breaths. If the son of a bitch had Dani and was using her to lure Kylie in, she was more than game to take the motherfucker on.
“I’m at a pay phone. I need you. Please come get me and don’t tell anyone. Please? Promise? I’ve done a very, very bad thing and my uncle will kill me for sure.”
Kylie slid into the passenger side at the same time Perry slid into the driver’s side. His wild look was frantic as he stared at her and then her phone.
“What?” he demanded.
“Oh my God, Uncle Perry is with you. Kylie, you’ve got to lose him. Please.” Dani was crying now and harder to understand.
“Where are you?” Kylie asked, remaining calm as she stared into Perry’s dark, fierce eyes.
“I don’t know,” Dani wailed into Kylie’s ear.
“Are you hurt?”
“I don’t think so. I’m scared. And I’m the biggest fucking idiot.”
Perry started the car, continuing to look over Kylie’s way. “It’s Dani, right. Where is she?” he asked with a baritone so cool sounding it gave Kylie chills.
“She’s scared and isn’t sure,” Kylie told him, hearing Dani hiccup in her ear as she continued crying hard. “But she sounds as if she’s okay.” Then putting the phone close to her ear, Kylie covered it with her hand, needing only to hear Dani. “You know your town, Dani. Look around you. Tell us where you are.”
“You’re bringing Uncle Perry. He’s going to kill me.”
“We were both out looking for you, so we’re together, and yes, he is bringing me to you. You have my word he won’t kill you.”
Perry grunted and she ignored him.
“You don’t know my uncle that well then.”
“Dani, where are you?”
The sobs continued before Dani finally answered. “On the south side of the bowling alley parking lot. I ran back here. But I think there might be a problem. God, Kylie,
“The south side?” Kylie looked outside, getting her bearings. “I’ll be there in a second.”
“Okay. Where are you?”
“Don’t hang up, Dani. Stay right there and do not hang up the phone.” Kylie pulled the phone from her ear just far enough to focus on Perry. “She’s on the south side of the parking lot here at a pay phone,” Kylie whispered. “She keeps repeating she’s done something terrible and doesn’t want you to come get her, just me.”
“Damn the luck,” Perry growled, making a sharp turn back into the parking lot instead of turning onto the street.
“Kylie, I think he’s coming back. He’s going to see me. I’ve got to go,” Dani hissed into the phone.
“We’re right here. Don’t hang up,” Kylie said frantically, and then heard the hum in her ear. “Damn it,” she snapped, tossing her phone into her purse but then quickly reaching for her door handle. “She was on a pay phone on the south side of the bowling alley but just panicked and said she is afraid he’s coming back and that he’ll see her. She hung up on me.”
Perry didn’t answer but accelerated hard enough that the tires squealed. He raced across the parking lot but then hit the brakes so hard Kylie slammed her palms against the dash. Making a sharp turn, he drove only a bit slower through the dark side of the back of the building toward the other side.
“She kept saying she’s done something really terrible.”
“She agreed to meet that bastard she’s been talking to online,” Perry hissed, sounding mad as hell.
“I think so. But something happened and it caused her to call me from a pay phone crying her eyes out and begging me to come get her. Yet then she hangs up in a state of panic. I think she got away from him and he’s coming back for her.”
Kylie didn’t have to voice her thoughts. Obviously Perry was thinking the same thing. He turned the corner sharp enough that Kylie swore he did it on two wheels instead of four.
“There!” Kylie pointed at a small figure racing down the length of the building.
At the same time another car turned around in the back lot-a black Suburban.
“Drive!” Perry ordered, slowing the truck and undoing Kylie’s seat belt at the same time.
“What?” She looked at him, confused.
“Drive!” he yelled. “Go get her now!”
He barely brought the truck to a stop and at the same time dragged Kylie across the seat toward him. She didn’t have time to question the madness of his actions before he jumped out of the truck and ran around the back side. The Jeep kept rolling forward and she quickly adjusted herself in the driver’s seat, which was set back way too far for her to sit comfortably.
There wasn’t time to adjust it. “What the hell are you doing?” she howled, shifting it back into drive and pressing her toes against the accelerator pedal while gripping the large steering wheel.
Perry raced faster than a man his size looked like he could run. And another time she might have admired the view, and easily gotten hot as hell doing so. Even in the dark she could tell how muscular he was, and in shape, as he sprinted toward the Suburban. When she noticed his gun in his hand and that he pointed it at the Suburban, she cursed out loud and gunned the engine similarly to how Perry had a minute ago. It took no time at all to catch up with Dani.
The teenager looked terrified and makeup streaked down her face when she looked at the Jeep and took a minute to register that Kylie was driving her uncle’s vehicle.
“Get in,” Kylie ordered, easily finding the right button to roll down the driver’s-side door window. “Dani, hurry. In, now!”
Dani didn’t argue and raced around the front, then climbed in. Kylie grabbed her before Dani could react and used one hand on the side of her head to force her down into the seat.
“Stay low and don’t move,” Kylie demanded, turning the large steering wheel and making the tires squeal just as a gun went off.
Chapter 22
Perry aimed for the back tire. He pulled the trigger.
“Fucking son of a bitch,” he growled when the Suburban made a sharp turn and started coming toward Perry.
Mess with his goddamn family. He didn’t give a fucking rat’s ass about rules or regulations. He would take the asshole out right here and now.
“Sick bastard,” Perry yelled, aiming when the black SUV started at him. “Take me on. You’ll die slow and tortuously. I’ll fucking see to it.”
There was a rumbling behind him as well. Kylie had Dani and was heading toward him and the black Suburban. He didn’t budge, though. All he wanted was that fucking SUV to get close enough so he could dive to the side. He needed to see the driver, confirm for himself his suspicions. Then he would nail the fucking bastard to the wall.
Kylie stood on the damn horn behind him and the SUV swerved, squealing its tires and burning rubber when it took off around the side of the building. He noted the license plate numbers as being the same ones they’d taken down before. It was Peter!
“Scoot over,” Perry yelled, grabbing the driver’s-side door and yanking it open when Kylie slowed.
He was impressed that she had Dani lying on the seat, and didn’t bother waiting for either of them to adjust themselves next to him when he gunned the motor and took off after the Suburban.
“It’s the same truck,” Kylie told him.
“Yup. This time we’re going to find out where he’s going.”
“Watch out,” Kylie yelled, her hand going protectively in front of Dani when a car came at them from the front of the building.
