Page 27 of Secrets Along the Shore (Beach Read Thrillers #1)

CHAPTER

ONE

Adrenaline coursed through Elara Atkinson’s veins as she tugged her ten-year-old son through the dark neighborhood.

The scrape of their shoes against the cobblestone road made her wince.

Too loud. It might give away their location.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she stole a glance over her shoulder.

Where were they?

The five black shadows that had followed them through the Old Town, and past the Plo?e Gate that led into the residential outskirts vanished.

“Please, let that be a good sign.” Elara tightened her grip on her son’s small hand.

“Hurry, Rian.” She paused at the edge of the long line of homes to check the alleyway they’d have to cross. Not a person in sight.

Dread washed over her. They’d had a head start on Rian’s father’s men, escaping without anyone seeing them.

Since they left just after dark, she hoped that the night would help them disappear.

She was wrong. Rian’s dad must have sent someone to check on them earlier than the typical two hours.

That had to be the reason why Elara had barely gotten her son a few blocks away before she heard the commotion at the mansion.

He sent his hitmen after them. The same men who trained night and day to hunt their prey and kill it.

And tonight, Elara and her son were their prey.

The knot in her stomach tightened. Her hands sweat despite the gentle breeze in the summer air.

Without the sight of their hunters, she had no way to know if they’d really lost them or if they’d discovered a way to ambush her and her son.

Any moment, she could turn a corner and run into one of the hitmen.

Oh, what had she been thinking?

Escaping Viktor? It was a stupid idea, with a low chance of success. For years, he’d treated her like his property. He decided where she went and who she spoke to. He’d controlled every part of her life. And for a while she’d accepted it. Until Rian came along.

Elara refused to let Viktor turn their son into a ruthless mobster. It was her greatest fear—that Viktor would make her son just like him. She squeezed Rian’s hand. Her strong, sweet boy. A smile tilted her lips at the firm squeeze he returned. What would she do without him?

The answer to that made her spend hours praying that God would lead her to do the right thing—to protect her son.

The urge to leave the Croatian mob leader pushed her to gather her and Rian’s things in a backpack, then escape Viktor’s mansion and into the city.

This had to be God’s will. That urge must have come from Him.

And if that was true, He’d get her and her son to safety.

“Momma, I heard something!”

Elara clamped a hand over Rian’s mouth to silence his loud whisper.

His body tensed as he froze in place. She used her other arm to tug him closer, his sneakers scraping against the ground before he willingly moved.

Shifting her hand from his mouth to his head, she held him against her as she backed against the cold stone of a house.

No lights shone from the windows of the small, single-level dwelling.

Limbs trembling, she forced herself to focus.

Her gaze drifted around them as she searched for the dark forms that would come to collect them. No movement drew her attention.

But Viktor’s men had found them. They must have.

God, please, protect us!

What would Viktor do when they were dragged back? Or did he order the hitmen to kill them in the street? Her maybe. Not Rian. Viktor had every intention of turning Rian into the new leader of his corrupt business. As well as the mob.

Elara swallowed hard. She had to survive for Rian.

His small arms wrapped around her waist. He was strong. So strong for his age, but he was still a child. And with the men chasing them, he was aware of what might happen. That they might die.

After another moment, she eased away from the house and checked their surroundings. The alleyway across from their position was dark. Someone could hide there. But she’d have seen them slip into the shadows. Unless Viktor’s men were way ahead of them.

She took Rian’s hand and led him down the road again. “We have to hurry.”

“Momma, he won’t catch us. Jesus will save us.” The faith of her child never wavered.

Did he realize how much she feared that they’d get caught?

That maybe she’d misunderstood what God wanted her to do?

Perhaps he did. But he had faith that they’d be okay.

Like she needed to. Her faith in Christ had saved her years ago.

The Bible she’d spent hours reading had changed her life and was tucked safely in her backpack.

Her hand tightened around his. “I know, but we have to do our part.”

They passed another eight identical limestone homes without trouble, failing to avoid the streetlights overhead.

There was just no way to move unseen. Elara tensed as a shadow shifted near the intersection of a road across the street.

Her heart caught in her throat as she backed toward the home behind her.

Clouds covered the moon for most of the evening and aided their escape from Viktor’s mansion.

But now, dull light streamed past the thin clouds.

A tree waved in the breeze casting a shadow on the wall of the stone house. The thin branches ceased moving and then stood as still as Elara. Something dark shifted at the intersection, diagonal from them. Not a tree. Not a shadow. It stood tall and menacing. The number increased. Two. Three. Four.

Lord, save us!

Fear froze her in place for a couple long seconds.

Was it too late? No. They had to flee! She tugged her son down the road at her left.

“ C’mon, Rian! Run!” Her hand slipped from his.

He bolted down the street, his long legs helped him move quick.

Elara ran behind, pumping her arms to keep up.

The backpack—with the bare necessities—weighed her down.

A glance over her shoulder revealed the empty street behind them.

Empty?

She didn’t slow. They needed to get farther away. Then find a place to hide. Viktor’s men wouldn’t give up. They were toying with them. Had to be. What other reason would have them waiting around when they could drive around to try to pin them in somewhere? No. This was fun for them.

Heart pounding so hard that it seemed about to escape her chest, she slowed.

“Rian!” Her limbs ached from the exertion.

She hadn’t run so much in years. Viktor rarely let her out of the mansion in the ten years she’d been with him.

She pressed her palms against her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

Despite the agony in her chest, she didn’t stop watching their surroundings.

She didn’t dare. The residential homes remained quiet and still.

The homeowners had no idea what was happening right outside their doors.

The hitmen would tire of this game eventually. Then they’d drive out here and grab them.

Rian sprinted back to her side. “Momma, we have to keep going.” He grabbed her arm and tugged her down the road.

“We’re not stopping. We’re not giving up.” Elara caught his shoulder. “But we need a better plan.” She’d wanted to escape on foot so that maybe Viktor wouldn’t catch them. They’d be able to escape and hide in buildings if necessary. With vehicles, it’d have been more dangerous. Or so she thought.

But she couldn’t run forever.

“We need to find cover.”

“Can we sit by the door?” Rian pointed at the porch outside one home. The trees in front would hide them to a certain extent. But they wouldn’t block the sound of vehicles or people, so Elara could ensure no one snuck up on them.

“Yeah. Great job.” She followed him up onto the porch and sat on the doorstep.

With a sigh, she dropped the backpack from her shoulders, slid her hand into a pocket, and gripped the phone she’d kept hidden.

She’d used it once or twice in the last twelve years, but couldn’t bring herself to call the one man whom she’d betrayed by staying with Viktor.

A tear slid down her cheek. Calling him was the last resort.

Tugging it from her pocket, she flipped it open and called a taxi.

Her conscience wouldn’t let her allow anyone to get hurt because of her bad decisions, but they needed a ride.

Not to the airport, although that was where they were heading.

They needed food and water. She’d gathered a few necessary clothes, her Bible, and one of Rian’s toys, as well as her passport and valuables.

But the chef, who typically retired after cooking dinner, lounged in the kitchen with a bottle of vodka.

“I should have planned better,” she muttered as she slid the phone into her pants pocket.

She pressed her trembling hands together on her lap and glanced around.

They didn’t have a good view of the road from their position behind the pillars on the covered porch, but the quietness of the night told her no one was there. Yet.

Another five minutes brought the taxi to them. Elara checked that no one was in the vehicle besides the driver. Once certain, she led Rian to it and opened the back door. “Thank you.” She tossed her backpack onto the floorboard and let her son in first.

The driver nodded. “ Drago mi je da mogu pomo?i.” His gaze drifted over them both. “ Problemi kod ku?e? ”

How had he guessed that she’d fled from…Rian’s father?

She shook her head. “ Ne. Ne, idem doma. ” That was true. She hadn’t fled her home. After twelve years, she was finally going home. Back to Australia.

“ Kamogled ?elite i?i ?”