No Reason to Run (5 page)

Chapter 9

Shane remained quiet
during the first half of the trip. Harmony didn’t have a bus station in town
but there was one right outside the city limits. Thirty minutes, give or take,
and they’d arrive. The kid rode quietly in the back with the same ratty brown
stuffed animal from the night before. He assumed it had some meaning to her
since she’d clung to it while eating breakfast too.

Occasionally, she
hummed some song he’d never heard. Not that he was on the up and up with the
latest kid tunes. Her red gold curls brushed the top of her shoulders as she
rocked her head side to side to some beat only she could hear. Another bow like
the previous night kept a portion of hair from falling in her face. Cute kid
and quiet just like her mom said. The cute kid caught him staring and stuck her
tongue out.

Shane chuckled and
cut a look to his front passenger seat. Her mother gave him the silent treatment.
At least that’s what he assumed it was since she hadn’t said a word to him
after he threatened to gag her for the duration of the ride when she offered to
pay him back for the bus ticket for the third time in five minutes.

The devil must have
been on his shoulder because he couldn’t resist needling her. “Where are you
headed in North Carolina?”

Her aggravated sigh
spoke volumes. Shane faced forward to keep his reluctant grin hidden. “It’s not
the same as telling me why. Plus, think of it this way.” Her shoulders tensed
and he knew she listened closely. “I’ll need to give you the right amount for
the tickets.”

Slowly her head
swiveled on her shoulders to give him an evil eye. Unexpected humor flared.
Shane wasn’t used to a woman outside his sister and mother amusing him. The
women he spent time with gave him what he wanted for as long as he wanted and
moved on when he finished with them.

Admittedly, it
wasn’t the best practice to get into with a woman but it worked while he’d been
serving his country. Relationships like the ones he’d had suited his lifestyle
just fine at the time. Dealing with a different type of woman in a non-familial
manner was out of his scope. This one begged for a man to figure her out and
earn his way into her affections.

He watched Olivia
from the corner of his eye. Question was would her affections be worth it? Her
annoyance filled the car. If she could spit on him she would, he bet. It didn’t
matter much now that he got her to face him. He raised his brow awaiting her
response to his question.

“North Carolina is
all you need to know.” Her lips pursed tightly together and her blue eyes shot
lasers at him.

With her accent he’d
venture to guess she lived in the northern states. Not very clever running in a
straight line in the opposite direction of her home. But then why would she
know anything about evading an enemy. Not that any of it should concern him.
Still he couldn’t stop the desire to probe further. “Any particular reason?”
Did she have family or friends that she was running toward? Or was she blindly
running away?

“Seriously,” she
whispered furiously after one quick look in the back.

Shane checked the
review mirror. Her daughter stared out the window, her attention occupied. The
sign for the bus station wiped his humor and further questions. He followed the
arrows toward designated parking. Olivia jumped from the car as soon as he
stopped while he shifted to park. She had the back door open gathering her
little girl close, her duffle slung over her shoulder.

Shane rushed from the
car to catch up. “Olivia.” She froze at the command in his voice. He reached
them in front of the main entrance and grabbed her elbow. They were in the
middle of the walkway but he didn’t care. Foot traffic veered around them.
“Take this.” He pressed the fold of money he’d taken from his office prior to
leaving the house at her. He didn’t think she’d let him take time to withdraw
more from his bank. The five hundred dollars should adequately cover their
tickets and a little extra.

She hesitated and he
watched the struggle on her face. Acceptance won and her hand came up to take
it. He held her hand when she would have pulled back. Blue eyes searched his.
“I’ll pay--“

Using his left hand
he placed his palm over her mouth. “Quiet. Not another word.” The breath she
huffed out tickled his palm. He focused on her face until she acquiesced. He
removed his hand to pull out the business card from his shirt pocket and added
it to the money. “Call me and let me know you and the kid made it.”

He wrote his home
and cell number on the back of the plain card containing his business name.
Only those extremely close to him had complete access to him. She had no
concept of how coveted those numbers were to associates on the outside of his
company, especially his cell. She looked like she wanted to refuse. They
entered a stare off she had no hopes of winning.

“Fine.” At her
agreement, he backed off a step to give her a moment to regroup. She pushed the
money and the card into her pants pocket not looking at it further.

The kid watched him,
a mirror image of her mother if ever he’d seen one. “Thanks you.” She mumbled
the words into her mother’s pants leg.

Olivia flushed.
“Yes, thank you for helping us.”

She was scared
shitless. It was written on her face. Shane controlled the urge to order her
back in the car. This wasn’t his issue. She was right to keep him in the dark
since she didn’t know him but it burned his ass not to know the bastard after
her or why. The text message and the others like it sent his trouble radar off
the meter. A simple check on his system at home and he’d have all he needed to
know about Olivia and her daughter Chloe.

He’d avoided running
the query like he avoided forming any hint of an attachment. Shit, he didn’t
even have a damn dog because he didn’t want to be responsible for anyone else
anymore. Yet, here he stood first thing in the morning at a bus station with a
woman and her child running from something that had her so scared she wouldn’t
confide in anyone.

“If you change your
mind.” Hell, he took another step back, increasing the distance between them
and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Call me.” He needed to go. Get far
away from this tempting distraction while he could.

She bit her bottom
lip, turning the plump flesh red. His dick stood at attention but Shane made
himself turn his back on her. He walked to his car slow and steady. By the time
he got in and started the engine, the sidewalk had two less pedestrians to
bustle around. Getting the first bus out of dodge. Shane tapped his forefinger
on the steering wheel. He’d done his part. His good Samaritan act for the day
accomplished.

None of that
explained why he sat in his car staring at the entrance to the bus station
unable to make himself drive away.

Chapter 10

After using the
restroom, Olivia held Chloe close while she tried to figure out the schedule
posted. Fortunate for them a bus to Charlotte left in less than an hour. She
and Chloe would be on their way and farther from Brian’s reach. After paying
for their tickets she spotted a small kiosk with snacks and coffee. She’d get a
few things for the ride.

Holding Chloe’s
hand, Olivia dodged the crowd. People shuffled by, heads down focused on their
phones, fingers flying. Nearby benches were full with casually dressed men and
women, piles of luggage around their feet. The luring smell of coffee was too
hard to resist. Olivia quickened her step. They were halfway to the stand when
Chloe tugged on her arm. “Mr. Snuffles. I need Mr. Snuffles.”

Olivia glanced all
around. No brown bear on the path they’d left behind. Crap. Chloe loved the
worn toy. “Where is it, Chloe?”

Her daughter’s lip
trembled. “Dropped him.”

Olivia squatted and
braced her hands on Chloe’s shoulders. “Think back. When did you drop him?”

Her small shoulders
went up then down. “Outside?” Her voice sounded doubtful.

Deep breath, Olivia
reminded herself and rose to her feet. Focus, find the bear then get on the
bus. It wasn’t Chloe’s fault that her mother’s nerves were strung tight. Still,
Olivia couldn’t shake the slow-burning sensation in the pit of her stomach. The
energy in the air didn’t feel right. “Okay, let’s retrace our steps and see if
we can find him.”

They had to. Chloe
wouldn’t be as agreeable if they didn’t find the beloved bear. In all the
madness and running, having Mr. Snuffles kept her daughter grounded in the
familiar. She hoped they hadn’t left it in Shane’s car. Calling him would
weaken her resolve further and she might not resist if he asked his probing
questions again.

Olivia stood and
clasped her daughter’s hand firmly in hers. The crowd thinned out with several
buses pulling from the station. She turned her back on the tempting cart and
the addictive aroma of coffee. The promise of caffeine motivated her. Later,
she’d grab a cup.

Olivia hiked the
duffel higher on her shoulder and started toward the restroom. They’d begin the
search there and make their way to the front. If it wasn’t out front, she’d
make the call to see if Shane would check his backseat.

The ladies restroom
looked the same. It smelled as rank and dismal as it had when they’d come in
earlier. Scattered newspapers crinkled beneath their shoes. Olivia checked the
stalls, glancing back at Chloe who stuck her hands in and out of the hand dryer
to feel the heat on her hands. No bear. For good measure, Olivia checked the
last two of the four stalls though she and Chloe hadn’t gone in them. Still no
Mr. Snuffles. She leaned against the faded blue paint of the stall door for a
brief second and tried to block out the sensation of defeat.

A part of her wished
the bear had been left on the floor. The mother in her would have frowned at
the potential for unlimited germs from the dirty floor but Chloe would have
been happy. The other part of her was glad it hadn’t been found. Glad because
it meant she’d have an excuse to call Shane. The thought of getting on the bus
to North Carolina frightened her. Not like the fear she’d felt when getting in
the car with a stranger but similar to the fear she’d felt when Brian
threatened her. Or when he’d sent those suspicious looking men to talk to her
at the hotel.

“Mommy?” Chloe’s
fascination with the hand dryer wore off and now she stared at Olivia
curiously.

Deep breath. She
pasted a smile on her face and approached her daughter. “Well the good news is
we didn’t leave him in this yucky bathroom.” The small giggle rewarded her.

“You call mean man?”

Three going on
twenty. “He’s not a mean man. Mr. Mitchell’s been very nice to us. Mr. Snuffles
probably snuck in the car for a ride back to his amazing house.”

Chloe looked doubtful
and Olivia didn’t blame her. Lie number five or six. Keeping track served no
purpose other than giving her an idea on how far she’d stretched herself in the
last couple of days. Now or never. Olivia reached into her pocket and pulled
out the wad of cash she’d never checked when she purchased their tickets.

The bills and his
tan business card fluttered to the floor in her haste to separate it. “Damn
it.”

“Bad word, Mommy.”

“Yes, it is, my dear
girl. Don’t use it.” The warning fell on deaf ears and she knew from past
experience Chloe would practice it at the most inopportune time.

Gathering the bills,
Olivia realized it was way more than the estimated ticket cost. He’d given her
five hundred dollars. Her throat clenched and her eyes closed. Damn him. This
time she cursed silently before neatly folding the money and placing it back in
her pocket. Her eyes opened with renewed vigor.

Olivia gathered
Shane’s card and studied it. There was a company logo and name on the front
with a number. On the back he’d printed two numbers beneath his name and a
handwritten word. Princess with a dash and the word code. The block letters fit
what she’d expect from his masculine hand.

She wasn’t certain
what the added words meant but was sure it had to do with his annoying nickname
for her. An older lady coming in the restroom interrupted any further thought
on the matter. By the strained expression on her face they needed to leave
immediately. “Ok, let’s get out of here and find Mr. Snuffles for you.”

Chloe obediently
followed. Outside, Olivia huddled near a wall and a newsstand. She entered the
home number on her cell. After a few rings, she hung up. He wouldn’t be home
this quickly. She started to enter his cell but didn’t want him to talk and
drive. Maybe if she called the office number on the front. An answering service
would get a message to him right away. A check at her watch showed they only
had another fifteen before their bus left.

If the bear was in
his car, he’d never get back to them in time. Unless, she caught a later bus.
The thought tempted her enough that she called the third number before she
could change her mind.

“Mitchell Securities
Limited, how can I direct your call?”

The bright chipper
voice sounded young and carefree. Olivia pictured a neatly put together woman
in a gorgeous suit with make-up flawlessly applied. The company had his name.
What sort of job did Shane have? He’d mentioned his military past but no more.

Clearing her throat,
she spoke. “I’d like to speak to Shane Mitchell, please.”

“I’m sorry he’s not
in, may I take a message?”

Of course he wasn’t,
he’d just dropped Olivia and Chloe off at the bus stop. She withheld her snappy
retort. It wasn’t this woman’s fault that Olivia’s life was off-kilter. “It’s
pretty important and if you have a way of letting him know Olivia needs to
speak with him, I’m sure he’ll want to take my call.”

Silence hummed over
the line. Olivia watched the line at the coffee and snack cart dwindle down.
She really craved the hit of caffeine. A lone man carrying a briefcase faced
the attendant with what looked like a serious conversation.

“I’m sorry, unless
you can prove this is an emergency, you’ll have to leave a message and he’ll
get back to you when he has a chance.” The woman’s voice cooled and her tone
became ruthlessly efficient.

Olivia cocked her
head to the side to hold the cell between her shoulders and fingered the card
to read the words again that Shane had written in blue ink. “Do you need a code
to get a message to him? He gave me a code.” Maybe that was why he added it.
What would she do if she couldn’t reach him? Her stomach dipped having never
settled from earlier. He may have decided to wash his hands of them.

“
Do
you have
a code?”

Olivia watched the
man pay for his coffee, talking on his cell phone the whole way as he headed
for one of the parked buses preparing to depart. The attendant noticed the
briefcase t the same time as Olivia. Boy would the guy be pissed if he left it
behind.

“Ma’am, if you don’t
have a code, you’ll have to leave a message.”

Wouldn’t hurt to
try. “Princess. He wrote the word princess next to code. Does that mean
anything?”

“Where are you?” The
question snapped out with a sense of urgency.

The attendant picked
up the briefcase and yelled to get the attention of the man as he took the first
step to get onto the bus.

“Still at the bus
station. Chloe left her bear in the car.” Not that she had to explain herself
to a receptionist but if it got her to Shane faster, all the better.

Continuing to watch
the scene in front of her, the man getting on the bus didn’t hesitate. Not once
did he look up at the frantic shout from the attendant which had drawn stares
from everyone else. Even the security guard seated at his stool perked up.
Nausea joined her knotted stomach and saliva pooled in her mouth.

“Ma’am?”

“I have to potty.”
Chloe spoke at the same time as the woman on the phone. Typical that Chloe
would want to go when they’d already left the bathroom. In the midst of the
joys of potty training, it benefited both of them to make a return trip.

Olivia faced her
daughter to head them back the way they’d come when an explosion rocked her off
her feet. Her grip clenched instinctively at the same time she felt Chloe’s
hand ripped from hers. “Noooo.” Her scream tore from her throat but the blast
drowned it out.

Olivia hit the
ground hard and Chloe fell to her knees a few feet away. Her daughter cried
out, tears welling in her eyes.

Urgency drove Olivia
to get to her daughter. “Chloe, come to mommy.” She dropped her phone and
crawled forward. Ignoring the sharp stings on her palm, she hastened on all
four to reach her child. Chloe lunged forward like a startled cat, eyes wide
with fear.

Olivia turned behind
her to view the devastation. Another explosion went off sending paper and metal
parts flying straight up. Pieces fluttered in the air only to land with a
metallic bang on the ground. Flames poured from what was left of the cart. The
attendant’s body lay on the ground not far away. Olivia’s gag reflex kicked in
at what remained of the man.

The windows of the
nearby buses shattered one after the other. Glass littered the ground like tiny
jewels glinting in the sunlight. Another bus, the one with the guy in the suit
tilted on its side hitting the ground hard.

Oh, God, Oh, God
.
They had to get out of here. Heart pounding in her chest, she snatched Chloe
up. She spotted her cell and duffel. It required effort but she managed to pick
everything up without loosening her grip on the shivering body in her arms.
Olivia’s ears were ringing but she could make out the sounds of screams and an
alarm. She shook hard enough to make her teeth chatter.

“Hold tight, baby,”
she whispered to Chloe. The rising smoke and ensuing madness made it hard to
navigate. She had to decipher which direction pointed to the exit.