Hunted, A Romantic Suspence Novel (2 page)

An exasperated sound escaped her, but she drank some anyway. Matt leaned against the car and waited for her to finish it. Something about her reminded him of his sister, Sami.
Maybe it was her annoyance over his insistence, or her rising indignation?

The young woman finished the chocolate and handed him back his cup. “Now may I go, officer?”

“Edgars.”

“Excuse me?” She blinked once more and tilted her head slightly to one side.

“Edgars, Officer Matthew Edgars, at your service, Miss Myers.” Matt screwed the top back onto the thermos. “And yes, you may go.” He opened her door for her. Just as she stepped in, he stopped her from closing the door. “You said you were on your way home from work, Miss Myers?”

“Yes, officer.” She shot daggers at him once more, then tried to close the door.

“Where do you work, if you don't mind me asking.” Despite her growing irritation, he couldn't help himself. He wanted to know more about her and he wanted to be sure she was awake enough to drive the rest of her way home.

“I’m a nurse, Officer Edgars. Now, if you don't mind, may I please be on my way?” She ground the words out between clenched teeth. Her lips closed in a firm line.

He straightened to his full height then stepped away from the car. “By all means, Miss Myers.”

She slammed the car door. Even in her anger, she remembered her seat belt before putting the car in gear and driving through the green light.

For a moment he stood there, watching as she drove down the road, then he walked back to his truck. He pulled out his own car mug and filled it with the hot chocolate. Leaning back in the seat, he flipped open his notebook and sipped his drink.

Katie Myers.

After finishing his chocolate, he started his engine. He shook off the urge to follow her, pulling out and turning right at the light. He needed to get his half-shift finished. His mother expected him early today. No excuse would pacify Mary Edgars on a Sunday. Not even her son meeting a beautiful woman. All her children and their families were expected at her house for dinner.

In the woods three hundred yards away, the man fixed his target through the scope lens of his Dakota 76-longbow rifle. His finger caressed the trigger. His whole body hummed with desire to pull it.

Such an easy kill. One bullet. Straight through the head. Too bad his assignment wasn’t to take the target out.

Frighten her. Force her to get on the move. Push her in the right direction. That’s all the Prophet wanted—for now.

For ten years he’d been on the prowl, hunting his prey, never getting quite this close. Now that he finally found her, time was running out.

He lowered the sight to the rear of her Jeep. As soon as she pulled out, he’d take a shot. With the silencer in place she wouldn’t hear it coming. But she’d get the message. She’d been trained to know an accidental blow-out from a staged one. Unless she’d forgotten everything she learned with the Family, she’d get the message loud and clear.

A millisecond before he pressed the trigger, a movement to his left caught his attention. A forest-green pick-up pulled up behind the Jeep. He watched as a highway patrolman climbed out and approached the target.

Dammit.
He pulled his finger off the trigger, continuing to watch the pair through the sight. Just what they didn’t need, a witness. He’d have to wait and leave his calling card later.

Since he couldn’t complete his mission, he lit a cigarette, inhaled the smoke deep into his lungs, and studied his prey a while longer. She’d grown up in the past ten years. Her hair was dark again. The Prophet wouldn’t be happy about that. He’d wanted all the Family women blonde, either by birth or by dyeing.

She’d grown careless, too.

Ten years ago, she never would’ve been caught sleeping on the roadside. Hell, from the minute her mother brought her to live with the Family, she’d always slept with one eye open. Her survival back then depended on it.

Well, it was his job to remind her that the devil was on her tail and he wanted what belonged to him.

Her Jeep pulled out. Then the patrolman climbed back into his truck.

The man put out his cigarette, then packed up his gear. Patience. He’d deliver the first of his messages another day. Soon.

Katie let herself into her apartment and closed the door. For a moment she stared at the main room’s monkish austerity.

House and Garden
material it wasn’t.

She kicked off her tennis shoes, standard work shoes for nurses even in winter, and dropped her backpack on the threadbare chair. Flopping down wearily on her couch, she heaved an exhausted sigh.

Man, what a night.

First, premature twins were born, which she had to stabilize for transport to the children's hospital downtown in Columbus. Then, three other newborns added to her already burgeoning nursery. To top it all off, that patrolman found her asleep at the traffic light. Could anything be more embarrassing?

And why did he have to be so darn handsome? Tall, with dark hair and serious, but kind, hazel eyes. When he’d awakened her, she’d thought she was still in some sort of dream, because men that handsome didn’t notice her in real life.

Katie sat forward with her face in her hands and groaned.

Having to take a Breathalyzer test. She prayed he hadn’t decided to run her license plate or issue her a ticket. She groaned again. From his uniform to his strictly-by-the-book manner, he screamed good guy. The last thing she needed in her life right now was a guy, good or otherwise.

Well, this holiday season couldn't get any worse, that was for sure.

A shudder ran through her body. Yes, it could get worse. The Family could find her.

She pushed herself off the couch and headed to the shower, stopping first to turn on the electric blanket. She hated getting into a cold bed after working all night.

Stripping in the bathroom, she shivered before stepping under the steaming water jets. The hot water pounded on her aching back muscles as she lathered on the gardenia-scented body wash. It was her favorite thing to indulge in. No matter that no one else would ever enjoy the scent of it on her body, some things a girl just did for herself.

When the shower grew cold, Katie stepped out, shivered and toweled off. She pulled on her flannel pajamas, and a pair of thick socks. She liked the room cold, but her bed and body warm. Since working nights the past five years she’d discovered it was the only way to get any real sleep during the day, that and turning the phone ringer off. Finally, she crawled into her bed, and let out a long breath. Tucking one pillow under her leg, she turned onto her side and stared at the bedroom’s bare white walls.

She’d called this one-room apartment home for nearly six months. Other than her father’s picture sitting by her bed, she’d left no personal mark on it. How could she when she knew she’d have to leave on a moment’s notice?

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a home of her own. For the past decade she’d moved from place to place, never putting down roots, never having a real home. She’d never been able to trust anyone to become her friend, either. Besides, anyone who dared get close would be in grave danger.

She exhaled long and slow, then wiped at the wetness stinging her eyes.

How much longer can I bear this loneliness?

People complained all the time about their dysfunctional family holidays. If they only knew. Next week was Christmas, and if the Family found her, it would be murder.

Literally.

Hers.

* * * * *

Matt called himself a fool as he drove the Plumb Road to Route 3 route again. Every day for the past week he’d made the same trip, hoping he’d find Katie Myers asleep in her car once more. Although he knew the chances of finding her asleep again were probably nil after that Breathalyzer test he’d insisted she take, every morning he found himself driving this same route.

For the first time in a long time, he’d met a woman he couldn’t get out of his mind. It was stupid to be hung up on a woman with whom he’d had a ten-minute conversation, during most of which she’d been pissed off at him.

He blew out an exasperated grumble.

If he was smart he’d turn his truck around and head home. He’d been lucky enough to draw Christmas Day off, as well as the day after. After his shift today he needed to finish his shopping for his parents then drive down to their house for the family gathering.

That’s what he’d do, turn around and forget about hoping to find Katie Myers again.

Coming to the traffic light where he’d stopped to help Katie, he put on his signal to make a left turn. He waited for the light to turn green. He believed in obeying traffic laws. He couldn’t give tickets to drivers for doing something he’d done–illegal U-turns among them.

A white van appeared from out of nowhere from his right side. It turned in front of him onto Route 3 toward Columbus, and sped away.

Matt nodded to himself. There was a prime example. If he’d been on duty, he’d bust the idiot. Out of habit he glanced at the retreating vehicle’s rear plates. Pennsylvania.

As the light turned from red to green, a flash of light on metal farther up the road caught his eye. Curious, Matt switched off his turn signal and drove past the light. The road sloped downhill, revealing a familiar green Jeep sitting on the shoulder. He ignored the pleasure that surged in him, seeing her vehicle. As he drove closer he noticed the car leaned at an odd angle. Then he saw the flat rear tire, and Katie kneeling to study it.

He pulled in behind her car. She stood, a mixture of relief and embarrassment on her face.

“Are you okay, Miss Myers?” he asked as he walked between the two vehicles.

“Um, yes. Officer...” She looked a little confused as she searched her memory for his name.

So much for making a big impression last week.

“Matt Edgars. But please call me Matt.” He glanced down at the tire, then back at her. “What happened?”

She pointed down the road, holding her hand out and waving it with some frustration. “It just happened a few minutes ago. The steering became wobbly and the car was hard to control.”

“You’re sure you’re not hurt? You didn’t hit your head or anything, did you?”

He searched her face for any signs of injury. For a moment, he stared into her eyes. Fear, loneliness and something darker swirled in their depths. He had the greatest urge to wrap his arms around her and hold her for a moment.

Then she blinked and lowered her gaze. “I’m alright, really.”

Taking a deep breath, Matt stepped back. “Let’s get your spare and jack. We should have this changed in just a few minutes.”

“I could call a tow truck,” she said as she opened the trunk. “I hate to put you out.”

“You’re not putting me out whatsoever.” He lifted the tire from the truck then reached in for the jack. He put the jack together and slid it in front of the flat tire. “And a tow truck would take forever on a Sunday. Not to mention Christmas Eve.”

“It is Christmas Eve, isn’t it?” She sounded startled by the information.

He popped off the hubcap and handed it to Katie. Then he hunkered down and loosened the lug nuts slightly with the lug wrench. He glanced at her. “Don’t tell me you forgot?”

She shrugged. “I guess I’ve been too distracted at work to think about the holidays much.”

After he jacked the car’s fender off the ground he removed the nuts, tossing each into the upturned hubcap Katie offered him. He grinned at her. “You’ve done this before.”

“Once or twice. I was helping my stepfather once and I lost one.” A shadow passed over her features. “Using this technique, I never lost one again.”

She lifted the hubcap to collect the bolts, holding herself just beyond his reach as if she suspected he might attack her. Even though they were strangers, he didn’t like the idea she didn’t trust him. Matt shook off the uneasy feeling and concentrated on fixing her flat.

Once he had the old tire off and the new one in place, he lowered the car back to the ground. He lifted the flat tire back in the jeep when something caught his eye. Laying the tire back on the ground he studied it. The tread was barely worn.

“Are these new tires?” He ran his fingers along the deep tread.

“I had them replaced last spring.” She leaned down to watch him. “Why?”

“Most flats occur with old tires that have little tread left on them. It makes the tire more vulnerable to road hazards.” Matt’s fingers touched over a hole. His index finger slipped inside. He leaned over to look closer. “What the heck?”

“What’s the matter?” Katie peered around his arm.

Matt sat back on his heels. “Tell me again what happened just before the car became hard to steer.”

She nibbled on her lower lip while she considered his question. The sight of her teeth pulling on the soft flesh held him mesmerized.

“I was heading home, listening to the radio. Loud. I didn’t want to fall asleep again.” She blushed when she glanced back at him.

“So you didn’t hear anything?”

“I heard a pop. Then I had to concentrate just to keep the car on the road. For a minute I thought it would flip over.”

“I’m not surprised,” he muttered, sticking his finger back in the hole. Except for some jagged edges, the hole’s circumference was an almost perfect circle around his finger. A nagging sense of unease inched its way along Matt’s spine.

Katie leaned close, her lips pressed tightly into a thin line. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Instead of answering her, Matt lifted the tire. On the other side he found a larger hole, one with the reinforced steel and rubber poking outwards like a small explosion.

“What?” Katie grasped the tire’s other side, to help support it.

Matt looked into her eyes. “Someone shot out this tire.”

“No.” Katie took a step backward, lifting her arms to wrap around her torso. Her eyes blinked rapidly, and once again she bit her lip. “You’re mistaken, Matt. Maybe it was just a nail or something?”

Her use of his first name should’ve thrilled him, but the near panic in her face ruined the act. He shook his head and pointed to the first hole. “This is where the bullet entered the tire.” Then he pointed at the second hole. “And this is where it exited.”