Harlequin Intrigue April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Carol Ericson (beginner reading books for adults .txt) 📗

finally got the lid free. She pushed herself upward, desperate to get out of the box that had felt like a too-small coffin.

Ironically, it had been the truck slamming to a stop after taking that nausea-inducing turn that had given her the right angle, just enough leverage, to shove open the box. Now she ducked low again as the unmistakable sound of a bullet pierced the air.

Was he shooting at her?

As quickly as the thought entered her head, she realized it was wrong. The bomber was shooting at Jax, who was amazingly behind them. His SUV had been racing past the trail where they were stopped, but then his eyes widened in the window, his expression caught in the glow from the bomber’s brake lights.

Jamming the box lid fully upward, Keara pushed unsteadily to her feet, ready to leap out and race for Jax’s SUV.

Then the bomber hit the gas.

Her upper body went flying forward, wrenching her mostly out of the box and into the truck bed. The metal lid of the box slammed against her calves, but she barely felt the pain over the jolt to the rest of her body as she landed hard, then slid toward the edge where the back of the truck bed had popped open.

Catching herself before she slid right out, Keara grabbed the edge, holding on. Her fingers sliced open on the metal as she held on hard, as she tried to angle her legs to brace herself against the side. She eyed the ground below, moving rapidly enough to intensify her dizziness. They were going too fast. She’d missed her chance to jump.

Then Jax’s SUV backed up and spun wildly onto the road, chasing them.

The truck jerked to the side and Keara lost her grip on the edge as she flew sideways across the truck bed. She slammed into the side of it, grabbing the edge there as her body spun and her legs dangled off the vehicle, hanging in midair. Head pounding, she scrambled to get fully back on the truck as it swerved again and the boom of a bullet fired.

Maneuvering onto her knees, she peered into the front of the truck, where the bomber leaned out the window, slowing slightly as he fired backward at Jax.

Gritting her teeth, Keara pulled herself slowly, painfully, up the truck bed, smearing blood in her wake. Could she get to the left side, near the front of the truck bed? Could she reach the bomber’s hand, yank the gun free? Shooting him while she was in the bed of his moving truck wasn’t her best plan, but it didn’t seem like her worst option, either.

The truck sped up again and Keara’s knees slid out from underneath her. She swore as she slammed against the truck bed again, and her arms were yanked hard as she kept her grip on the side. Ignoring the sharp ache in her arms and shoulders, Keara kept dragging herself forward.

She glanced back and saw Jax gaining. She wanted to tell him to get off this trail, get himself out of danger, but she was also grateful for the backup, grateful that she wasn’t completely alone with a practiced killer.

Taking deep breaths to try to ease the pounding in her head and the throbbing across her entire body, Keara grabbed the front of the gun box. Painfully, far slower than she would have liked, she moved on her knees across the front of the truck bed, pulling herself with her bloodied hands.

When she was halfway there, the bomber twisted to look at her. His eyes inches from hers through the glass startled her, almost made her lose her grip.

There was a darkness in his gaze Keara had never seen before in over a decade of policing, a fury to his scowl that said he was going to make her pay for daring to go up against him.

Keara glared right back, refusing to show him any fear. Today this ended. And it wouldn’t be with her painful death. It would be with his arrest.

Lurching sideways, Keara made it to the left side of the truck. Adrenaline or determination was helping her vision even out, pushing the pounding in her head to the background. Now that he knew she’d gotten free of the gun box, would he hold his pistol out the window again? Would he be expecting her to make a grab for it and not take the risk? Or would he focus it on her?

Glancing behind her, she saw Jax. He was gaining on them, close enough now that she could make out the grim determination on his face.

Then the bomber hit the gas again, hard.

Keara swore as her knees came out from under her once more and she banged into the edge of the gun box headfirst, slicing a cut across her forehead. Holding on tighter to the side, she scrambled, trying to wedge her legs against the front and side of the truck. No way could she let go at such a high speed, with the way he kept wrenching the wheel back and forth slightly. No way could she make a grab for his gun if he tried to fire at Jax again.

But from the corner of her eye, she saw Jax getting closer. He was almost on top of them now, gesturing for her to do...what? Try to jump onto the front of his SUV? She shook her head at him, knowing that was a move made for movies, and would probably be deadly at this speed.

Then the bomber slammed on the brakes and Keara’s grip came loose from the truck edge. She was thrown against the front of the truck and the gun box, but barely felt the pain as she twisted toward Jax, and the SUV still racing for her.

He was going to hit the truck. At that speed, with that much force, it would probably kill her.

She took a deep breath and tried not to show any fear as she stared back