Page 15

CHAPTER 15

E verything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Raven saw the man.

Saw the vehicle.

Saw the gun and realized exactly what was happening.

“Get down!” Jake shouted.

Before she could react, he threw her onto the ground behind his truck.

Just like yesterday when they’d discovered the bomb, he used his own body to shield hers.

Popping sounds filled the air.

Bullets flew toward them, shattering glass and splintering wood.

A smoky, acidic scent lingered around them, along with the charge of electricity.

The next minute, the car squealed away.

Raven’s heart continued to pound in her chest and ears, to pulsate throughout her body.

What had just happened?

“Are you okay?” Jake asked as he crouched on top of her.

Her elbow ached, and her knee might have a bruise. But all things considered, she was doing just fine. “I’m good.”

“I need to see if I can get this guy’s plates.” Jake stood and withdrew his gun. “Stay there!”

Then he sprinted toward the street.

Raven turned over and took a deep, shaky breath. She had to pull herself together.

Ignoring the ache throughout her body, she rose.

She would really feel this one tomorrow. Unfortunately, unlike yesterday, she hadn’t landed on the sand but on the gravel driveway.

Grimacing, she glanced at the street.

Jake stood in the middle of the lane. He’d paused from his sprint and stared at the fleeing vehicle.

He’d be lucky if he could get the plate number. The gunman had been too fast.

A few minutes later, Jake strode back toward her. His gaze swept over her, concern in those mesmerizing green eyes of his. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks to you.” Raven had to give credit where credit was due. If Jake hadn’t been with her, she would have just stood there.

No doubt she would have been shot. A lump formed in her throat.

She looked him over also. “How about you?”

“No injuries.” But his voice sounded steely as he said the words.

He grabbed his phone and put it to his ear to call the incident in.

Raven had hoped since the relic was no longer at her place that whoever had tried to break in last night would leave her alone.

But that didn’t appear to be the case.

Someone still wanted to either send her a message or to harm her.

Based on those bullets, she assumed it was the latter of those two options.

A shiver rippled through her at the thought.

Jake’s entire body felt tight. How could that have happened? Why were these people being so bold and determined?

He still wasn’t exactly sure. There was more here to uncover than he’d originally assumed.

He finished telling Cassidy what had happened, and she promised to send someone out. But he’d only been able to see that the car was a black Chevy Malibu along with the first three letters of the license plate. That wouldn’t do him very much good.

More than anything, he hated that Raven had been caught in the crosshairs.

He shoved the phone back in his pocket and turned to face her.

She leaned against the beach house, her arms crossed and a frown tugging at her lips. She looked up at him, more questions in her gaze. “Are we going to wait here for Cassidy? I’m assuming she’ll want a statement from us.”

“That’s correct. We couldn’t go anywhere if we wanted to anyway.”

Her brows scrunched together. “Why do you say that?”

He nodded at his truck and then her own car. “Someone didn’t want us to leave.”

Raven’s eyes widened as she took a closer look at the vehicles.

Not only had the windows been shattered by the bullets, but the tires on both of their vehicles had been slashed—most likely sometime during the night.

Her face turned paler, and Jake could only imagine what she was thinking.

Someone was determined to get them to back off from this case—and this person wasn’t above murdering them to ensure that happened.