A Deadly Betrayal✔ [Completed]

Chapter Five

Andy glanced into the rearview mirror. He didn’t see Annie or Reon in the backseat. She had taken his advice and stayed low. He was driving so fast, he must have out-distanced the gunmen because there was no one following him. His heart twisted in a tight fist of anxiety. Maybe it was because of her. Even after so long he had an almost frightening connection to her.

Heat rushed through him, his anger scalding his blood and skin. He wanted to hurt whoever had wanted to hurt her. He took a right turn mentally cursing himself for not going after her before now. If only he’d gone after her, but he didn't know where to start looking. 

A whisper in his mind scolded him about that being a stupid excuse. He had resources. He knew people. Disgusted with himself, his fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He felt movements at the back of his seat.

“Annie, what are you doing?” he asked.

Jeeze! Was the man aware of everything going on around him? Given what was happening now, she guessed he had a right to know. “Getting the diaper bag,” she said.

“Does Reon need changing?” he asked.

She reached inside the bag and wrapped her fingers around the rubber ducky her baby loved so much. Reon gave a squeal of delight and his eyes twinkled with excitement when he saw it.

“No,” she answered.

“Are you all right?” he asked. “And Reon?”

“We’re both fine. Who were those bad men?” she asked.

His gaze went to the rearview mirror again. “We lost the shooter,” he said. Then he glimpsed her and the little guy. She held him close to her chest as if someone would dare plucked him from her hands. Andy turned his gaze back to the road.

Something about the little guy kept reminding him of someone, but he couldn’t figure out who it was. Annie’s reddened eyes flashed again in his mind. Probably from all the tears she cried. Something odd and curious twisted deep inside him at the sight of her ravaged face. At that moment, he realized he’d missed her, missed her with such ferocity, it was almost shocking. Her weary resignation tugged at him, it made him want to fix everything for her.

He remembered his doctor told him to take a few days of rest. Since a week ago, he was doing the exact opposite. Andy knew he looked like the walking dead but every time he went to bed, sleep eluded him. These days he hardly slept because of what’s happening. Tension nagged at his temples. 

The farther they traveled from her home, the quieter it was. No sirens. No gunshots. No screams. Annie looked down at her son, curls matted against the side of his face. Drool trickled from the corner of his slightly open mouth. How had he fallen asleep after so much excitement? She leaned back against the seat and looked out the window. She studied the route he was taking. She didn’t recognize it.