Page 86 of Storm and Tempest

Why was it far easier to nudge Ramon toward faith than it was to work on his own journey?

He turned west out of the neighborhood, unsure of where he was going. At some point, they’d need to stop for supplies. They only had the go bags Kenna had insisted he pack and leave in the RV. Just in case. First, they needed to get far enough from the team behind them to lose their pursuers.

Jax kept his speed at a level where he was pushing it, watching for them tailing him. With the limited view from the side mirrors, it was hard to see. “Ramon!”

The guy crouch-walked up the aisle to the front. “She’s gonna be mad we got bullet holes in her rig.”

“I’ll take that any day if we can have her back.”

“Good point.” Ramon nodded. “What do you need?” He eased into the passenger seat and checked the mirror on his side.

Jax couldn’t even begin to articulate what he needed. Focusing on the rest of them was a far better anchor. Distraction. Whichever it was it didn’t matter. “Everyone good back there?”

“Yeah, we’re all hanging on.”

A phone rang in the rear of the RV.

Ramon said, “That’s Zeyla’s cell.”

“You thinkDominatuscan track us?” Jax said. “We might not be able to escape this team if we’re giving away our location.”

Ramon shot him a look.

Jax turned his focus back on the road in front of them. They were coming up on the freeway entrance, and they were going to take it. He wanted as many miles between them and their pursuers as they could get before they had to stop for gas and cat food.

“You think they can’t locate us?” Ramon scoffed. “They’re one step ahead, and they have been this whole time. Every leadwe get is a trap, and there’s nothing we can do about any of it now. We’ve got a team in pursuit, you just wrecked your house, and now we’re babysitting your father.”

“Excuse me, Son.”

Ramon glanced back, but didn’t apologize for sayingbabysitting, even though Dad objected to it.

While Ramon seemed completely unfazed, Jax focused on the road, listening to Zeyla on the phone. Trying to save their lives was a higher priority than whether Ramon got along with his father. Having the old man here was weird enough without this being about relationships.

Zeyla said, “Okay, I’ll tell him.” Louder, she said, “Jax! My mother got another video. She’s sending it over.”

Ramon twisted in his chair while Jax hurtled around the on ramp that circled in a giant bend and dumped them out on the freeway where he was already going top speed. “I don’t see anyone behind us.” He looked out the front.

Jax spotted someone on the bridge above, looking down at them. “We’re not exactly inconspicuous in this thing.”

Focusing on the road helped keep him from thinking about whatever Amara had received. Or whyhewasn’t the one who was receiving these videos and photos. They were using them to get Amara to do what they wanted.

“But if we need somewhere to sleep,” he continued, “it’ll do better than being cramped in a car. And I’m pretty sure she’s got coffee tucked away somewhere.”

Maizie said, “And microwave popcorn.”

Ramon said something to her in Spanish, and she chuckled.

Zeyla said, “You speak Spanish?”

“Only a little,” Maizie replied. “I’m pretty sure Ramon dumbs it down for me. And speaks really slowly.”

Jax wanted to be glad they were all getting to know each other, but the threat here was real. He watched the mirrors forthat team and drove for an hour before he was willing to pull over. They’d switched back and forth along highways and wound up at a gas station in the middle of nowhere with two pumps and metal bars on the windows.

As soon as he pulled over and put the RV in Park, he turned to Zeyla. “Can I see the video?”

Ramon moved his hand toward Jax’s shoulder, but didn’t touch him. Which was good, considering how tightly he was wound right now. Like a rubber band pulled so tight that the slightest thing might make him snap.

Beyond Zeyla, his father touched Maizie’s arm. Probably to help her up. She made a noise in her throat.