“Me, too.” She remembered how suspicious she’d been about his motives for helping her. Foolish now, when he’d done nothing but save them over and over again. “Although I’d still like to know why you decided to track me down in the first place.”
He hesitated before answering. “I told you, I was at your house and noticed that you and Aaron had left in a hurry. I was concerned about your safety, especially since I knew your husband and brother were...”
Dead. He hadn’t said the word, but she knew what he’d meant.
Dropping the issue seemed to be the prudent thing to do.
“Oh!” She rummaged in her zebra bag. “I almost forgot. I’m sure it’s cold, but here’s your breakfast sandwich.”
“Thanks.” He ate while he drove, downing the food in less than five bites. She was sure he was still hungry, but didn’t think he’d appreciate the animal crackers she carried for Aaron.
They’d need to stop for food and fuel, sooner than later. She’d returned his phone, upset that neither of his friends had returned his call, and now wondered about that. “Would you like me to try contacting your friends again?”
Ryker pulled his phone out of his pocket and tossed it into her lap. “Why not? They’re both cops, so it could be that they’re at work and can’t talk. We may not hear from them until their respective shifts are over.”
They were both cops? She shivered, despite the June sun beating in through the windows. She turned the phone in her fingers. “I...don’t trust cops.”
He raised a brow. “They’re my friends. They would never do anything to hurt you, the baby or Aaron. Mike is married to Duncan’s sister Shayla, and they have a child of their own, a boy named Brodie who is just a little older than Aaron. I’ve helped them out before, and I know they’re more than willing to return the favor.”
She swallowed a lump of fear and tried to be rational. “I...didn’t know you had friends in law enforcement.”
“I would trust both of them with my life. Yours and Aaron’s, too.” Ryker’s tone was soft. “They’re good guys. And they’ve worked outside the lines on more than one occasion.”
Worked outside the lines? Meaning, not following the rules to the strictest level of the law? Knowing that should have made her feel better, but didn’t.
“Okay.” She tried to inject confidence in her tone. “I hope you’re right.”
“I promise—it will be okay.”
She made the calls, but was forced to leave messages for both men. “Still no answer.”
“They’ll call as soon as they’re able.” He paused, then added, “I know I’ve asked you this before, but there has to be a good reason why these guys are coming after you.”
“I’ve been racking my brain trying to understand that myself. I mean, sure, I overheard a few things, here and there, but nothing serious enough to make them come after me.”
“Like what?” There was a note of urgency in his tone.
She watched as he pulled into a drive-through fast-food restaurant and ordered several bottles of water. “Get yourself something more to eat,” she encouraged.
“I’m fine.” He handed her a cold bottle of water and she gratefully took a long drink. The nagging headache that she sometimes experienced when dehydrated eased off a notch.
“I heard Colin and Tim saying something about selling weapons to the enemy.” It wasn’t easy to discuss how her husband and brother had betrayed their country. “At the time I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I soon figured out something was off when I was locked in the motel room with Jeff.”
“There was no way for you to know the details,” Ryker assured her. “What else?”
She thought back. The snippets of conversation were often out of context and hadn’t made any sense. “Something about a stash of money, but that was likely referring to the gun sales.”
“Probably.” Ryker kept a keen eye on the rearview mirror in a way that convinced her they weren’t safe yet. “Anything else?”
“Not really.” She sighed and rubbed her stomach again. It was something she did unconsciously, to soothe both herself and the baby. “I did get the sense they were trying to keep secrets from their boss.”
There was a moment of silence as Ryker digested that bit of information.
When his phone rang, it startled them both. He gestured for her to answer it.
The name on the screen was Duncan O’Hare. “Hello?”
“Is this Olivia Habush?”
“Yes. I’m here with Ryker. Let me put you on speaker.” She held the phone in the palm of her hand and used the speaker function for Ryker’s sake.
“I hear you’re in trouble.” Duncan’s voice was matter-of-fact.
“I need help. We’re just leaving the Shawnee National Forest, heading north through Illinois toward Wisconsin. I was hoping you and Mike could hit the road and meet us halfway.”
“I’m happy to meet up with you. I just have to find someone to cover my next couple of shifts.”
“Great.” Ryker sounded relieved. “I’m avoiding Interstate 57, using highway 51 instead. I was hoping you guys could meet us either in Springfield or Bloomington, depending on when you can get moving.”
“I’ll see what I can do, and get in touch with Mike, too.” There was a pause before Duncan added, “I assume you need the usual?”
“Yes, please.” Ryker smiled, and Liv realized it was probably the first time she’d seen him smile since they’d met. Had it really been only yesterday? He was even better looking when he smiled. “Appreciate it.”
“Okay. Give me some time to coordinate with Mike. I’ll let you know when we’re on our way.”
“Thanks, Duncan. Appreciate your help.”
“Hey, it’s the least I can do. You guys left me out of the fun when Hawk needed help, so it’s my turn.”
Ryker’s smile widened. “Later.”
Duncan disconnected the line, so she pushed the End Call button.
