going for a stroll.”
“We’re leaving the car? That’s crazy.”
“Maybe. There’s always a festival down here this time a year and the Os are playing. We’re going to lose our friends in the foot traffic.” He pinned her with a stare. “Are you up to it? Can you walk?”
“I’ll be fine.”
She took off her blazer and pulled her hair free of the bun. Everything in Noah ached to run his fingers through the mass of wavy curls.
“Is this better?” she asked.
He handed her his jacket. “Leave the blazer and put this on.”
He searched the traffic. The next intersection was the problem with several lanes from a parallel street streaming into their path. Suddenly, the one thing he was hoping for came into view. He slowed his speed, allowing a car to move in front of him.
“Why did you do that? It just brings us closer to those creeps.”
“When we reached the next intersection, I’m going to pull in front of that box truck. As soon as we reach the mailbox in front of the sandwich shop, I want you to get out of the car. Keep your head down, move between the parked cars, and use the mailbox as cover.”
She glanced out the front windshield, fear clouding the effects of the drug still in her system. Her lungs emptied of air as she clutched the door handle. “And what are you going to do?”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be right behind you. Once I’m clear of the car, we will blend with the crowd making their way to the festival.”
“You’re just going to leave the car in the middle of the intersection?” Her voice came out in a mixture of exasperation and admiration.
Noah choked back a laugh. “It’s not my car.”
“And that makes it right?”
“It makes it the only plan I can think of at the moment. I’m open to a better one.”
Elizabeth fingered her hair. “No, it’s a good plan. I hope that cross you wear around your neck protects you from all the hexes about to fall down on you from the drivers behind us.”
He pulled the thin, gold chain from around his neck and handed it to her. “Put that on.”
“Noah, I was joking. I can’t take your cross.”
“Yeah, you can. It has a GPS chip in it. If we get separated, I want you to find a place to hide and activate the GPS by pressing down where the two poles meet. It will send an alert to my brother, Mac.”
“Isn’t he in Austin?”
“How do you know where my brother lives? Have you been checking up on me, Elizabeth?”
“No, God, no. Danny just talks about you a lot.”
He couldn’t hold back the deep laugh. “I’m sure he does.” He lifted the cross. “If you need help, Mac will contact Jared or Adam. They will come for you. And one more thing—I need your cell phone.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know who we are fighting here. If they are smart enough, they can hack the GPS on your cell phone. It’s going to be hard enough as it is to lose them. Let’s not make it easy.”
He slowed the vehicle and inched into the intersection, keeping the nose of the sedan glued to the bumper of the car in front of him. Just as he planned, the box truck pulled behind him. Hopefully, its wide cargo area would block their escape. As soon as the passenger door cleared the mailbox, he placed the car in park.
“Now, Elizabeth. Move, keep low.”
She opened the door just enough to inch out, keeping her head down. Noah crossed over the console and followed her. Placing his hand at her waist, he duck-walked between the cars parked in front of the sandwich shop. He reached up and dumped Elizabeth’s cell phone into the mailbox. They waited for the people crossing the street to reach them before he stood and took Elizabeth’s hand, slipping into the middle of the crowd.
He draped an arm around her shoulder and lowered his head near her ear. “Look straight ahead like you know where you are going. Don’t turn around. It will draw attention to us.” He brought his lips down on the tender skin of her neck. “Relax. I
“We’re leaving the car? That’s crazy.”
“Maybe. There’s always a festival down here this time a year and the Os are playing. We’re going to lose our friends in the foot traffic.” He pinned her with a stare. “Are you up to it? Can you walk?”
“I’ll be fine.”
She took off her blazer and pulled her hair free of the bun. Everything in Noah ached to run his fingers through the mass of wavy curls.
“Is this better?” she asked.
He handed her his jacket. “Leave the blazer and put this on.”
He searched the traffic. The next intersection was the problem with several lanes from a parallel street streaming into their path. Suddenly, the one thing he was hoping for came into view. He slowed his speed, allowing a car to move in front of him.
“Why did you do that? It just brings us closer to those creeps.”
“When we reached the next intersection, I’m going to pull in front of that box truck. As soon as we reach the mailbox in front of the sandwich shop, I want you to get out of the car. Keep your head down, move between the parked cars, and use the mailbox as cover.”
She glanced out the front windshield, fear clouding the effects of the drug still in her system. Her lungs emptied of air as she clutched the door handle. “And what are you going to do?”
He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be right behind you. Once I’m clear of the car, we will blend with the crowd making their way to the festival.”
“You’re just going to leave the car in the middle of the intersection?” Her voice came out in a mixture of exasperation and admiration.
Noah choked back a laugh. “It’s not my car.”
“And that makes it right?”
“It makes it the only plan I can think of at the moment. I’m open to a better one.”
Elizabeth fingered her hair. “No, it’s a good plan. I hope that cross you wear around your neck protects you from all the hexes about to fall down on you from the drivers behind us.”
He pulled the thin, gold chain from around his neck and handed it to her. “Put that on.”
“Noah, I was joking. I can’t take your cross.”
“Yeah, you can. It has a GPS chip in it. If we get separated, I want you to find a place to hide and activate the GPS by pressing down where the two poles meet. It will send an alert to my brother, Mac.”
“Isn’t he in Austin?”
“How do you know where my brother lives? Have you been checking up on me, Elizabeth?”
“No, God, no. Danny just talks about you a lot.”
He couldn’t hold back the deep laugh. “I’m sure he does.” He lifted the cross. “If you need help, Mac will contact Jared or Adam. They will come for you. And one more thing—I need your cell phone.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know who we are fighting here. If they are smart enough, they can hack the GPS on your cell phone. It’s going to be hard enough as it is to lose them. Let’s not make it easy.”
He slowed the vehicle and inched into the intersection, keeping the nose of the sedan glued to the bumper of the car in front of him. Just as he planned, the box truck pulled behind him. Hopefully, its wide cargo area would block their escape. As soon as the passenger door cleared the mailbox, he placed the car in park.
“Now, Elizabeth. Move, keep low.”
She opened the door just enough to inch out, keeping her head down. Noah crossed over the console and followed her. Placing his hand at her waist, he duck-walked between the cars parked in front of the sandwich shop. He reached up and dumped Elizabeth’s cell phone into the mailbox. They waited for the people crossing the street to reach them before he stood and took Elizabeth’s hand, slipping into the middle of the crowd.
He draped an arm around her shoulder and lowered his head near her ear. “Look straight ahead like you know where you are going. Don’t turn around. It will draw attention to us.” He brought his lips down on the tender skin of her neck. “Relax. I
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