Hidden Impact Read Online Free Page B

popped into her mind and she thoroughly squashed the idea. Facing backwards in a car would only make her car sickness worse, and potentially tragic, the way he was making free with the acceleration and sudden deceleration.
    “You didn’t. We’re good enough to know a setup when we walk into it.” The amusement was back in his voice. He must enjoy it when she babbled like an idiot.
    “Okay.” She got the acknowledgment out in a small whisper.
    The car swerved as he took a hard turn and accelerated enough to push her back into the seat. “Try to look far ahead or close your eyes. This won’t take long.”
    “Okay.” She glued her eyes shut instead and held on to the conversation.
    “I’m guessing they put the listening equipment in when they learned their driver didn’t take you out. It was quick work and means a lot of things.” His voice had a gravelly tone to it and his words filled the close space of her car.
    “They knew who I was and where I lived. I’m getting that. I don’t want to. But I am. I must’ve left my name, phone number and even mailing address on at least a dozen voice mails while I was calling around trying to get information on my little sister.” She swallowed hard. “I might need chocolate cake before this all sinks in as real.”
    A pause followed by a quiet chuckle. “Cake?”
    “Double chocolate. I have a special recipe.” She chewed on her lip and wondered if she liked the abrupt laugh from earlier or the softer one from just now. Either one gave her butterflies to chase away the anxiety. “Actually, I’ll make cupcakes and share.”
    “Sharing is good.”
    And her brain hit a dead end again. She doubted he wanted to listen to her babble about Guinness-infused cupcake batter and ganache spiked with Irish whiskey. He would probably rather drink either. So who could blame her when her thoughts circled back to the bigger elephants in the car?
    “Who are they? Why would they be out to squash me flat?” She hoped against common sense that he had answers for her. He’d only met her tonight and still didn’t know even as much as she did about her sister’s disappearance.
    Still, she had several more interrogatives lined up for him whether he had the answers or not. They were jumbled up inside her head, bursting to be let out on someone. Anyone. But preferably a person who could help her.
    “The hit-and-run wannabe wouldn’t have made a pancake out of you. It would’ve been a sort of smashed and broken kind of mess...which I’ll stop telling you about right now. The point is whoever wanted you dead probably got a look at me and my partners.” He glanced up at the rearview mirror again, then cursed under his breath and made another sharp turn, then another. “They might’ve withdrawn to reassess and get a better idea of how much protection you had before attempting a second attack. That’s a good thing.”
    “Oh.” Not sure how it was, but she’d opt for believing him since he was currently driving her away from harm.
    “Hey.”
    She looked at him, responding to the sharp command in his tone.
    “You’re under my protection now. Centurion Corporation isn’t about to give them another opening to get to you.” He turned his head and his gaze burned into her for a long moment before he turned his attention back to the road. “We’ve lost your tail and I’m taking you out of the city. The rest we can start on in the morning. It’s going to be okay.”
    His words sank in, and for the first time since she’d gone to the airport to pick up her little sister—and not found her—Maylin started to hope.
    “So you’re going to help me find my sister?” It was a tenacious thing, this feeling, and she held her breath waiting for his answer.
    He sighed. “I’m going to listen to what you know about your little sister’s disappearance. I can’t promise you’ll find her.”
    She fell silent and stared out the window as the city lights gave way to the darkness of