Page 16 of The Veteran

Baker smirked, but he did as I said. Then, out of nowhere, one of the parked cars shot toward me, narrowly missing me as I leaped aside. I glanced back at Baker. He was climbing into the passenger seat. I bolted across the concrete toward our vehicle, launching myself inside the open door just as Baker slammed his.

Sage’s eyes were filled with fear but she didn’t hesitate as the engine roared to life and she thrust the accelerator down. Fortunately, I never parked where I might need to back out, because that could waste precious seconds when there were none to spare, so she was able to steer around a bend and down a ramp to the next story down. A loud crack echoed through the space and a bullet tore through the wing mirror. Another bullet pierced the rear passenger side as she swung us around a corner, down another ramp and onto the busy road.

I looked through the rear window. Baker was in the passenger seat of the sedan, gesticulating wildly, and Getty was behind the wheel. Sage navigated across several rows of traffic and turned off onto another busy street.

“Where do I go?” she panted.

“Just do your best to get rid of them.”

Since I’d momentarily lost sight of Getty and Baker, I made a quick phone call to Ronan to let him know what was going on. A few hundred yards behind us, the black sedan turned into our lane of traffic. Sage executed a rapid turn, then another, and another. I kept an eye on our pursuers, but when several minutes passed with no sight of them, I allowed my shoulders to slump in relief.

“I think you shook them off.” There was a multistory parking building up ahead. “Pull in there.”

She did as I’d said and drove up to the third floor, where she squeezed in between a pickup and a bulky sports car. As soon as the engine cut off, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel, and I realized she was shaking. I rubbed her upper back.

“You did well,” I told her. “You kept your head under pressure better than most people would have.”

She raised shiny eyes to mine. “Thanks.” Her mouth wobbled. “Can we swap now? I don’t think I’m up to driving anymore.”

“Yeah, sure.” She was probably experiencing an adrenaline comedown. I got out and circled the vehicle. She stood on trembling legs and, before I could react, wrapped her arms around me and burrowed into my chest.

“Just a moment,” she said quietly. “I’ll be okay in a few seconds.”

I held her close, burying my face in her hair and breathing her in. She was a curvy armful and I’d be happy if she stayed exactly where she was. Fortunately, she was thinking more clearly than I was and eventually pulled away. She swiped at the moisture beneath her eyes and hurried around the vehicle. When we were both seated again, I took stock of the situation. How had they found us? Twice in one morning couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.

“Did you tell anyone where we were?” I asked Sage.

She frowned. “Of course not.”

I pressed my lips together in thought. “Have you called anyone today?”

“No, but you know I spoke to Toshi.”

She had. Perhaps they’d somehow been monitoring her phone.

“Have you been in contact with anyone else?”

She started to say no, but then stopped and her face fell. “I posted on social media this morning.”

My stomach sunk. We already knew from Toshi that Getty and Baker were aware of Sage’s online presence, and if she’d put up a post, there was every possibility it had included location data stored in the background. Many apps used tracking systems.

“Turn your phone off,” I barked, annoyed at myself for not having thought of it sooner. “No more posting on social media. No more phone calls or messages. Okay?”

She nodded, seeming subdued. “I’m so sorry. I was on autopilot and trying to distract myself with work. I didn’t stop to think it through properly.”

7

SAGE

I stayed silent while Kade called Ronan to confirm that we were out of danger. I felt terrible for allowing myself to go on autopilot without considering the damage it could do. I’d been trying to avoid my feelings, and that was cowardly. I should have known better. And now, I’d put us both in danger.

My stomach cramped. I hated the thought that I was the reason those men had been able to find us. What if Baker had shot Kade? How would I have lived with myself?

Kade ended the call with Ronan and made another to Zeke. I listened half-heartedly to their conversation. It wasn’t nearly as casual and friendly as his talk with Ronan had been. When he hung up, I glanced at his face and noticed he was scowling.

“Why does talking to him get you so worked up?” I asked. I’d already noticed Zeke seemed to rile him.

He flushed. “I’m not worked up.”