The Beautiful Thief (Stolen Hearts #2)(52)

“I don’t get it. How did they find us? I haven’t stepped foot out of here and Toni cleaned the motel records.”

Adam carefully pushed the blinds aside as he looked out into the parking lot. He reached behind him and Melody set the butt of the gun in his hand. “That’s the problem with small towns. You can’t hack an ex-husband.”

“Ben doesn’t know where I am.”

“I’m going to have to disagree with you on that. He’s sitting right outside.”

“What!” Melody squeezed next to Adam to peer out the curtains to verify that Ben was in fact out there in his truck and looking right at her room. “Son of a bitch.” He had to have seen the car earlier. He’d seen the car at his house when they’d picked up Willa, and that was the car they’d driven to the motel. Adam had lost it after he gave Willa over to Weston, but it was the only thing she could think of.

“What are we going to do?” As badass as she wanted to be, she’d allow Adam to make the decisions at the moment.

“Cops are on their way and unless you have a car, I think we can actually make your ex useful. Ready?”

“Yep.”

“Wait until I’m halfway to the truck. If I haven’t been shot or covered in red and blue lights, come out after me.”

She was about to tell him what a shitty plan that was when he pulled the door open and walked out. She kept her eyes glued on his back, but whoever Toni had warned about wasn’t here yet because he made it across the lot without any issue. As soon as he was at the halfway point, she clutched the laptop bag close and followed him out. She jogged across the lot and reached the passenger’s side of Ben’s truck just after Adam yanked open the driver’s side door. “You really need to lock your doors, Ben,” he chastised.

Ben immediately dove for the passenger’s side, but Melody was already climbing in. “Hey, honey. Fancy meeting you here.”

Adam climbed in too, keeping the gun in his left hand. She was willing to bet that he was pretty accurate with both hands, and it was probably good to keep something so volatile away from Ben at the moment.

“Whoa, just let me out.”

Adam turned the key in the ignition and the truck started up. “So you can report your truck stolen as soon as we drive off? That wouldn’t really be solving any problems, would it?”

“You called the cops on me?” asked Melody.

“What? No, I—”

“He called the cops and he’s lying.” Adam started to pull out of the parking space.

“The lying I’m used to.”

Adam tsked with his tongue. “I’m trying not to hate you, but damn you make it hard.”

Melody didn’t know where Adam was planning to take them, but the police cruiser that pulled up to the motel on the left guaranteed they turned right. She held her breath as they turned. “Do you think they—”

The red and blue lights came on and started to flash brightly in the night.

“Fuck.” Adam slammed on the gas.

“No, no, no, no,” moaned Ben as they careened down the street.

Melody grabbed onto the handle of the door and forced her eyes to stay open. She couldn’t shut down. She knew this town a million times better than Adam, so she needed to stay aware. “I got nothing,” she said as another pair of lights joined the cruiser behind them. When another cop car turned on the road in front of them, Adam yanked the steering wheel to make a sharp left, and for a moment Melody was certain they were going to tip over.

“We can’t outrun them,” said Adam in a perfectly calm tone, as if this was something that happened every day.

“Toni and Scott are somewhere. We just need time.” She wanted to sound cool and collected, but she couldn’t seem to catch her breath even though she wasn’t moving at all.

“Then give me somewhere we can hide. Lots of rooms and crevices.”

“Just pull over!” said Ben. “I promise I’ll tell them you didn’t hurt—”

“Shut up!” they both yelled.

Then it hit her. “Wickory Farms. It’s an old furniture factory that closed down in the recession. Turn left on Old Miller Road in half a mile.”

She looked over her shoulder at the flashing lights that seemed to be getting closer and closer. If she thought there was a chance that she would have a fair investigation, she’d order Adam to pull over and she’d turn herself in. But Forbes wasn’t planning to frame her for murder and send her to jail. He was going to kill her before she ever got a chance to even see an attorney.

Adam careened left at the last second. Melody didn’t realize she was holding her breath until all four tires were back on the ground and she could breathe again.

“You’re crazy,” said Ben with a shaky voice. “You’re going to kill us all.”

“This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t called the damn police on me!”

“I saw the news. I know what you did.”

“Please. If you knew me—”

“Mel, you want to tell me where I’m goin’?”

“It’s coming up.” Screw Ben. She needed to have all her focus on getting her and Adam out of this alive. “Turn right... now.” Even though she braced herself for the turn this time, it still seemed to throw all of her organs into unnatural positions.