Hit and Run: A Thrilling Novel of Romantic Suspense (Callahan Security series Book 3)

by Lori Matthews

  Dani looked up at him, her expression bleak. She said something he couldn’t hear and then nodded. She gave a violent swing and latched on to his right arm just as he lost his grip on her foot.

  He started to move backward to pull her up since he couldn’t grab hold of her. But it was a losing battle. Panic gnawed his arm and twisted his gut. He was going to lose her, and she was going to die on the rocks below. He swore and pulled with everything he had. He managed to get Dani up another couple of inches, but not enough.

  Firm hands grasped his shoulders. His brothers had appeared, one on either side of him. Mitch leaned over and grabbed Dani by the arms. Logan pushed Gage out of the way and helped Mitch pull Dani over the wall to safety.

  Gage collapsed, sliding down the wall to sit on the walkway. His left arm was on fire, the pain shooting down it like lightning strikes. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion.

  He blinked, but it was hard to see clearly through the rain that was coming down in sheets. He looked around and saw Ponytail and Andy dead on the ground. Phil was talking into a radio, and police were filling the area like ants at a picnic. Dotti was beside him, wrapping something around him. She felt his forehead with the back of her hand.

  He blinked again. Dani was sitting not too far away, and his brothers were crouched in front of her. Relief flooded his veins. Dani was here on this side of the wall and not down on the rocks. He was glad his brothers were okay as well, but Dani had scared him. Losing her scared him far more than anything else ever had.

  Lids heavy, his eyes slid shut. Someone shook is shoulder. He opened his eyes to find Logan leaning over him with Dottie standing just behind. He could see Logan’s mouth moving, but there was no sound.

  “What?”

  Concern flickered across Logan’s face. When he touched Gage’s left shoulder, Gage groaned. Then he touched Gage’s forehead. There was fear in his brother’s eyes.

  He wanted to tell Logan it was nothing. Just a bit of a cold. But he couldn’t seem to get his mouth to work.

  Logan gestured and Mitch joined them. Their mouths formed words he didn’t hear and then both of them stared down at him. He tried to smile. He wanted them to know he was okay but, more importantly, he wanted to know for sure Dani was good. She hated being by the water. They needed to get her out of here so she could relax.

  When Phil appeared in front of him, Gage started to try to get up. He wanted to help Dani. He tried to speak again, but the words wouldn’t come out.

  Mitch put a hand on Gage’s good shoulder and shook his head. He leaned down and said directly into Gage’s ear. “Dani is okay. She hurt her ankle, but she’s going to be just fine.”

  Gage nodded his thanks and breathed a sigh of relief. He attempted to get up again, but his limbs just didn’t want to obey him.

  Dottie leaned over. “Dani is fine. You are not, however. You’re sick, and you need to stop trying to move until the ambulance gets here.”

  Gage nodded. It was all he could manage.

  Then he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Dani limped along the seawall on her way back to the parking lot. No one had noticed her slip away. They were all too concerned about the dead bodies and getting Gage the help he needed.

  She was glad Dottie was okay as well, and she knew Dottie would make sure Gage was looked after until the ambulance came. That lady was something else. Dani smiled slightly.

  She was also happy that Gage’s brothers were there to take care of him. She owed him her life. She would have smashed onto the rocks, and the waves would have pulled her out to sea. She would always be grateful. She just couldn’t stay. If there was a chance she could see Carly once more before she was gone forever, then she had to try.

  She limped along as quickly as she could. The storm had moved off some minutes ago, and the rain had slowed down to a fine mist. She rounded the last corner and came to the parking lot. It was full of cop cars but no one was paying attention to her. Not really surprising. They had just bagged a few Triad members. It was a great day for them.

  She pulled the keys from her pocket as she limped over to the car. She’d felt badly when she’d picked Logan’s pocket but desperate times…She unlocked the door, threw her now empty backpack on the passenger seat, and got in. Saying a silent apology to Mitch and Logan, she started the car, put it in gear, and pulled out of the parking lot.

  She’d paid attention when they’d driven to the park so she had a fair idea of how to get back to the hotel. It was a pretty straight shot. Of course, if she had a phone or her laptop, she’d have a map.

  Her laptop. Her chest squeezed. Carly. It was their connection. Dani was suddenly aware of how quiet everything was. She could hear the sound of the tires on the pavement. The occasional swipe of the wipers.

  But her brain was quiet. For the first time in months, she wasn’t working on the software. She always had ideas running through her brain. Things to try. Lines of code. It was always there like white noise. But now her mind was silent. Was this what it would be like without Carly?

  She quickly turned on the radio and cranked the volume, drowning out the silence. The emptiness. She gasped for air. She hadn’t even noticed she’d been holding her breath. Her hands shook on the steering wheel. What was going on? She needed to focus. She tried to dig up some snippet of code to think about, some random lines of symbols that would challenge her mind, but she drew a blank. It was as if her brain had switched off.

  The sound of horns blaring made her jump. The light had turned green. She accelerated quickly and shot down the street, only to come to a complete stop a few feet later. Traffic.

  The construction at the hotel seemed to be causing quite a mess. She sat staring out the window at the line of taillights ahead of her. It was going to be a long wait by the looks of things. She watched the traffic lights at the end of the block. They changed from red to green and back to red again with no one moving. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel.

  A car pulled away from the curb about three car lengths ahead on her right. It took a right turn and disappeared around the corner. An open parking space. She was only a few blocks from the hotel. If the traffic moved just a bit, she could park and walk the rest of the way. She willed the traffic to move, and five minutes later pulled into the space.

  She limped as fast as she could, but her ankle hurt like a bitch. She had her backpack slung over one shoulder. She had the room key and her wallet in it, but not much else. She missed the weight of her laptop.

  The sun had come out, and she was sweating in her damp sweater. Her hair was hot on her neck.

  The anger and frustration were building with every step. Everything she and Carly had gone through. All for nothing. Her hands curled into fists. She walked faster, pushing herself. She half fell off the curb at the light and almost landed on the hood of a car.

  Stepping back, she uncurled her fists and hauled in a calming breath. Then another, and another. Being angry wasn’t going to help. She needed to occupy her brain. Again, she tried to call up some line of code, but nothing was coming.

  She looked up and saw she was standing at the lights across the street from her hotel. Traffic was flowing freely again.

  The light changed, and Dani stepped off the curb into the crosswalk.

  There was a squeal of tires on the now dry pavement. Someone screamed. Dani looked up and saw Janet behind the wheel of a black Town Car bearing down on her. Janet’s face was a mask of hatred. She must have tromped harder on the accelerator because the car leapt forward. It was mere feet from Dani, who was in the middle of the crosswalk with nowhere to hide.

  The woman in Alaska flashed through Dani’s mind as she made a mad leap and flew toward the sidewalk. Dani felt the rush of air as the car sped by her before she landed hard on the sidewalk in front of the hotel.

  Dani looked up in time to see Janet hit the ramp that was part of the construction site and launch int
o the sky.

  The front passenger side of the car caught the scaffolding and tore it from the front of the hotel. The car flipped over onto its roof as it hit the pavement and skidded.

  Dani covered her head as the scaffolding smashed down on top of the car and the sidewalk. The deafening sound was followed by an eerie silence. Dani lifted her head again. Janet’s car was crushed by scaffolding and concrete.

  Dani got up slowly and dusted herself off. A woman asked if she needed help, but she refused. She looked over at what remained of the twisted wreck that held Janet. There was no way she was alive. Probably for the best. Dani could hear sirens in the distance. She turned and limped into the hotel. She had somewhere to be.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Gage opened his eyes and squinted against the sunlight. Wait…sunlight. How long had he been out? He opened his eyes again and tried to sit up.

  “Slow down there, brother. You need to rest.”

  He looked over at Mitch, reclining in a chair with his feet up on the end of Gage’s bed. Pain shot through his left shoulder. He winced and looked down. His arm was in a sling. “What happened? What day is it? Where’s Dani?”

  Logan was standing by the window, talking on his cell. He hung up and moved to stand beside Gage. “It’s still the same day around nine at night. The sun is just setting. What happened is a tough one to answer, and as to where Dani went, the police are trying to figure that out as well.”

  Gage laid back on the bed, and Logan used the remote to move him into a sitting position.

  “Dani’s disappeared? When did that happen? Why am I hooked up to IVs?” Gage asked.

  Logan put a butt cheek on the bed. “What do you remember?”

  Gage thought for a minute. It was all a blank and then, click, the images raced before his eyes. He blinked. “She was okay after you guys helped me pull her up. Her ankle was injured, but nothing else, right?”

  Logan nodded. “The scene got a bit crazy with all the cops and everything. We had a lot of explaining to do, and I had to do some smoothing over of ruffled feathers. By the time we looked around, she was gone.”

  “In our rental car,” Mitch added. “The cops were kind enough to give us a lift here so we could see about you. I gotta say though, brother, as happy as I am to see you’re alright, nothing would make me happier right now than a shower and a hot meal. These clothes smell.” Mitch fingered his black T-shirt and dirty jeans.

  Logan snorted. “News flash…you stink as much as the clothes.”

  “You’re no bunch of roses either with your navy button-down and jeans. Who goes to a hostage exchange in a button-down shirt? Seriously!” Mitch scoffed.

  Gage rubbed his head. His brothers were giving him a headache. “Dottie. How’s Dottie?”

  Mitch laughed. “She’s fine. She’s telling the nurses how it was in the old days. Apparently, she was a trauma nurse back in the day. They are going to keep her overnight just in case, but she’ll be on a plane home with Ann and Elenore tomorrow.”

  Gage nodded. “Good. What’s with the IVs? For dehydration and a cold?” he asked.

  “Try dehydration and walking pneumonia. Apparently, adults don’t normally get it unless their immune system is weak. They want to run some tests.” Logan looked concerned.

  Mitch laughed. “I explained to the doc that you’ve been running around Europe for a couple of weeks without taking care of yourself, and then you were running from killers and held hostage. He seemed to think that would do it.”

  Logan smiled. “I can see his point. Still tests wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

  Gage snorted. “I don’t need tests. I’ll be fine.” He gestured to the two IVs. “I’m assuming their pumping me full of saline and antibiotics.”

  Mitch nodded. “And some pain meds for the shoulder. Looks like you strained it badly but at least you didn’t do serious damage to your rotator cuff. They want you to stay for a couple of days while they monitor you. The police also want to interview you.”

  “Detective Lau sends his apologies and his well wishes for a speedy recovery,” Logan added.

  Gage frowned. “Who the hell is Detective Lau?”

  It was Logan’s turn to laugh. “I believe you know him as Phil. He apologizes for hitting you, but he said he had to make it look good in front of that ‘nutcase.’ His words.”

  “Jesus. He could have pulled it a bit.” Gage rubbed his jaw. “I can’t believe he’s a cop. He was very convincing. What about Janet?” Gage asked. “That woman is seriously scary. She really needs help.”

  Mitch nodded. “Lau filled us in. I’ve been dealing with Janet for months, and I had no clue.”

  Gage grimaced as he moved his arm. “I know what you mean. I think losing her son set something off in her. Revenge became her sole reason for living.”

  “That was pretty much Lau’s take on the situation as well.” Mitch frowned. “I’ve never been so off base about someone before, though. It’s damn scary that I never picked up on her being the mole.”

  Gage nodded, but his mind was on Dani. Where the hell did she go? She wouldn’t have wanted to be around cops, to be sure, but he didn’t expect her to cut and run like that. Maybe he should have, though. She was a hacker. He frowned.

  “Is your arm hurting you?” Mitch asked.

  “More likely his heart,” Logan retorted.

  Gage scowled at his brother.

  Mitch grinned. “Trouble in paradise?”

  “I believe our dear brother is missing someone, and it might be causing him some pain,” Logan said with a smile.

  “No.” Gage shook his head. “She’s a hacker,” he said with finality, as if that explained everything.

  “What’s that got to do with it? Do you care about her or not?” Mitch demanded.

  Gage shook his head. “It’s not that simple.”

  Mitch rolled his eyes. “Uh, yes, it is.”

  “For once I agree with Mitch, Gage. It really is that simple. Do you care about her?”

  Gage frowned at Logan. Did he care about her? If he was honest, then the answer would be a resounding “yes!” But she was part of something he hated. “I…I do care about her.” He thought about the insane amount of fear and agony he’d felt when he saw her go headfirst over the wall. “A lot.” He shook his head. “But she’s a hacker. Someone who causes damage. Someone who works for the wrong side. The dark side.”

  Mitch burst out laughing. “Sorry, dude, but seriously? You worked for Navy Intelligence. It doesn’t get much darker than that.” He held up his hand. “I know you’re going to tell me you did it to protect your country and for the right reasons. I agree. I was a SEAL for the same reasons, but we still caused damage. The dark side, as you call it, is all a matter of perspective. She saved your asses on the ship with her hacking abilities. And she was working on the software to help Drake find his sister, not to sell to the highest bidder.”

  Gage didn’t bother to explain about Dani’s true motivation, helping Carly. He got his brother’s point. Still…

  Logan shook his head. “I can’t believe I am saying this, but Mitch is right.”

  “Yes!” Mitch crowed.

  “Look at Mitch’s girlfriend. A thief—”

  “That’s former thief!”

  “Are you telling us she doesn’t steal anymore?” Logan asked.

  “Er, well, sort of?” Mitch grinned.

  “That’s what I thought.” Logan turned back to Gage. “The point is Alex is a good person, and her extracurricular activities have come in handy for Callahan Security on more than one occasion. You didn’t seem to have a problem with that. There’s a lot of gray area in what we do, and you’ve never seemed to mind using it before.”

  “But…” he started then stopped.

  “It’s personal,” Logan finished for him. “I know.” Logan let out a big sigh and sat back farther onto the bed. “I had a hard time with Lacy. She’s not only the daughter of one of the biggest arms dealers in the world, but sh
e used to organize the logistics behind the deliveries to clients. Trust me, that’s a hard nut to swallow. But I love her, and even though she’s getting out of the business, that life will always be a part of her. Hell, we’ve used her contacts while working on this Drake mess. It is what it is. You have to decide if living with Dani being a hacker is worse than living without her.”

  Gage swallowed. His brothers were right. He did have a choice to make. “It just feels like a betrayal.”

  “To Cutter?” Mitch asked.

  Gage nodded. “He was a good man. He was my best friend. We went into the service together. Do you remember when you stole his girlfriend, Mitch?”

  “I didn’t steal her,” Mitch said while trying to look innocent. “I can’t help it if she preferred me to him. She had good taste.”

  Logan laughed. “I seem to remember you drove Dad’s Porsche to school. I think she just had good taste in cars.”

  Mitch grinned. “Dad damn near strangled me over that one. But Cutter forgave me, if you recall. And you’re right Gage, Cutter was a great guy,” Mitch said. “I liked him a lot. But Dani is not the hacker that sold out Cutter. And if anyone would give Dani a second chance, it would be Cutter. That’s what he believed in, second chances.”

  Gage closed his eyes and swallowed the tears crawling up his throat. Mitch was so right. If anyone would look beyond Dani being a hacker, it would be Cutter. Gage could hear Cutter’s voice in his head. “What the hell are you waitin’ for? She’s awesome. You’re a dope for even stopping to think about it.”

  Gage smiled. “I guess you’re right. I’m being an ass about this. I need to accept her for who she is. She said as much.” Gage’s face fell. He’d called her a harlot. She’d been clear at the hotel that she wanted nothing more to do with him. How was he going to fix that?

  Mitch said, “Oh, I know that look. You said stupid stuff to her. Been there. Still end up there occasionally, but the make-up sex is great!” Mitch’s grin was infectious. Logan joined him, and the two started to laugh. Gage had to hold up his hand to make them stop.