The Billionaire From Dallas Read online

  “Run!”

  Chapter2

  She stood there for a moment, the word running through her mind as she grappled with the scene before her.

  Then, movement caught her eye, and another shadowy figure appeared at the end of the block. Upright and moving quickly, he was focused on the man running toward Deena. Thinking quickly, she stepped into the shadows of a store entryway and out of sight. If she ran now, the second man would see her. But she could hide.

  Dressed as she was, all in black, she would blend in the shadows as much as she could and hope it was enough. The moon had already set, and the street was dark enough. If she was lucky-

  The injured man was stumbling now, moving away from Deena but still heading toward the highway. Deena closed her eyes, distraught at the thought of the police cars just two blocks away. Would they leave the apartments and come this way? Or would they stick to the main streets, even taking the highway to leave?

  She could hear the man gasping, but he wasn’t calling out for help. Carefully, she moved along the building and quietly made her way toward Field Street. She kept her eyes on the injured man and the man that followed him. The second man was getting closer, hands held loosely at his sides, in no hurry at all. He was much smaller than the man running, and Deena couldn’t figure out why he was even running from the second man. The man who’d called out to her was large and well-muscled. He could have easily overpowered the second man, yet he was running as if his very life depended on it. It didn’t make sense.

  When the second man got closer, a tiny bit of light from a nearby street glinted off an object in his hands, sending Deena’s heartrate skyrocketing. He had a knife in his hand. A really large one. That was what had the first man running, and the cold, calm way the man with the knife was following terrified Deena. It took a stone-cold killer to be that calm, and once the man was dead, Deena would be next if she didn’t get away, and fast.

  Deena looked over her shoulder, panicking at how far away the corner of Field Street was. She’d already crossed Caroline Street while she was on the phone, so that street was much closer than Field Street. But Caroline Street ran along the deserted shopping center, and she wasn’t sure if she could make it to McKinney Ave where the traffic would be heavier. She would have to be fast, and she hadn’t dressed for running for her life.

  Even though running down Caroline Street was risky, she would be within sight of highway 366 and more likely to find help at this hour. If she could just get around that corner, she could make a run for it. Maybe it wouldn’t be enough, but at least she would have a chance. Where she was now, surrounded by construction equipment and blocked by the building behind her, she was a sitting duck.

  She backed her way into the doorway of the yoga studio on the first floor, watching in horror as the second man closed the distance between him and the injured man. He swung wide with the knife, burying it in the man’s back. The man cried out, but the knife pierced his lungs, and his cry was almost mute, his dying breath a silent whisper as he fell to the ground.

  Deena was panicking now, too scared to move. Directly across from where the dead man fell, she was frozen. She didn’t know if the murderer could see her from where he stood, but she knew if she moved, he would hear her, if nothing else.

  The man moved slowly and calmly, as if he hadn’t just killed a man in the middle of the street. He pulled out the knife, gloved hand wiping away the blood with a rag he wadded up and stuffed back in the pocket of his dark jacket. He turned, standing still, the knife held in his hand. He was facing the spot where Deena hid, all the way across the street from her, but too close.

  Can he see me? she thought frantically, fighting back the fear that overwhelmed her.

  He raised his empty hand, and what he did next erased all doubt in her head. Slowly, almost playfully, he waved at her. Directly at her.

  He could see her.

  She took off running, straight for Field Street, heading toward Main Street and away from Olive Street. Main Street wouldn’t be busy at this time of the morning, but it wouldn’t be the desolate wasteland that Olive was at this hour.

  She screamed, looking over her shoulder at the man who was following her at a fast walk, but in no hurry at all. Somehow, that scared her even more, his calm, cool demeanor terrifying her.

  She ran to the corner, turning left and running as fast as she could. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes locked on the street ahead. A car passed, almost two blocks away, completely unaware of the horror movie playing out within shouting distance. Would that be the only car? Was she doomed?

  She looked over her shoulder again, even though she knew she shouldn’t. The man hadn’t made it to the corner yet, but he would soon. And then, what? How long could she keep this up in heels? And what if he had a gun?

  She turned forward and saw the man just before she slammed into him. A large hand clamped over her mouth, and she was pulled off her feet and through a door. She heard the lock on the glass door catch, and the man held her against him while he slid the floor bolt with his foot and locked the top bolt simultaneously.

  “Come with me,” he said, dragging her through the gutted store, away from the glass door and to the back of the building.

  They burst through the back door, a black Corvette parked in the narrow service alley. The lights flashed as he unlocked the doors, shoving her toward the passenger side.

  “Get in,” he hissed, and she didn’t even think to argue.

  She jumped in just as he did, and closed the door as he floored it, heading down the narrow alley at breakneck speed. Fumbling with her seatbelt, she fastened it just in time, holding onto the door handle as he took the right turn on two wheels and hit the gas.

  She looked out the window as they drove past Field Street, covering her mouth and shrieking into her hands when she saw the man with the knife, not far from the door she’d been yanked into.

  “What’s going on?” she screamed, looking at the man in the driver’s seat for the first time. “What just happened?”

  “You just witnessed a murder,” the man said calmly.

  “I know that. But who are you? Where did you come from?”

  “We need to hide. It’s only a matter of time before they figure out who you are.”

  “They who?”

  “The ones who ordered the hit.”

  “On me?” she asked, incredulous.

  “You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. But you’re in danger now, too.”

  She closed her eyes, fighting the hysteria that threatened to overwhelm her. Nothing he was saying was making sense.

  “Please tell me you’re going to the police station,” she said, trying to remain calm.

  “No,” he said simply. “This isn’t the kind of thing the police can help you with.”

  “Oh God.”

  “It’s going to be okay.”

  “Tell that to the man you just killed.”

  The man looked at her, his blue eyes so bright that they reminded Deena of the Texas sky.

  “I need you to keep it together a little bit longer, okay?” he said gently. “I know you’re scared, and after what you witnessed, I don’t blame you. But we’re not out of the woods right now, and I need to think. I can’t do that when you’re having a meltdown in the seat next to me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. Your reaction is normal. But I saw how you stayed still and calm and quiet when you were right there, watching a man get murdered. I know you have it in you. I just need a few more minutes of that so I can get us somewhere safe, then you can lose it.”

  “You were watching?”

  “Not watching. I looked out the window when you bumped into the front door of the studio. I watched to see which way you were going to run, and I took a chance that you would end up by that door on Caroline Street. I got lucky.”

  “What were you doing in the yoga studio?” She looked him up and down. “There’s no way you’re a yoga
teacher.”

  “You’re right,” he said, chuckling despite their desperate situation. “I just bought the building, and I’ve been working on revamping it. I was in the studio because that’s where I happened to be when you went by. Earlier, I was on the other side of the building in the candy shop.”

  “This is so weird. Why is this happening? Am I dreaming?”

  “Definitely not dreaming.”

  “Then why is this happening?” she repeated.

  “Are you asking why you’re in my car right now, or why you witnessed a murder?”

  “The important thing,” she said, her voice raising an octave as she fought the panic. “The thing where the guy died. That thing.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. You were at the wrong place at the wrong time. You weren’t the only one.”

  “So, you saving me was just by chance? Is that it?”

  “I saved you on purpose.”

  She glared at him.

  “This is not the time for jokes.”

  “Of course, it’s not. But you’re calmer, right?”

  She did feel a little calmer, but she wouldn’t go so far as to say she felt calm. Her heart was still racing, her adrenaline pumping, and her breathing still a little quicker than normal. She was terrified, but as the Corvette sped away from the scene, the miles between them and the murderer eased her fear.

  “Thank you,” she said, finally.

  “For what?”

  “For saving my life. You didn’t have to risk yourself when you were safe inside a locked building.”

  “I couldn’t let you get murdered.”

  He reached out and touched her hand, almost unconsciously. She smiled, leaning against the back of the seat and watching the street lights swim across his face as they went under each one.

  She looked around then and realized that she didn’t recognize the area they were. .

  “Where are we going? What’s the plan?”

  “First thing is first, we need a different car. This one is a little too noticeable.”

  “It’s a black Corvette. Aren’t those common around here?”

  He looked at her, his handsome face nearly taking her breath away.

  Why do I have to meet the man of my dreams now? Deena thought, annoyed at the cruel twist of fate. He was the full package: tall, handsome, and wealthy enough to have some nice car and quality clothes. And he was cool under pressure, to boot. He was already sexy, but the fact that he’d all but risked his life to save her made him even sexier.

  “Did you look at my car?”

  “Sorry, I was busy avoiding death,” she said wryly.

  “It’s been altered. A lot.”

  “I didn’t notice.”

  He sighed.

  “I promise you, the killer knows this car. We’re not safe.”

  “Are we going to steal another one?” she asked, a little more excited by the thought than she should have been.

  “You’re funny, but no. Let’s not draw attention to ourselves by committing felonies. I prefer to fly under the radar.”

  “Then, what do you have in mind?”

  “You’ll see,” he said.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes as Deena watched the city go by out the tinted window. She yawned, covering her mouth when she did.

  “Long night?”

  “You have no idea,” she laughed. “It definitely didn’t end the way I thought it would.”

  “I can imagine.” He looked at her again, smiling almost apologetically. “Where are my manners?”

  He laughed and stuck out his hand. When she took it, lightning shot through her fingers and up her arm, causing her nipples to tighten beneath the layers of clothing.

  “I’m Jake. Jake Berrington. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Deena,” she said. “Deena Harris.”

  “I’m sorry we met under such crazy circumstances, but I’m glad to meet you just the same.”

  “Thank you.” He slowed the car, exiting the highway and turning down Commerce Street. “Hey, after we switch cars, do you think you can drop me off at my car? It’s not far from where you picked me up.”

  “Of course,” he said. “It might be awhile, though. I can have one of my guys pick it up.”

  “That’s alright, I’ll just call Tamika.” She reached into her pocket, then into the other pocket, her movements more frantic as each pocket came up empty. “Crap. I must have dropped my phone. We have to go back.”

  “We can’t go back.”

  “But what if he finds my phone?”

  “If you dropped it near the crime scene, he’s probably already got it.”

  “This is bad,” she said. “Really bad.”

  “It’s going to be alright.”

  “That’s easy to say. You can go home. Until this guy is caught, I’m not going to be able to sleep in my own bed, wondering if he knows where I live.”

  “You weren’t going to be able to, anyway.”

  “Why?”

  “The people who killed that man are powerful people. They didn’t need your phone to find out who you are and where you live. Your house is already unsafe.”

  She looked at him, her back pressed to the door, her mind racing as everything he was saying fell into place.

  “What is going on? Who are these people? How do you know all this?”

  “Because the man he murdered was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I looked out the window in time to see him trying to break into my car, and I was about to go outside and stop him when the murderer appeared out of nowhere and stabbed him.”

  “So, what is he, some kind of vigilante?”

  “No, not even close. He stabbed the man because when he came around the corner, it looked like the man was leaving my car.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “The murderer wasn’t after the would-be thief. He was after me.”

  Chapter3

  “I need to stop,” Deena said. “I need to stop.”

  “Right here?”

  “No, not here, but I need to think. I can’t be in this car, flying down the road like this. I have to get out and I need to -- just stop the car!”

  He did as she asked, pulling into the parking lot of an empty insurance high rise and driving around the back until they couldn’t see the road from where they were. He killed the engine, and the doors unlocked. She got out, running to the building, into the covered breezeway and almost against the wall.

  “This can’t be happening,” she muttered as she paced back and forth. “I’m dreaming. I got blackout drunk, and I’m going to wake up and this is all going to be a dream.”

  She was pacing frantically, trying to hold it together and desperately trying to convince herself that she hadn’t watched a man get stabbed to death in the middle of the road. Maybe she’d fallen and hit her head. Maybe she didn’t even go to the club tonight and she was in her own bed. Hell, even having someone sneak something in her drink would be better than witnessing a murder and going on the run with the intended victim.

  “This is too crazy to be true,” she muttered. “I can’t.”

  “It’s going to be alright,” Jake said from behind her.

  She jumped, clasping her hands over her mouth to catch the scream that would surely echo off the empty buildings.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  She glared at him, trembling where she stood, wishing she’d tried to talk her way onto a city bus with no fare instead of walking two miles in the middle of the night. Even in a good neighborhood, that was a bad idea in Dallas.

  “I wish I’d never gone out tonight,” she said.

  He took a step toward her, and she stiffened, but he grabbed her anyway. His chest was warm against hers, his lean, muscular arms strong around her. She fought him for a moment, fighting against everything she’d witnessed and everything that she knew could happen next, then she melted into him, and a tiny sob escaped from her throat.

  “I
t’s going to be okay,” he said, rubbing her back and holding her tight. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  “How are you going to stop it? They’re after you, right? Aren’t I in danger just being with you?”

  “You’re in danger no matter what,” he said. “You witnessed a murder. Do you think that they’re just going to forget about that?”

  She groaned, her alarm growing again.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to change cars, and then we’re going to find somewhere to hole up.”

  “That’s it? That’s your plan?”

  “Do you have a better one?”

  “We need to go to the police.”

  “They’re not going to be able to help us. And they’re more likely to hold you as a witness, putting you in more danger.”

  “Are you saying they’re in on it?”

  “I’m saying that you can’t trust anyone right now, even people that you think you can trust.”

  “Why are they after you? Who did you piss off?”

  “If I knew, I would know how they keep finding me. This isn’t the first attempt on my life, which is why we need to ditch the car.”

  There was the sound of an airbrake in the distance, and Jake stopped, looking up, then letting her go and grabbing her hand.

  “Come on. If we hurry, we can get on that bus.”

  “We’re going to escape on a bus?”

  “No. But if we drive my car with its GPS tracker to the dealer to buy a car, don’t you think that will lead them right to us?”

  “They’re tracking your car?”

  “I don’t know. But this is the second attempt on my life, and both times, I was driving my car.”

  He tugged on her hand again, and she ran beside him, across the almost empty street and to the covered bus stop. Deena expected a bullet to rip through her body before they made it to the safety of the stop, but nothing happened, and the bus was less than a block away.

  “You left your keys in the car, and the door open,” she said, alarmed.

  “It’s intentional. If someone steals it, there will be movement to track, at least for a little while. It will buy us a lot more time if they think that we’re still out and about. And it would be better if my car isn’t within walking distance of a bus stop. That would be too obvious, and even though it’s harder to track, we could be found faster.”