The Dangerous Thief (Stolen Hearts #3)(49)

“Is that blood? What happened?”

“My meeting didn’t go as planned.” He physically pushed her aside as he ran through the apartment until he reached the window and looked down on the street.

“What’s going on up there?” asked James.

“It looks like Jadon ditched his phone,” said Toni. “We only just realized it was going in a loop. That’s why we were freaked.”

Willa shook her head and tried to sort through all the voices and her own rising panic.

“It looks clear, but they’re going to be here soon. We need to run.”

“Run? Run where?”

But Jadon was grabbing her arm and pulling her back toward the elevator. Willa was freaked but she didn’t feel threatened, so she allowed him to drag her into the elevator and hit the down arrow. A bunch of questions swirled in her mind and she tried to think about what was most important for her and the people in her head to know. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere no one will find us. Somewhere we can put this mess behind us.”

Was he just expecting her to go with him? She was, but not because they were going to run off into the sunset together. Because she wasn’t leaving his side until she knew what was going on. “Running from what? I’m sick of being two steps behind you, Daddy. I said I was going to be patient, but not now.” She could see him starting to clam up, so she gave one little push. “I’m scared. I just want to know what’s going on.”

Jadon ran a hand through his white hair and winced.

She’d never seen her father like this. He was always in control. Always knew exactly what he was doing. Even that night when he’d killed Jules, something that would probably be a traumatic event for anyone else, he had seemed as though it were just another day. So what would rattle him this much?

“I don’t know. Somewhere far away. Probably with a beach. A crowded beach. It’s easy to disappear in a tourist trap. What do you think about Cancun? You like it there, don’t you?”

“You’re not going to Cancun with him,” growled James in her ear.

“Who are we running from? What happened?”

“Everything happened,” bit out Jadon. The doors opened and he pulled her out. “Everything has been going to shit. Forbes is gone. Sterling’s paranoia is off the charts. And now there was a break-in at the office. Sterling’s cleaning house but I’m not a fucking mess to be swept under the rug.”

“They’re the ones who blew up my apartment?” She studied him carefully to see whether he had any involvement with the attack.

“They think you’re being followed. I told them that I had someone on you but they didn’t care. I’m telling you, Willa, these are bad people. We’re not safe here.” When they were on the street, Jadon led her to a nondescript black sedan that she was sure didn’t belong to her father. But he pulled out keys and hit a button that unlocked all the doors.

“There’s nothing for us to track you with,” said Toni. “Give us as many descriptors as you can. We’re going to tail you, but he’s spooked. We’re going to have to keep a good distance.”

James had another tactic. “Don’t get in the car, Willa. Just walk away and we’ll pick you up.”

Willa looked down the street. It was dark, but not that late. So there were plenty of people and cars around but she had no idea where James was.

“Get in the car!” screamed Jadon, obviously on the bare edge of his self-control.

“Jadon doesn’t matter,” said James. “You matter. You need to be safe. You’re the number-one priority here.”

Even as her heart broke to hear how much James cared about her, it was probably the worst thing he could’ve said. Because if there was one thing Willa was absolutely certain of, it was that she was not the number-one priority. That was something Jules knew too. “He needs to be stopped,” she said so softly she wasn’t even sure the mic picked it up.

“Willa!” yelled Jadon, his already worn patience wearing thinner.

“I’m coming.” She wanted to try to get a license plate, but it would be too strange to walk around the back. So she walked around the hood and climbed in the passenger seat. The car smelled of cigarettes, which she knew her father didn’t smoke. “Where did you get a black Honda?” she asked, trying to leave some breadcrumbs for her backup to follow.

Because as soon as he pulled away from the curb, she knew that if James didn’t keep following her, she might never see him again.

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James banged his hand on the truck door as he felt his heart going out of control.

“Careful!” snapped Toni. “This is a rental.”

He couldn’t fully express how few shits he gave about the rental truck. “You went with him!” he screamed.

Jennifer, who sat in the in the driver’s seat of the truck, turned around to look at him worriedly.

“I muted you.” Toni’s fingers worked like crazy over the keys of her laptop. “She doesn’t need you messing with her head.”

“I don’t enjoy hitting women, but you’re seriously tempting me right now.”