“That’s fine by me. Means I get more,” April said as she slid into his truck.
Mac chuckled as he shut the door and walked over to the driver’s side of his truck. The vehicle was older but clean. She appreciated that he kept the interior neat.
“So, we’ll pick up pizza. Do you want anything else?” Mac asked as the engine roared to life.
“How about cookies.”
“Cookies are good. What type.”
“Chocolate chip,” April said.
“Cool. I like those. If you’d said something odd like raisin or something else weird, I would have said no.”
Laugher filled the cab, and she relaxed. Being with Mac was great. This was exactly the relaxing evening they needed. They’d just pulled up at a stop sign, and Mac paused to let the car that pulled a few seconds before him go. Another vehicle approached from the left, and Mac hesitated, but it looked like the car was slowing.
He let his foot off the brake, and the truck began to roll forward, just a few feet, not much. She remembered his smile, how sweet and happy he looked. Sure, he was rugged with a bit of scruff on his cheeks from not shaving for a few days, and he was good-looking, but at that moment, when the sun hit his blue eyes just right, they twinkled in a captivating way, taking all of her attention. His smile spread wider. She would never forget that second when she thought he was the most handsome man in the world.
The car on the left punched the gas, causing their tires to squeal. Mac’s eyes widened, and gone was the smile. Something awful was about to happen.
The car slammed into Mac’s truck, making a terrible crunch. April’s head might have hit the window, but not too hard. Her muscles clenched, and pain slid down her back. She blinked, trying to focus, but so much was going on.
She was waiting for the other car to stop pushing, but the driver had their foot on the gas, and they weren’t letting up. Panic filled April.
This wasn’t a simple fender bender. The stranger still had their foot on the gas, pushing and pushing, trying to do something, but Mac’s truck was barely moving.
April undid her seatbelt and worked on Mac’s, trying to undo the buckle. Mac seemed out of it. Like maybe his head had slammed against the window hard. She needed to work faster, but she couldn’t get the buckle undone for some reason.
“Knife,” Mac mumbled.
Her gaze shot to his as she tried to figure out his meaning. “What?”
“Knife. Glovebox. Cut me out.”
Her hands were shaking, and the urge to run was overwhelming. Fear slid through her, and every task was hard. Her fingers wouldn’t work on the glovebox handle. It took her three tries.
Was this someone after her? Had her stalker found her and decided to act?
Finally, the glovebox popped open, and she spied the knife. She flipped open the blade. The way her hand shook made the knife wiggle in front of her face.
“Hurry,” Mac said.
She almost dropped the knife but grasped it tighter, pulling the strap away from Mac so she didn’t cut him. When she sliced through the fabric freeing Mac, relief poured through her.
Mac had recovered somewhat, but he still looked a little spacey. When he turned his head, she saw blood running down the side of his face. He had hit the window or frame of the vehicle harder than she had. It was up to her to get them to safety.
“Come on,” April said as she took his hand, dragging him closer to the right side of the truck.
“What are they doing?” Mac asked.
His voice sounded better. Like he had more control and more strength now. Her hands were still shaking, and her head spun.
“No clue,” April said as she popped open the passenger door.
The other driver stopped pushing, and she felt relief for a moment. Maybe it was an older person who had a stroke? Or perhaps they’d died with their foot on the gas. All sorts of explanations filled her mind, and not one of them had the other car’s driver hopping out with a loaded gun.
The first bullet pinged off the truck. A scream wrenched from her mouth. Some part of Mac she’d never seen woke up. The fog that had clouded his eyes from slamming his head against the truck window was gone, and in its place was a steely look that sent a shiver down her spine.
He pulled her low, positioning her behind the tire. With one finger held up, he told her to wait, and he rose. Another shot was fired, this one shattering the glass somewhere on the truck. Mac ducked back down, his gaze scanning the area. The houses were set back about twenty feet from the corner. Sure, there were trees and bushes, but they weren’t enough cover to stop a bullet from ripping through their bodies.
More cars had pulled up at the intersection, and she saw the look of horror on one woman’s face before the woman took off, driving across the yard.
“Mackenzie Dunham!” someone yelled.
“Is that the shooter?” April asked.
Mac nodded. “I think so.”
“Why are they after you?”
“I don’t know. I have no clue who it is.”
“Get out here and show your face, you slimy piece of filth.”
April’s heart skipped a beat as her stomach churned. Why was anyone accusing Mac of being a piece of filth? Had she been wrong about him?
“I need to get you to cover. We’ll get shot if they come around the front of the truck.” Mac squeezed her hand. “I’m going to lift up and take a look. I need to see where they are.”
Fear made her stomach squeeze and her head throb. She wanted to tell Mac to stay low, but she felt this man would do whatever needed to be done to get them out of this situation.
“You’re a coward, just like your father!” the shooter yelled.
April had her hand on Mac and felt him stiffen. Does he know who this person is? Another shot rang out just after Mac dropped low. This one hit close, but it didn’t hit either of them.
“They’re short, but I saw them. They aren’t moving closer.” Mac’s eyes darted from one house to another, searching for their exit strategy. There really wasn’t an escape. They were in the middle of the intersection, the houses set too far back to run to without being shot. This was the perfect place for an ambush.
“Do you know them?”
Mac met her gaze and shook his head. “No. I have no clue who that woman is.”
“She mentioned your father.”
Mac blew out a breath. In that second, she saw something that made her think he might know who was targeting him. “I’m adopted. That’s the only thing I can come up with. I don’t know her, but she knows me.”
“Shit. Let’s figure a way out,” April said.
“She’s not moving. Let me look again.” Mac rose again. This time he grabbed April’s hand and pulled her up a little. “Move to the back of the truck.”
She stumbled on her feet, but Mac kept her from hitting the pavement as he helped her around to the back. Another shot, this one bouncing off the pavement behind them.
“You can’t escape me this time. I know who you are now.”
Her stomach clenched as more fear ramped up. “She wants to kill you.”
“Fuck, this is bad. She’s using a revolver. She fired four times. As long as she’s not reloading each time, in two more shots, she’ll be out, and we’ll have time to run.”