Chapter Sixteen IT’S quite eerie out here. But peaceful,” Heath remarked as he rowed away from Stone’s skiff and through the swamp, toward the waiting dirt lot of parked cars on the other side of the water. Lily wondered if he simply couldn’t stand the silence or he wanted to drag her into a conversation so he could convince her she was making a big mistake. As if Axel’s regret and Stone’s anxiety weren’t hint enough that they both thought her leaving now was as safe as bathing in chum before swimming through shark-infested waters . . . She refused to get involved in his conversation. “Hmm.” Heath shot her a glance. “All right, I’ll skip the chitchat then. They’re worried.” What was she supposed to say to that? Thank you, Captain Obvious. “They’re not my problem. I know they only allowed me to leave because they thought you would make sure I didn’t do anything stupid and that the big bad wolf couldn’t get me. But realistically, you can’t watch over me for the rest of your life, so you tell me what it will take to convince you that I’m safe enough. What do you need to leave me in peace?” “I’d rather hoped you would cool off and . . .” He stopped there and sighed. “But that seems unlikely, so what are your plans? I can help. Once I think you’re secure and I’m assured Canton isn’t on your trail, I’ll back off.” Maybe. But Lily didn’t believe any of these guys anymore. Yes, they sought to keep her safe, but each and every one of them was cut from the same cloth—convinced they were right, determined to protect, and certain that the ends justified the means. Whether they meant to or not, they made her feel incapable and dependent. She’d been that for far too long. Lily didn’t voice any of this to Heath. If she did, he would only stick to her like superglue. “I have a few hundred dollars and waitressing skills. They’re rusty, but if you can get me to New Orleans, I can find a job. I’m a pro at dyeing my hair. I’ll splurge on a pixie cut. I’ve got some blue contacts in my tote bag leftover from my Halloween costume last year. I know how to change my name and disappear.” Heath was already shaking his head. “Canton found you once. He has resources at his disposal you can’t even imagine. Jack Cole told us that it looks as if Canton had Mafia shanked in prison days ago and Reaper shot between the eyes only last night.” Lily recoiled in horror. After years away from that man’s violence she’d forgotten how swift and cruel it could be. “Testify.” Heath drilled her with a dark stare. “That’s the only way this mess ends.” Of course he’d say that. And she’d agreed to it last night when she’d been sated, wrapped in Stone’s arms, believing they had a future together. In today’s cold light, she saw clearly they had nothing, especially not honesty. “I’m not doing it simply to keep your pal out of jail.” “Stone is no friend of mine. I scarcely know him. And before you imagine that I have any allegiance to Axel, remember that I knew and loved Mystery first. I stopped fighting for her because I could plainly see that her heart was otherwise engaged. It’s actually in my best interest to have you in Axel’s life, causing friction between the two of them. But I’m getting older, and I suppose I have a bit of a sentimental streak. I want what’s best for people since life so rarely gives that to anyone without some finagling or a shove. Testifying and finally closing this chapter of your life would benefit you most of all. I don’t know the details but I know you’ve had a difficult road. Get on the stand and tell the truth. Get closure. Make certain Canton can’t harm anyone else. Then start over however and with whomever you fancy.” Heath had some good points. But right now she was too disillusioned to sort through her thoughts and too heartsick to make any decisions. The idea of entering a courtroom alone and dredging up every bit of the excruciating past to a jury of twelve strangers both made her sick and filled her with terror. Of course, that assumed she would live long enough to testify at all. The minute Canton learned what she planned, he’d come after her with everything he had and he would take her down without mercy. The easiest path would be to start over as a new person with a new life, hopefully one Canton would never find. Forget Lily Taylor ever existed. Could she live with that? Lily said nothing to Heath because engaging him in conversation only meant he would try to influence her more. The sounds of nature broke the silence as they reached the dock beside the dirt parking lot. Callie’s pretty new Audi SUV sat beside Stone’s black truck. Axel must have borrowed it since he only owned a motorcycle. Heath was “visiting” so he didn’t have a car, either. Lily eyed the vehicles and the road beyond. Then she turned back. The sun slanted in shimmering beams through the cypress trees and over the still waters that, despite looking dead, she knew teemed with life. She couldn’t see Jack’s cabin or Stone and Axel standing on the porch watching Heath row her away anymore. She literally had come to a turning point in her life. Keep running to stay alive or risk death to tell her truth in a court of law? Heath tied off the boat, then clambered out, lifting her suitcase and duffel out of the little skiff. On wobbly legs, she stood and clutched her tote and the box of her most personal items. “Let’s talk this through, shall we?” he suggested. “I can be the voice of reason—” “I have plenty of reason on my own. Can you just let me think for ten minutes?” She sighed. Holding out a hand, Heath helped her onto land, then withdrew the keys to Callie’s car from his pocket. “Of course.” Lily winced at his clipped tones. She hated to be rude but tried not to worry about the feelings of a man doing her betrayers’ bidding. On the other hand, she had no doubt that Heath, a former MI5 agent, would keep her safe if Canton managed to track her down before she made her great escape. But at the end of the day, she didn’t want to exchange one keeper for another. “Thanks,” she murmured as he carried most of her luggage to the vehicle and stowed it inside. He merely nodded at her as he opened her door and started up the car. So now what? Lily didn’t have an answer. Inside the leather interior of the SUV filled with that luscious new-car smell, Lily settled beside Heath and tried to decide her next move. Regardless of whether she testified or not, she had to stay off Canton’s radar. It would be smarter if she kept off everyone else’s, too. That meant she had to scrap her plan to head to the Keys. Stone knew all about it—and he might not be the only one. No going to New Orleans, either. Now that she’d mentioned it on a whim to Heath, they’d look there as well. At the first possible moment, she would have to ditch her phone and computer. If Stone wasn’t tracking both, Axel might be. Or Thorpe. She’d thought they were all such concerned protectors. Instead, they were deceiving bastards. But every one of them was a control freak, and she had a suspicion they wouldn’t simply let her go. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why. Lily tried to think through her options. She didn’t really have money for new gadgets, but she could buy a new burner phone this afternoon and leave the other two devices behind somewhere. The batteries would run out soon enough; then her trail would be cold unless she did something stupid. Heath navigated the seemingly long drive to central Lafayette. Traffic bustled during the lunch hour as he stopped the sleek white SUV in the parking lot of a Walmart. “If you’re leaving, you’ll need a few items from here, right?” He looked up at the facade of the building. “I loathe this place.” Despite the really crappy day she’d had, Lily had to grin. “Me, too. But yeah. I should grab a few things.” “I’ll help.” He reached for the handle to open the door. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “You can leave me here. I’m a big girl. I’ll manage on my own. If I decide to testify, who do I contact?” Lily thought it wise to keep her options open, just in case. Heath shrugged. “Keep your mobile handy. One of us will text you shortly.” Seriously, her patience was coming to an end. “Don’t treat me like an idiot. You know I’m ditching the phone as soon as I can. I need an answer now.” With a sigh, Heath pulled his phone from his pocket and fired off a text. Within moments, the device dinged, signaling that he’d received an answer. “Special Agent Bob Bankhead. He’s out of the Los Angeles office. Stone is texting you the man’s phone number.” She’d just bet her sneaky Casanova was. Would he love it if she saved his ass? “Fantastic. Now ask him to leave me the hell alone for good.” Lily wasn’t sure why she’d made such a demand. No, that wasn’t true. Some foolish part of her hoped that he’d disregard her wish, come riding up on his white horse, and choose her after all. So stupid. “I can already tell you he won’t agree,” Heath supplied. “Ever.” Heath must be wrong. Stone would totally let her go as if she meant absolutely nothing to him because she didn’t. Still, maybe she was better off not hearing Stone’s answer. It would only hurt more, and she didn’t need the added pain. Damn it, she had to stop with the self-pity. She’d closed the chapter on her existence once at sixteen. She would simply do it again. “You think I’m wrong. I can tell.” Heath shook his head. “I’ve seen far too many men in love lately. I know what one looks like.” “Maybe. But I don’t think you’re very good at spotting a con man, and I wish you well with the future. Sounds like you’ll need it.” She hopped out of the car, not surprised when Heath followed. She ignored him and retrieved a shopping cart from a nearby corral, then opened the hatch in back and dumped her luggage in the cart. “Thank you for the ride. I hope you’re able to get over Mystery and move on. Good-bye.” Just like she hoped to recover from Stone someday. Realistically, that was probably far in the future. Heath shifted his weight, looking reluctant to go. “Lily, how will you leave town? You don’t have a car. As a target, you’re too easy to take out all alone like this. You’ll want privacy soon. Night will fall. Don’t make this easy for Canton. He might not have been the one to shoot Reaper in Iowa. It’s quite likely he still has violent men in his employ willing to do his bidding. He could be waiting for you around the next corner.” In her head, Lily knew that. She didn’t want to put her stubbornness over her personal safety but she was going to have to make do without these guys for the rest of her life. Why not start now? “I’m no longer your problem. Consider yourself relieved of duty or whatever. In less than three hours, I’ll be a completely new woman and long gone. Thanks for the lift.” With that, she headed into the store, only glancing back once to ensure that Heath hadn’t followed her. She’d half-expected him to, but to her surprise, he stood unmoving next to Callie’s sleek white vehicle, the hot wind ruffling his dark hair. Inside, Lily tried not to feel completely alone. She was surrounded by people, after all, some of whom would make for great social media posts. She hurried through the cool air of the big-box store and picked up a prepaid cell phone, along with a few other necessities, then hightailed it to the hair-care aisle. She scanned the dyes, trying to decide on a color. Red tended to attract attention and bleed out quickly. Most shades of dark blond washed her out because they contained too much gold for her pink skin tone. Why had Stone pretended to love and care for her, listened to her secrets, worshipped her body, and become her everything if all he’d wanted her to do was testify? Why hadn’t he just flat-out asked her? He’d barely tried to appeal to her logic. Maybe because he didn’t credit her with any. Right now, she was questioning that herself. She didn’t understand how he could look at her with such naked feeling, slide deep inside her, all the while convincing her of a love he didn’t feel. No. She wouldn’t think about him anymore. Stone wasn’t important to her future. Getting out of this town was. A medium brown color would help with that. She’d done it before. Not her favorite, but she would blend in. She grabbed the box, scanned it, and threw it in the shopping cart beside her. “Lily Taylor,” a masculine voice called from directly behind her. She froze. She hadn’t heard that voice since she was a teenager, not since one of the darkest days of her life. Timothy Canton. She turned slowly, hoping like hell her ears had deceived her. But no. There he stood. Despite his looking a few years older and a few pounds heavier, she recognized him. He definitely appeared more respectable in a pair of casual shorts and a crisp golf shirt with a cap low over his face. Anyone who saw him would imagine he’d just come off the course. How had he found her and crept up behind her? “It’s been a long time,” he murmured in a low, almost secretive voice. Fear froze the blood in her veins. Her eyes flared wide. Panic sliced through her like a physical pain. She backed up a step, rattling into boxes of hair color and shampoo. “You can’t kill me here. My murder will be on security cameras.” “Murder?” He gave her the same fake laugh she’d heard when he’d pretended surprise at finding Erin at the warehouse. It sent chills down her spine. “I came to Louisiana to talk to you, nothing more.” Sure, he had. Next, he’d try to sell her a bridge. Before he offed her and buried the evidence, of course. Timothy Canton didn’t compromise or give anything in return. He simply smashed everyone in his path with an iron fist. And because he wanted to be governor, they both knew she stood in his way. “I have nothing to say.” She fumbled for her purse and shoved her hand inside, rummaging around for her gun. “Go away.” “If you’re reaching for a firearm, I wouldn’t do that. The store management will have the police here in three minutes, and you’ll go to jail for carrying a weapon without a permit in Louisiana. If you point it at me, it would be natural for them to assume you mean to rob or kill me. And maybe everyone else in the store.” Canton was right, and Lily’s next instinct was to drop him to his knees with a swift kick to the balls, then start running. But the moment she left the store, she would no longer be in a public place, and she’d be so much easier for him or one of his thugs to eliminate. “I also feel compelled to point out that if you touch me in any other way, I can press assault charges.” He gave her an empty, almost benign smile. A politician’s smile, she realized. It promised benevolence and delivered whatever served him best. Though he looked more suited to the country club than to the mean streets these days, she couldn’t forget that he raped and killed without remorse. He’d taken her mother, her brother, and her best friend from her without blinking. Heart racing, thoughts whirling, she tried to decide what to do next. “What the hell do you want?” “Just to talk to you. I approached you in public, hoping that wouldn’t scare or intimidate you. Toward the front of the store there’s a sandwich shop. Let me buy you a soda. We’ll sit. I’d like you to hear me out.” “No.” “I suggest you reconsider.” His tone was silky, almost casual, but she heard the underlying threat. “It’s in our mutual best interest. I need your silence. And I have a lot of money, which you’ll need now that you have no job, no car, no friends, no home . . .” Lily felt as if he’d just punched her in the stomach. “H-how did you know all that? How did you find me?” “Come to the sandwich shop and I’ll explain.” He gestured to the end of the aisle. She looked for a way out of the situation. The last thing she wanted to do was sit across a table from Timothy Canton and pretend to have a civilized conversation. Under his new veneer, she had to believe he was still the same old criminal and sociopath. Still, the minute she left the store she was probably dead. Maybe she could play along, then tip off someone in the restaurant or an employee that she was in trouble. But what if she got an innocent bystander killed? Maybe she could escape to the women’s bathroom to call . . . who? She couldn’t ring anyone she’d left behind. Even if they came, she couldn’t trust them. And if she called the police, what could she say? A man from her past had accosted her in Walmart and forced her to have a carbonated beverage with him? No, but she had Bob Bankhead’s number on her phone. The fed might be able to get her out of this bind. True, but to secure his help, she’d have to agree to testify. Looking at Canton now, she wasn’t sure that was a smart idea. Lily forced herself to exhale and think. Canton wouldn’t hurt her in a public place with so many cameras on them. Maybe if she heard him out, she could find some way to escape this mess, hopefully for good. She prayed for calm as she pushed the cart filled with all her worldly belongings. As she walked up the aisle and turned left toward the sub shop she’d noticed when she first walked in, she passed row after row of shoppers and employees. No one seemed to notice anything unusual. That was good . . . and bad. When they reached the sub shop, Canton ushered her in and grabbed hold of her arm, ensuring she stood right beside him. His fingers bit into her arm with just enough force to remind her how dangerous he could be. But the smile he sent her, blankly kind, made her want to cringe. Its deceitful emptiness scared her most of all. “What would you like to drink?” he asked as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Nothing. She felt sure if she tried to swallow anything, she would throw up. But she already knew he wouldn’t accept that answer. “S-sprite.” When he reached the cashier, he ordered her soda and an iced tea for himself. She didn’t dare look at the girl behind the counter. She looked every bit as young as Erin had the day Canton had killed her. Lily didn’t want to be responsible for another young girl’s torture and death because she still remembered how much the barbarian had enjoyed taking Erin’s innocence before he’d taken her life. So she clutched the handle of her shopping cart and looked anywhere else. As soon as they had their cups, Canton led her to a square booth with a sticky wood laminate tabletop in the corner. He parked her cart behind it and set her cup down and shooed her into her seat before he planted himself across from her. “I have nothing to say to you.” She glared his way. “I think you’ll want to hear this.” He paused and sent her a considering stare. “You left Dallas quickly. Did that brute you used to sleep with break your heart when he started shacking up with the famous director’s daughter?” He knew about Axel? “How long have you been watching me?” “Years,” he assured her. “Keep your friends close . . .” And your enemies closer. Lily swallowed. And Canton hadn’t tried to kill her in all that time? Of course, since he was running for governor, that meant he had to rid all the ghosts from his past. “Why the hell bother with chitchat now that you’ve blown up my car and my life?” He scowled. Even though his golden brown hair didn’t move, his face appeared to turn down into something that looked almost like a real expression. “I heard about that incident. I didn’t plant that bomb. I merely left you flowers in your car at work, telling you exactly what I wanted. I was waiting across the street for you, watching for the moment you found the bouquet so I could approach you. But you weren’t alone. That ex-con who wanted you so badly followed you to the parking lot. When you left Dominion, you did it so quickly, I didn’t have the opportunity to follow. The bomb was unexpected.” “Meaning one of your goons did it?” She sneered. “No.” He managed to grit his teeth yet still flash her that terrible smile again. “Meaning I have no idea how or why it happened. Let’s try to be pleasant, all right?” She leaned in and scowled. It didn’t matter if she was a bitch to Canton because he was probably going to kill her. “I can’t sit across from the animal who murdered so many people I loved and not want to both vomit and stab you myself.” He gave her a nod of seeming regret that she didn’t believe for a second. “Ancient history, Ms. Taylor. That was a different time, and I’m a different man now.” Bullshit. “Yeah? Then why did you rape and kill a woman in my apartment who looks suspiciously like me? Or are you going to tell me that wasn’t your handiwork, either?” “I had nothing to do with that.” He shook his head, doing his best to look innocent. “Then one of your thugs did.” “I no longer have thugs. I’m a businessman these days, nothing more. And following you has been a full-time job. When you disappeared into the swamp, I kept trying to figure out how to explore the area and pinpoint your location. You had your phone off for days and—” “You were tracking my phone?” “How else did you imagine I could find you? Once I figured out your alias, I had an associate who works for your wireless provider keep an eye on you. If you veered more than fifty miles from home or work, he alerted me. Thankfully, you rarely did.” “Cut the crap,” she growled at him. “You’re no humanitarian. You had Mafia shanked in prison a few days ago. You had someone put a bullet between Reaper’s eyes last night. You’re going to off me, too.” She wasn’t sure she would be brave enough to confront him if she weren’t surrounded by people coming and going in the little eatery. An elderly couple sat in the middle of the area, both talking loudly to each other. A pair of teenage boys stared at the girl behind the counter, one openly flirting. A blond woman bounced a baby girl on her lap and picked at a sub. Lily thanked god she wasn’t alone with this savage psycho. He might kill her, but she’d get to speak her mind first. “Mafia met with an unfortunate event during his incarceration,” Canton advised. “Such a shame that he made enemies behind bars. I guess he’ll never get that deal for a reduced sentence in exchange for his testimony about our past . . . dealings.” He shook his head in mock sympathy. “Not my fault at all.” Which meant he’d totally been behind Mafia’s murder. The thought made her sick. “But Reaper?” He frowned, looking genuinely puzzled. “Someone killed him last night.” “How did you hear? Didn’t he live in Idaho?” “Iowa.” “Ah, yes. He’d found God. I remember. Well, hopefully he’s at the pearly gates now being welcomed with open arms. But I had nothing to do with that. Truly.” He leaned forward and dropped his voice so that even the bored blonde trying to eavesdrop over her baby’s squeals couldn’t pick up their conversation. “Look, I’ve done some things in the past that don’t match the image I’d prefer to convey now. You’ve been a quiet, unobtrusive girl for years. That tells me you’re reasonable. So I’m willing to compensate you for continued good behavior. I have some paperwork in my motel room, a fairly detailed nondisclosure agreement. Come with me to look it over.” Was he crazy? “Go to hell. I won’t follow you anywhere. I won’t sign anything. And I especially won’t go to your motel room.” “It’s worth half a million dollars to you.” “It could be half a trillion but if I’m dead, I can’t spend it.” And she had little doubt the money was a ruse to lure her someplace he could kill her. Besides, what kind of price tag could she possibly put on the lives of her loved ones? Five hundred thousand dollars was probably more money than she’d ever see in her lifetime but that amount for three of the most precious people on the planet to her seemed awfully cheap. “I’m hurt.” He pouted, and she didn’t buy it for a minute. Canton didn’t actually have feelings, just ruthlessness, greed, and ambition. “I’m trying to engage in simple commerce. You’re being difficult.” “What happens if I refuse?” He gave her what he probably thought was his most concerned smile. “I’d hate for a serious, maybe even fatal, accident to befall you. But these unfortunate things sometimes happen. So sad.” Of course. To be honest, she was surprised he’d offered to pay her anything, but she was pretty sure he merely meant to scam her. “Before you reply, I’ve learned over time that money can contribute to a much higher quality of life. You might enjoy the windfall.” No. She’d feel terrible every moment of every day she had the blood money with all those zeros in her bank account. As far as Lily was concerned, she’d heard enough. She needed to grab her stuff and get out of the store before Canton caught up to her. “Fuck you.” She stood and grabbed her cart from behind the table, then darted around the maze of tables in the little place. A glance back at Canton told her that he watched, shaking his head. “We’re not done, Lily.” The blonde with the baby shot her a concerned glance, then stood, anchoring the little girl to her hip. Lily didn’t wait to see what the bystander would do. She needed to escape before Canton or his goons grabbed her. She dashed to the checkout with her box of dye, burner phone, and other assorted goodies. When she reached the front of the line, Lily used some of her precious cash to pay for her items. As she did, she scanned for Canton or his thugs—anyone who looked as if they were watching her too closely and waiting for a chance to pounce. But she saw no one suspicious inside the store. Now she just had to get outside, through the parking lot, and escape. Obviously, if Canton was going to run for governor, he wasn’t going to shoot her himself in a place teeming with cameras. She didn’t have the time to wait for a taxi or the money to pay for one. It was a thousand freaking degrees out there. She had everything she owned in her luggage, and she needed to move fast. To do that and make a clean getaway, she needed to make sure Canton couldn’t follow her. As she hustled to the exit, the store manager stood next to a big guy wearing a name tag pinned to his vest. “Excuse me. I’m hoping you can help. I was accosted by a man in the store earlier. He’s about five foot ten, midthirties, wearing a white golf shirt.” Lily turned and spotted Canton lurking around a nearby impulse aisle, pretending to be engrossed. She pointed. “Can you help me? Just keep him here until I can get to my car and leave?” The store manager, a fortysomething African-American man, looked pissed off on her behalf. So did his bodybuilding pal. He nodded. “Go. We’ll take care of him, ma’am.” “Thank you. I was scared.” And that wasn’t a lie at all. “I appreciate it. So much.” They waved her out the door and stood blocking it as Canton started in her direction. Outside, she sighed in relief, then ventured away from the building cautiously, scanning the half-empty parking lot for anyone who might be on Canton’s payroll with a mission to finish her off. She saw an elderly woman driving away. A guy with dark hair and sunglasses, rocking out in his Jeep. He glanced her way once, then apparently lost interest. He didn’t seem threatening, simply as if he were waiting for his buddy or girlfriend to come out of the store. And no sign of Heath. Well, the British bodyguard had sworn he was leaving. She didn’t see any sign of Callie’s car. It was just as well. She needed to find some quiet way to carry all her stuff down the road and rent a motel room long enough to dye her hair, change clothes, wipe her devices clean of all data and software, and trash everything she didn’t intend to take with her. She still had a few hundred dollars left. Maybe she could buy a bus ticket and be somewhere else by nightfall. Knowing it was now or never, Lily strode away from the store. The craggy asphalt radiated heat, and a mirage cropped up across the half-full lot. The twentysomething blonde with the baby she’d seen earlier approached her, pushing her shopping cart of groceries. “You need help? I saw that man talking to you. You looked scared.” Empathy softened the woman’s face. Lily really did need help but she didn’t want to involve anyone else in her problems, especially someone with a baby who didn’t look older than six months. Out of the blue, she wondered how the woman felt about motherhood. She’d dressed her precious daughter in frills and pink. It reminded Lily of the one outfit she’d scraped her money together to buy Regina before . . . Well, before everything. She shoved the thoughts away. “I’m good.” She tried to smile, aware her hands were shaking. “Thanks. Your daughter is adorable.” The woman smiled and stroked the little one’s head. “She’s such a good baby, too. I’m lucky. Have a nice day.” “You, too.” Lily saw the woman stop at a blue compact, then load the baby and her plastic bags in the backseat before she slid behind the wheel. Someday, if she could ever put the Canton mess to bed, maybe she’d find a man who truly loved her and have the blessings that woman seemed to possess. But first she had to escape. Lily glanced over her shoulder as she rolled everything she owned in the shopping cart and headed toward the far end of the lot. The young mom backed out of her parking spot. The guy with midnight hair still sat in a big gray Jeep with the windows rolled down. When he looked at her again, his dark stare didn’t seem quite so disinterested. She pushed her cart across the blacktop faster. “Lily!” a male voice shouted across the lot. She turned and spotted Canton running after her between the parked cars. Instantly, her heart revved up and terror juiced her bloodstream. He’d probably smooth-talked his way out of her distraction. And he’d caught her alone. God knew what he’d do now, but she expected he’d have some plan to get her away from here and make her death more horrific than she could imagine. No one crossed Canton and lived. Besides utter terror, the only thing Lily could feel was regret. She’d failed Erin, her mom, and her brother. Her secrets would die with her. And their killer would win. “You can’t do this!” But Lily was painfully aware he could do whatever he wanted. She’d been stupid to send Heath away, even if she hadn’t thought Canton could possibly find her this quickly. She’d only needed three hours alone to transform herself, damn it. But that was clearly three hours too many. Canton was obviously every bit as devious and determined as he’d always been. “Three quarters of a million,” he shouted, charging after her. “Cash, if you sign today.” Not that she believed he’d ever give her money for silence, but where would he get that much liquid money? “No. Leave me alone.” At the edge of the lot, she picked up all her belongings and tried to run for the sidewalk off the main drag ahead. With cars passing to and fro, Canton couldn’t shoot or abduct her in broad daylight, could he? There would be witnesses or sidewalk cams—something. Right? Just then, a car weaved up beside her, stopping between her and Canton. A blue compact. The tinted window on the driver’s side slid down, and the woman with the baby turned to her with a worried expression. “Can I give you a lift someplace?” Lily started to refuse, but the woman glanced in her rearview mirror at Canton, who’d now halted. “When I was younger, I once found myself stranded in the heat, carrying most of what I owned on my shoulders, too. A kind soul helped me out. I’d love to pay it back. I could use some good karma about now. And I would feel terrible leaving you with that guy.” Lily looked at Canton barely twenty feet away, just waiting for the opportunity to pounce, then to the woman’s earnest face. The baby cooed and shook its rattle in the backseat. Surely a woman carting her infant around wouldn’t be a crazy ax murderer. And the blonde had to be safer than Canton. Besides, the sooner she got to a motel, the sooner she could wipe her phone clean, transform herself, and leave this town. “I’m Emma and this is Isabel. I promise, we don’t bite. Well, she’s teething but . . .” Lily cocked her head. The sun beat down on her, and she was beginning to sweat. She hated snap decisions, but Canton would catch up to her in the next ten seconds. Still . . . “This man is dangerous. You’re taking a big risk with your safety and your baby’s.” Emma nodded. “Yes, and my husband would kill me. But I know that look on your face, like you’ve lost everything and don’t know where to go. That man is harassing you and you’re afraid. I was in a similar place two years ago. I’ll get you away from here, hon.” It was either get in the car with the woman or wait for Canton to wrap his hands around her throat and squeeze. “That would be great. Thanks.” Lily wanted to hug the woman and hoped Canton didn’t make the stranger pay for her kindness. Everything that had happened the past few hours was catching up with Lily. She hadn’t eaten yet today and didn’t know where she’d be in eight hours. She had no idea where she’d lay her head to sleep tonight. No idea how she would keep herself alive. The thought was enough to make her want to break down and give up. But she was strong and resourceful. She had some money, a gun in her purse, and experience on her side. Emma shoved the car in park. “I’ll help with your gear.” Together the two women tossed her luggage into the trunk and barely managed to get it slammed shut. A glance back proved Canton stood beside a huge brown pickup encased in mud and stared, wearing a furious glare on his face. Clearly, he hadn’t expected a bystander to help her. But he also wasn’t going to harass her with a witness. Once she slammed the trunk, Emma hurried toward the driver’s side of the car. Lily watched and noticed the car had California license plates. She paused, unease trickling through her. “What’s wrong?” “You’re a long way from California.” Emma gave Canton a nervous glance, then nodded. “My husband started his own company recently. He can work from anywhere, so we decided to move closer to my family for Isabel’s sake. The cost of living is cheaper, which is important right now. I’ll miss San Diego but I think here will be all right, too.” Emma slipped back into the car and cooed at her baby. Lily hesitated. Not every one of the thirty-something million people from California were involved with Canton. Taking a deep breath, she slipped into the blessed air-conditioned comfort of the car. “Good luck with everything.” “Thanks.” As the woman pulled out of the lot, Lily powered down her cell phone. As soon as she got to a motel room, she would wipe it clean and set up the burner. Emma smiled and drove to the main road. “Where to?” “There’s a little motel down the road off to the left here.” Lily pointed. “It’s not far.” “Oh, we’re staying there too until we find a house to rent.” With that, Emma pulled out onto the road. One last glance back told Lily Canton still watched. She didn’t think for one minute that she’d seen the last of him. Two minutes later, they pulled into the lot, and Emma put the car in park. “Here we are.” She twisted around for her purse on the floorboard behind her and dragged it into her lap. “Let me give you something before you go.” Lily was already wording her refusal to accept money if that’s what the woman intended. Instead, Emma whipped out a syringe and shoved the needle into her arm. “Sorry. I know Timothy Canton is dangerous.” Her expression melted into something that looked like hate. “But my husband and I are far worse.”
Chapter 16