm. We just want to talk,” Gabriel said evenly. “If you don’t like what we have to say, then we will leave.”

  “Just leave now!”

  “Mr. Relic, we found you. So will others. You need our help.”

  Justin’s statement was met with silence for several seconds. He took a breath to continue arguing with the man when they heard the soft scrape of a lock being turned.

  “It’s unlocked. Come in,” Devlin shouted.

  Justin shot Gabriel a hopeful look and pushed the door open. He managed to take two steps into the cabin before coming face-to-muzzle with a shotgun. He swallowed hard, his heart skipping a beat in his chest. Lifting his hands up, Justin shuffled through his scattered thoughts, trying to come up with something calming to say. He never got the chance.

  With a snarl, Gabriel reached over his shoulder and grabbed the barrel. He pointed it up at the ceiling. A gun seemed to magically appear in his right hand and was now pressed against Devlin’s forehead.

  “Release the shotgun,” Gabriel growled.

  Devlin whimpered and released the gun as if it had suddenly burst into flames.

  Gabriel’s overprotective, caveman instincts were incredibly sexy, but they were a bit poorly timed. They had been trying to prove to Devlin they weren’t a threat. Holding the cold steel against his head was not the best way to do that.

  “Deep breath, G Love,” Justin murmured.

  Gabriel instantly lowered his gun and stunned Devlin by handing the shotgun back to him. “Sorry,” he mumbled, sounding thoroughly embarrassed. “I don’t react well to people pointing guns at my boyfriend.”

  Devlin stared at them both for a moment, his mouth hanging open. Which worked for Justin, because he was trying to mentally bat away the stupid cartoon hearts swirling around his head. Gabriel had called him his boyfriend. God, he was really fucking ridiculous. They had a house together. Moved across the country and had furry kids together. But it was the first time he’d heard Gabriel use the “B” word.

  “Who-who are you? What do you want?” Devlin demanded, taking a step backward.

  “I’m Justin Mallory, and this is my boyfriend, Gabriel Prescott,” Justin introduced, making sure to use the infamous “B” word now that it was out there. “We want to help you.”

  “Why? Are you the police?”

  “Definitely not.” Only Gabriel could make it sound like he was insulted by the very idea.

  “We aren’t police, but we are both former military.” Which was the truth, if only a little incomplete. “We help people who are having trouble when the police have been ineffective,” Justin said. It was one of the few times he’d ever attempted to describe what he did. Most of the time he operated in the shadows. Things just sort of worked out in a person’s favor. Typically the only people who saw him or Gabriel were the criminals, and that was right before they killed them.

  “I don’t understand.” Devlin took another step backward, holding the shotgun to his chest like a shield rather than a weapon. This man was not equipped to handle the problems he was faced with.

  “There’s a contract out on your life. Someone has put a price on your head of twenty-seven million dollars. A man very good at killing has accepted the contract.”

  “Oh God,” Devlin whispered. All color drained from his face, and he looked like he was about to collapse. Justin started to reach for him with the goal of helping him into a chair before he fell with the gun.

  “Dev?” asked a small, scared voice.

  They all looked across the room to the door that was cracked open. Jake had stuck his head through the opening, unshed tears shining in his large blue eyes.

  “Jake, I told you to stay in the bedroom,” Devlin said. His voice was still shaky, but he straightened.

  “Why is someone trying to hurt you? Are you going away like Daddy?”

  Devlin swallowed loudly and blinked back his own tears, shaking his head.

  “We’re not going to let anyone hurt Dev,” Justin said firmly.

  Jake burst out of the room, running straight to Devlin. Gabriel snatched up the shotgun as Devlin turned to his son. He swung him up into his arms and crushed him against his chest as they both softly cried. Gabriel placed the shotgun against the wall and then locked the front door.

  Justin took a moment to look around the small cabin, taking in what they had to work with for now. It wasn’t much, but small meant easier to defend. With any luck, they would be able to convince Devlin to leave very soon.

  They were standing in a living room with an overstuffed couch and reclining chair set in front of a TV. Off to the left was an open kitchen with the basics. On the right were a pair of doors. Jake had left the bedroom, so the other obviously led to the bathroom. There was another door at the back of the cabin that probably led to a small deck or patio. It was the perfect little place for a peaceful vacation—or hiding.

  After a few minutes, Devlin put Jake on his feet, telling him to go into the kitchen to get a drink.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset him,” Justin said.

  Devlin nodded. “Thank you. It’s been rough since my husband was murdered. When we left Washington, I tried to tell Jake that we were going on a long vacation, but I think he always knew something was wrong.”

  “Why don’t you sit and tell us what you know?” Gabriel motioned toward the couch. “And then we’ll tell you what we’ve managed to learn.”

  With another nod, Devlin moved to the couch and dropped down with a heavy sigh. He scrubbed his hand over his face and hair. He looked exhausted. His hands were shaking and his clothes sort of hung on him like he’d lost a lot of weight recently. It was a safe guess that the man wasn’t eating or sleeping properly. Probably for a while now.

  “I don’t quite know where to begin,” Devlin murmured.

  Gabriel carefully sat on the couch next to him. “We’ve heard about your work on the photovoltaic cells and the batteries. We know you’ve been threatened over it.”

  “My work…I was just trying to make the worl
d a better place. For us. For Jake.”

  “And it cost you both your husband.”

  Devlin sniffed and took a deep breath. “When the first threats came in, we told the police, but they said they couldn’t do anything. Adam told me that I couldn’t stop working. He said my work was too important to stop. I don’t think he ever really believed that someone would try to harm us. I’m a scientist and he’s…he was a middle-school teacher.”

  “What did he teach?” Justin asked.

  “Science,” Devlin said with a little smile. “It was how we met. We were both such science nerds. I had volunteered to help judge a robotics competition and he’d been there helping his niece.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Gabriel said softly.

  “Thank you. After these bastards failed to frame me for his death, more threats rolled in. I couldn’t stay. The police didn’t care. They were tired of dealing with me. I couldn’t risk Jake’s life, so we left. I sold our car in a little town just across the Montana border, and we stuck to campgrounds and cabin rentals. I tried to hide Jake from people so anyone seeing me thought I was alone. I have no real plan, and I’m afraid to access my bank accounts or credit cards. That’s how people are always being tracked in movies.”

  Jake slowly walked into the room carrying a glass of water that he gave to Devlin. “I thought you might need a drink too.” Devlin accepted the glass with a teary smile. He pulled the little boy close while he took a drink of water.

  “Jake has done a great job of helping me, but I’ll admit that I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m used to labs and computers.”

  “Have you noticed anyone following you?” Justin asked.

  “I…I don’t think so. I thought maybe an SUV was following us when we left the grocery this evening, but I figured I was just being paranoid.”

  “Black SUV?” Devlin nodded and Justin smirked. “That was us. We were following you. Trust your instincts.”

  “I don’t understand. Why are you doing this? Why are you here?”