Long Road Home(34)

“I need to call Tony. We still need to get to D.C.”

She didn’t respond, and only halfway paid attention as he got on his cell phone to correspond with his partner.

Yes, they had to get to D.C. Her destiny awaited her in D.C. Her last miserable effort to try and get out of the life she had made for the last three years, and then she’d disappear and hope Manny could get on with his life.

She clenched her fingers into balls in her lap, her ragged nails digging painfully into her palms. If only she could draw Northstar out, she could put an end to everything. She’d take pleasure in killing the bastard who had heaped so much pain on her.

Manny’s hand crept over hers, uncurling her tightly wound fingers. “You’re drifting again, baby.”

She cringed. The endearment was back. He never could stay angry at her for long. Unable to help herself, she gripped his hand, holding tightly to it like a lifeline. She hadn’t even realized he had finished talking to Tony.

Composing herself the best she could, she turned her head to Manny. “What did Tony say?”

He sighed. “We drive to Beaumont, and he’ll have another car lined up for us. Then we hit the road to D.C.”

“Another Bondmobile?”

He halfway grinned. “If Tony lined it up, it’ll have all the bells and whistles.”

She leaned back in her seat. “I’m sorry, Manny. I never meant to involve you in my problems.”

His hand cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“I just wish you had involved me three years ago.”

Chapter Fifteen

They drove down Interstate 10 as fast as Manuel dared without drawing attention from any passing state troopers. Jules slumped in her seat looking unbelievably exhausted. He could relate. Fatigue had long since set in with him. He only wanted a safe place where they both could rest, and he could take care of her.

When they arrived in Beaumont, as Tony promised, another vehicle waited for them at the rendezvous point. They ditched the Beamer for an SUV then headed north, paralleling Louisiana through Southeast Texas.

His neck ached. His back ached. Hell, he hadn’t felt this bad since he was in high school when he tied one on graduation night.

Jules broke the silence. “Let me drive.”

He glanced over at her. “I’m okay.”

She snorted. “You look like you’re about to fall over. Let me drive. I won’t kill us. I promise.”

He sighed and pulled off. He’d pick his battles, and frankly this wasn’t one of them.

They changed seats, and he settled back, watching her from the corner of his eye. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her gaze directed forward, but at rapid intervals she checked the rearview and side-view mirrors.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask so many questions, but he halted before the first word left his lips. Truth be told, he didn’t even want to know the answers. And he didn’t want her to relive memories of her hell.

Never again, he vowed silently. She was his to protect.

“Do you want to stop for the night?” she asked, glancing over at him. “Or should we keep driving?”

“We should probably drive as long as we can,” he replied. “Put as much distance between us and the baddies as possible. We can stop when we reach Tennessee. Tony will line us up a spot.”

“You trust him.”

It wasn’t a question, but she voiced it as if surprised. But then he supposed she had learned to trust no one.

“Yes, I trust him. With my life. Our lives,” he added for emphasis.

She nodded, and Manuel felt a twinge of hope that she was allowing herself to trust him.

“Want me to drive?”

She smiled. “No, I’ve only been driving an hour. Why don’t you get some sleep? You can take over when we reach Arkansas.”

“Okay. Wake me.”

She nodded again.

Jules watched as he dozed off, his head leaning on his shoulder. She ached to reach out and touch him, burrow into his arms and sleep as well. She was nearly past her breaking point, exhaustion seeping from her every pore. But she knew Manny needed rest. She’d gone without sleep before, sometimes for days. She could certainly do it again.

She focused her attention on the never-ending road in front of her. The towns passed in a blur, and darkness began to fall. When she reached Texarkana, she turned east on the interstate toward Little Rock.

Who was trying to kill her? She had no doubt Northstar had known her every movement, but why after she’d agreed to do the job had someone tried to kill her? No one else should even know where she was.

Beside her, Manny’s cell phone pulsed and vibrated. She yanked it up and hit the button to silence it so it wouldn’t wake him.

She drove on mechanically, maneuvering through traffic, counting mile markers to stay awake. When they were a few miles outside Little Rock, Manny stirred beside her and shifted up in his seat.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“Yeah.”

“Want me to drive?”

Instead of speaking, she pulled onto an exit and parked at a gas station. They needed to fill up anyway. She turned off the ignition and leaned forward, resting her head against the steering wheel.

Strong hands stole over her back, creeping up, massaging her neck and shoulders, careful around her wound.