Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Dana Mentink (novels to improve english txt) 📗

come alive with a breathtaking show of constellations. Beckett had taken her to see them when they’d first started dating. She’d been rendered speechless by the magnificence. They’d shared their first kiss under the stars.

Now wasn’t the time to wallow in memories. She packaged the leftover food and blew out the lantern.

The teens grabbed extra cookies from the plate and headed to the Jeep. She was glad to see that they seemed to have come out of their surly teenage shells. They were just as eager as their parents to dive into the next phase. Death Valley had a way of inspiring awe in any age group.

Levi loaded up the horse trailer. Beckett helped until all six horses were securely aboard. Levi bade the guests good-night as they piled into the Jeep. With Beckett out of earshot, Levi spoke softly to her.

“You gonna be okay here?” The unspoken part of his question was “…with Beckett?”

What could possibly be awkward about being in such a romantic location, awash in painful memories, with the man who no longer wanted to be married to her? Part of her wished she could ride with Levi back to the hot springs. Instead she nodded. “Yes, thanks, Levi. We’ll clean up and head straight back home.”

He saluted her with a finger to his cap and drove the trailer away, loosing a cloud of dust that mingled with the night air. Beckett was already packing the dirty dishes in a tub they reserved for the job. While she gathered up the linens, he stowed the table in the van, and shut the rear doors as his phone rang again.

He answered, his eyes rounding. “Herm? Calm down. Tell me again.”

Laney waited, heart thumping. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Beckett was still listening while he spoke to her. “Laney, get in the van, okay? We have to go now.”

She turned to get in. “Why? What’s wrong?”

He disconnected and shoved the phone into his pocket.

A glare of headlights blinded her. She threw up a hand to shield her eyes. A vehicle hurtled toward them at breakneck speed, tires crunching over the sandy ground.

There was no more time to ask questions. He pushed her toward the safety of their van.

“Run, Laney!”

She tripped and went down on one knee. Grabbing her hand, he urged her up. She got her feet under her and began to sprint. He pounded along right next to her.

The car accelerated as it bore down on them.

CHAPTER NINE

Laney ran in a blind panic toward the van. Her shoes skidded and slipped on the grit. The vehicle behind jolted across the ground, eating up the distance between them. It was coming so fast. Headlights scoured the night and the wheels sent vibrations into the ground that invaded her body. The revving engine sounded like the growl of a metal predator. Pain hitched her side, but she kept on running. If they could get to the van, crank the key she’d left in the ignition… They needed a minute, nothing more.

Feet flying, she ran faster until her breath was coming in shallow gasps and her pulse pounded. She risked another quick look over her shoulder. The four-door car was so close now she could make out the driver behind the wheel, a baseball cap pulled down low. Kenny? A scream bubbled up in her throat as she saw the front bumper pull closer. With a cry of despair she tried to speed up, but her body simply would not cooperate. The slight dips and swells in the dry earth threatened to trip her.

Cold sweat bathed her neck. Even through her panicked haze some part of her brain processed the truth: they would not make it to the van in time.

They were going to be run down; there was no escape. As if living a nightmare, she imagined the machine plowing into her, snapping her bones as if they were made of dry twigs. The impact would shatter her body, but what about the tiny life nestled deep down inside her? Buffered by only a fragile nest of flesh, would he or she survive? You’re not going to kill my baby. The thought fueled her aching limbs and spurred her to take more gulps into her burning lungs. Leaning forward, she forced herself to her absolute limit, praying she would not step into a hole that would send her tumbling under the oncoming wheels. They would make it—they had to.

The engine snarled, moving ever closer, mocking her efforts. Pain flared in her side, a spark that fledged into fiery agony. She began to slow. No, please… she thought, willing herself to keep going in spite of her body’s protests. The Hotsprings van was so close now she could see the dust collected on the windows. Three more yards, two. If they could only reach it.

But she could push herself no faster, and their pursuer was gaining speed. It was futile. The car was nearly upon them. Any moment she would feel the impact of the metal, cutting into her, into them, even while their eyes were fixed on the means of their escape. Still, she kept running, too scared to stop, too winded to scream. The car was so close she could feel the heat from the engine on her back.

Abruptly, Beckett grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side. They tumbled together in a tangle of limbs until they came to a stop. Head still spinning, she watched as the car continued straight ahead and smashed front first into the rear of their van. Glass spewed in all directions. Metal crumpled with a squeal that drowned out her own scream. She got to her knees, gasping for breath. They were alive. She hugged herself in disbelief, but Beckett was urging her up.

“Keep going. Don’t stop.”

“I can’t…” she panted.

“We have to run to the ruins,” he commanded. “Come on. I’ll help you.”

The ruins? She thought she’d heard him wrong. Why would they do such a foolish thing? The old