Page 48 of Shadowed Witness (The Secrets of Kincaid #2)

Allye stared at the weapon in Wesley’s hand. What was going on? She finally found her voice. “What are you doing?”

“What I have to.” He didn’t look as confident as he sounded, but the gun aiming her direction held steady. He released her hand. “Let’s go.”

She hesitated a moment longer. Would Eric realize what was happening? Could he get here in time? And would it do any good? She was sure they were both armed. It would be two to one.

Wesley waved the gun. “I said let’s go.”

Her attacker spoke up from the back seat. “Get going or I might have to start shooting. I can start with that family over there.”

She looked at the couple who’d just exited their car with two little kids. Her attacker might be bluffing, but she couldn’t risk it. She put the car in drive and prayed for help as she pulled from her parking spot.

As she turned onto the main road, pieces started falling into place. Wesley worked with Mayor Jennings. Mayor Jennings was involved somehow. And for some reason, they’d decided to eliminate her as a threat.

She was dead if she didn’t come up with a way out of this.

Could she wreck the car and run? She glanced at Wesley’s gun.

It was pointed directly at her side, and his finger rested on the trigger.

If they wrecked, she’d almost definitely get shot.

Even if she didn’t, the only way she could outrun the men was if the collision knocked them both out. She had no way of guaranteeing that.

“Watch the road.”

Allye tore her gaze from the weapon and yanked the car back into her lane. She tried to keep her voice calm. “What’s going on?”

No one answered her.

“Does Hailey know about this?” She couldn’t believe her cousin would be part of anything illegal. Much less part of a plot to hurt her.

“No. She doesn’t know anything.”

“What’s she going to think once this all comes out? Because it will eventually.”

Wesley didn’t answer. He glanced in the mirror, and she followed his gaze. The man in the back seemed to be enjoying the show.

She couldn’t do anything about that right now, but if she could get Wesley distracted, maybe she’d have a chance to try something.

“Hailey thinks you’re her hero.”

He refused to look at her.

“And what about Jenna? You really want her growing up knowing her dad is a killer?”

“Shut up.”

“That’s what you’ll be if you pull the trigger.”

“Do what I say, and I won’t have to pull it.”

“Then what do you plan to do with me once we get wherever we’re going?” Because he sure wasn’t planning to let her go.

“ I don’t plan to do anything with you.”

“Who will then? Him?” She tilted her head to indicate the man in the back.

Wesley’s lips compressed into a tight line.

“Why, Wes?”

He blew out a breath. “You’re starting to get on my nerves. Just drive.”

“This may be the last time I get to talk to someone in my family.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

He flinched slightly at the last word. Maybe she could get through to him.

“I still don’t understand why you’re involved with any of this.

You’re a great guy. You didn’t kill that man behind my studio.

Why are you risking everything to silence me? ”

“Take a right here.”

Allye slowed at the intersection, then turned.

“What are you doing?” Wesley yelled.

Allye jerked. “What you said.”

“I told you to go right.”

She blinked. Reimagined the intersection. She’d gone left. “I’m sorry. I got confused.”

“Turn around. Now.”

She pulled into a driveway and made a U-turn.

“Do not pull a stunt like that again.”

“It wasn’t a stunt. I’m not good with directions, and you holding that gun on me isn’t helping.”

He shifted the barrel slightly away from her. Not far enough.

A cop pulled off a side road and fell in behind her. Could she get his attention somehow?

“Don’t even think about it.”

She glanced in the rearview at her attacker.

“You get pulled over, I’ll shoot the cop. You don’t want blood on your hands.”

“Do what Bernie says, Allye.”

She looked at Wesley. Sweat dripped from his temple. He wasn’t as okay with this as he was pretending to be. Bernie. She filed the name away.

The patrol car turned off at the next intersection. They continued on for another mile before Wesley indicated a gravel drive barely visible among the trees and overgrown weeds. “Turn here.”

Allye took the turn and started down the drive. She tried not to panic as Wesley’s gun bounced with every bump.

What appeared to be a hunting cabin came into view, and Wesley directed her to pull up in front of it. As soon as she put the car in park, Bernie got out. She watched him head for the cabin door and enter a code. Should she take her chances with Wesley and try to make a run for it?

As soon as the thought entered her head, another vehicle barreled down the lane and pulled behind her, blocking her in. A man she didn’t recognize stepped out and lit a cigarette. Without sparing them a glance, he ambled toward a nearby shed and disappeared around the side.

She turned to Wesley, but before she could ask who the man was, her door flew open. Bernie grabbed her arm.

Allye yelped. “Let me get my seat belt off first.” She slowly reached for the buckle, sending a quick glance around for some type of weapon.

The only thing she saw was her keys. She started to reach for them as the seat belt released, but she wasn’t fast enough.

The man grabbed her arm again and hauled her out of the car and inside the cabin.

Once inside, he shoved her into a chair. “Don’t move.”

She rubbed her arm where he’d gripped it. She’d have a major bruise if she lived long enough for it to form.

Wesley dropped into a nearby chair and lowered his head into his hands. Should she try to get through to him? Though he seemed a willing participant in all this, he also didn’t appear to like it. Maybe there was a chance she could convince him to escape with her.

She glanced at Bernie. The tastefully decorated cabin was small, but he’d gone to a kitchenette at the opposite side of the room, pouring himself a tumbler of some type of alcohol.

If she kept her voice low, she should be able to communicate with Wesley without being overheard.

But she needed to get on it. She didn’t know what was going on, but she doubted she had much time.

Keeping her eyes on Bernie, she whispered, “Wesley.” He didn’t respond, so she tried again a little louder. “Wes.”

He shook his head. At least that let her know he could hear her.

“Wes, I don’t know how you got mixed up in all this or what’s going on, but it’s not too late to change your mind. We could use your gun to escape.”

He finally looked at her. Grief filled his eyes. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Allye, I really am. But I made some bad choices, and these guys have me over a barrel.”

Allye tried to track what he was saying. Blackmail? Was that it? “Whatever they’re holding over your head, we can figure it out. Even if you’ve done something illegal, it can’t be as bad as being an accomplice to murder.”

His jaw worked. “Believe me, if it were only that, I’d take my chances. But they—they threatened to kill Hailey and Jenna if I refused to bring you.”

She gasped.

He broke eye contact and gave a pitiful shrug. “It’s you or them.”

She struggled to pull air into her lungs.

Were Hailey and Jenna actually at risk? If so, she couldn’t blame Wesley for choosing his wife and baby.

She’d take their safety over her own any day.

But would they ever be safe as long as these guys—whoever they were—had Wesley under their thumb?

How long until they leveraged that threat again to force him to do something? Or harmed one of them to make a point?

“Those aren’t your only options, Wes.” She had to make him see that. “If we get out of here, we can work together to bring these guys down and make sure they can’t hurt anyone.” She let the words hang between them and sent up a silent prayer that he would listen.

Precious seconds ticked by. Finally, he took a deep breath and glanced at Bernie then back to her. “Maybe—”

The sound of tires on gravel interrupted him. Wesley’s gaze shot to the front window. He stood and took a few steps toward it. His body went rigid as a car door slammed. Less than a moment later, the cabin door opened. A shadow fell into the room, but Wesley blocked her line of sight.

“Took you long enough to get here,” Bernie said from the kitchenette.

“I had business to attend to.”

Allye recognized the voice as the newcomer stepped into view.

“You?”