4
Stuart growled his frustration and watched the Navigator disappear, merged with the flow of the school traffic. He raced back to his white Lexus and gunned the motor. He’d finally checked under the hood and found the loose wires, which caused him to lose precious minutes as he reconnected them. He couldn’t believe Dani had done this. For what? All he wanted to do was protect her from Kurt, because as soon as Kurt found the empty safe and his family gone, he’d kill them.
And Stuart couldn’t let that happen.
Dani was running from Kurt and he had to stop her.
He’d figured she would go after Simon, he’d just been about two minutes too late. All eyes in the carpool line were on him now, including the school resource officer. He flashed his badge at the man, who nodded, but gestured for him to keep it slow in the school zone. Stuart gritted his teeth and nodded back.
He kept his speed right at the maximum allowed, gripping the wheel and steering into the traffic. He went as fast as he dared, having no desire to be pulled over and waste precious time showing his ID. However, he was determined not to lose her. It was time they had a serious conversation about her and Kurt.
“Stuart? It’s Peter Hastings.”
“Yeah?” He knew he sounded distracted. He was. But he had to fight to keep Dani in his sights. His gut said she was running from Kurt. From him. “What is it? I’m busy.”
“Kurt’s dead.”
Stuart slammed on the brakes and pulled into the nearest parking lot. He let Dani go. She wouldn’t get far and he could always find her later. And she would have no reason to run once she learned Kurt was dead. She’d be back. “What happened?”
“He was shot at the hotel where the conference is. He died at the scene.” Peter blew out a breath. “Man, I’m sorry.”
Surprisingly, Stuart felt a huge hole in the vicinity of his chest. Then the feeling fled. He still had one more thing to accomplish.
He still had to make Dani his.
Completely and in every way. If he didn’t, then Kurt would win. “I’ve got to go.”
“You going to be all right?”
“Yes. Thanks for letting me know.” A deep sigh overtook him. “I guess I’ll need to let my parents know. Or has someone already called them?”
“I think the ASAC called them.”
Patrick Kline, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge. “Good. Good. I’ll, uh, head over there.”
“Let me know if I can do anything.”
“Yeah.” He hung up, his mind still on Dani.
One thing bothered him. She’d cleaned out the safe. Why? What was in the box Kurt had sent him over there to get?
Stuart punched through the red light, a small smile curling his lips. Now he really needed to find Dani.
To tell her Kurt was dead and that she belonged to him now. That he was ready to step in and take care of her from now on. The thought made him smile. “I won, Kurt. I beat you. She’s mine.” Now he just had to find her and tell her.
Dani had checked and rechecked her rearview mirror all the way to the hotel. At the library, where she’d spent as much time as possible when Kurt was gone and Simon was at school, she’d googled and mapped and planned her route. They’d made it to the first stop.
Inside the hotel room, Simon questioned her nonstop, his hands flying at warp speed. “Where are we going?”
“A long way from here.”
“Across country?”
“Yes.”
“To see your mother?”
A pang hit her. “No, that’s the first place your father will look.”
His shoulders drooped. “I want to meet my grandmother.”
“I know, hon. And maybe one day that’ll be possible. I know she’d like to meet you too.” Dani kept her contact with her mother to a minimum. She was too afraid of what Kurt would do if he found out she was in touch with the woman.
Simon flipped on the television and picked up the remote. “I hope they have closed captions here.”
“I’m sure they do.” She didn’t offer to see if she could get them working. Simon knew better than she did how to do that.
The room was nice. Nothing fancy, but it wasn’t a dump either. The money from the safe would carry them for a while as long as she wasn’t extravagant. But she refused to stay in a dangerous area. She’d had enough of danger for the past twelve years. It was time to find out what it felt like to feel safe again.
“Mom?”
She turned to find Simon’s gaze fixed on the television screen.
“Two FBI agents have been declared dead at the scene of the Crown Vista hotel. We don’t have any more details at the moment . . .”
“That’s where Dad is, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” She sank onto the bed beside him.
Simon looked at her. “You think it could be him?”
Dani signed that she didn’t know. “Let’s watch.”
As time passed, she and Simon stayed glued to the screen, pausing only to order supper. Finally, a reporter came on the screen. “Alan James has been identified as one of the dead agents. The other agent’s name has not been released yet because his family hasn’t been notified. We’ll be back with more news after this break.”
Simon signed. “We need to find out.”
Dani nodded. “Yes, you’re right.”
“Who can you call?”
“Your dad’s boss.”