Run to Ground(50)

That had been bugging Theo, too. “Could’ve been a Kel-Tec.”

“True.”

Theo stood, holding back a groan as his ribs and muscles protested the motion after a sleepless night sitting in the very uncomfortable hospital waiting-room chairs. “Have to go pick up Vig.”

“Did someone drop him at the station yesterday?”

For some reason, Theo was reluctant to talk about Jules. The other guys knew her as the new waitress, but that was it. As odd as it was, Theo felt like Jules and her family were his—just his. He didn’t want to share her. Hugh was waiting for an answer, though, his expression growing more curious by the second. With a silent sigh, Theo admitted, “Jules took him.”

It took a second before comprehension dawned, quickly followed by a smirk. “New waitress Jules? Hot new waitress Jules?”

Theo just stared at him flatly. For some weird reason, that made Hugh laugh.

“Go for it, man.” Hugh chuckled again. “Oh, and could you—”

Before he could finish the sentence, Theo was already pulling a wad of paper from one of the cargo pockets on his BDUs and thrusting it at Hugh.

“Incident report?” At Theo’s affirmative shrug, Hugh grabbed it from him, his face lit up like it was Christmas. “You’re the best. How’d you know I’d want it?”

Theo didn’t bother answering. After working together for so long, Theo had just known. “I asked Otto to bring it early this morning. I’ll grab copies for you of any follow-up reports as they come in.”

“This is great.”

Shrugging off Hugh’s appreciation, Theo headed for the door, but paused before opening it. “Thanks,” he muttered at the door handle.

“For what?”

“Holding on.” Yanking the door open, Theo escaped into the hall so fast he barely caught Hugh’s response.

“You’re welcome, partner.”

* * *

“They couldn’t have been aiming at you. No one wants to kill us.” Ty tipped his chair back to balance on two legs. “I vote we stay.”

Sam frowned. “Th-th-they st-st-still haven’t c-c-c-c…f-found the sh-shooter.”

“They will.” At least, Jules really hoped they would.

Looking up from where she sat on the kitchen floor with Viggy’s head in her lap, Dee said, “I don’t want to leave. We just got here.”

“I don’t want to go, either.” Tio was sitting in the seat next to Ty, although all four of his chair’s legs were solidly on the floor.

Looking around at her siblings’ faces, seeing everything from worry to hopefulness to Sam’s closed-off, unreadable expression, Jules felt inadequate. How was she supposed to be a parent and make these kinds of decisions? How could she manage to let them head off to school every morning, a school where she’d been hiding in the bathroom a day ago because someone was shooting a gun at them? Would a new place be any better, or was this just life? Was death and danger around every corner going to be an ongoing part of their new, post-kidnapping existence? It had seemed like such a peaceful, pretty town.

“Jules?” Dee said tentatively. “Can we stay? Please?”

Jules squeezed her eyes closed for a moment so she wouldn’t have to look at their hopeful faces. They depended on her, and she had not a single clue what she was doing. Opening her eyes again, she took a deep breath.

The doorbell rang.

All the air in her lungs escaped in a relieved rush at the interruption, allowing her to delay her decision—this huge decision that would affect all of their lives—for a little bit longer. Immediately after, however, familiar panic sparked to life, fueled by her siblings’ anxious expressions.

Giving them a look she hoped was reassuring, she headed to the door. The kids knew the drill already. They waited in the kitchen and listened. If they heard Jules say they were at the park, then they were supposed to slip out the back door and run to the barn to hide. After fifteen minutes, if Jules hadn’t joined them, they were to grab the money hidden in the loft and run.

Each step tightened her stomach more as she approached the front door. Holding her breath, Jules peeked through the peephole. When she saw who it was, her muscles relaxed and a smile crept onto her face. Who would’ve thought that, just days after she’d become a felon, the sight of a cop would be a relief?

Brushing off the nagging thought that it was stupid to feel excitement fizzing in her belly, Jules opened the door. Her crush—or whatever it was—on Theo was one of her stupider moves, dumber even than working for Luis Espina. She knew this, but she still couldn’t help grinning at him.