He turned, swore and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 19
They were screwed. How the hell had the Devil’s Patrol found them?
Only one bike, but one was enough. As he drove away, he caught a glimpse of the biker, face hidden by a helmet. But the DP on his leather jacket stood out like a neon sign.
Must be the car. Have to ditch it.
About an hour later, he pulled into the parking lot of a rental-car company. They went into the office, but no luck. All the cars had been taken.
All he could do was keep pushing ahead, hoping to lose them.
Or confront them head on. Dangerous with Kara in the car.
Confront the bikers in public, hope for the best. But not endanger Kara. No way he wanted her beneath a yellow tarp, her body left for police to identify.
He returned to the car, checked his weapon. Glanced at Kara. “We’re about three hours from your uncle’s cabin, if we stick to the interstate. I don’t know how they’re tracking us, but I say we keep pushing on.”
Jace consulted the GPS. “If I pull off at this rest stop, I plan to confront this guy. Far as I can see, it’s one guy tailing us. Need to stop him before he finds us at the cabin. I’ll need you to do exactly as I say.”
Kara took a deep breath. “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do.”
In another hour, he found the rest stop, pulled off and parked beneath the shade of a sprawling oak tree. The area included green space, with a terrific view of the mountains, and picnic tables. A breeze ruffled the leaves and cooled the sweat trickling down his back. Jace scanned the tables and pointed to one occupied by a large family. She could easily blend in there and go unnoticed by whoever was stalking them.
After instructing Kara to hang near the picnic table and pace as if waiting for someone, he leaned against the vehicle and waited. Didn’t have to wait long, for a motorcycle roared into the rest stop and parked nearby. The rider turned to him, ambled toward him.
Gun at the ready, Jace tensed.
As the biker drew closer, he squinted in the bright sunlight. The gait, rather a limp, seemed familiar. Not a DP he knew, though the guy wore the colors...
“Jace. At last, I finally get to see you.”
Shock pummeled him as the biker removed his helmet. The gray hair, weathered face...eyes as blue as his own.
Swearing, he stared, but did not holster his sidearm. “Dad?”
“Son.” Al smiled and sighed. “Been a long time.”
Oh, hell no. Not long enough. Jace raised his gun. “You’re following me. Why?”
Al held up his hands. “Whoa, stop. It’s not what you think. I’m not here to hurt you...”
Not like all those times in the past. “Yeah? My boss told me you were helping him, but I don’t trust you. You’re just passing through? Why, so you can tag my location so the rest of them can nail me?”
“I’m here to protect you.”
Jace narrowed his gaze. “Right.”
Al opened his jacket. “Look, I’m not carrying. I can’t, I’m a convicted felon. I’m not here to hurt you. Wanted to give you a heads-up. They’re on to you, and Marcus gave orders through Mike to follow you and your lady friend.”
Slowly he lowered the gun, still not trusting him. “And you know this?”
“They don’t know you’re a Fed. I do. Did some digging after I got out of prison so I could find you. Apologize for all the crap I did to you.” Al sighed. “I didn’t tell them your real identity, son. But that day in the garage, I realized you were undercover. I went to Mike, started hanging out with the gang again after you fled, trying to get information. And I went to the Feds to tell them I wanted to work for them as a confidential informant.”
Jace still couldn’t trust his old man. “Why should I believe you?”
Al eyed the gun. “Can you put that away if you don’t plan to shoot me?”
Jace holstered the gun but left it in easy reach.
“I guess if I were in your shoes I wouldn’t trust me, either. But I’m asking you to now. For her sake.” Al pointed to Kara. “They don’t know yet who you are, just that Marcus wants you and her. They’ve been following you all this time, asked me to ride ahead because Mike’s bike needed repairs. Wanted me to keep tailing you. I’d say you have an hour at the most before they come after you.”
Not that he truly trusted his father, but Al was right about Kara. “Why did Lance attack Kara?”
“Not sure. Like I said, there’s a lot they’re not telling me. I know Lance returned early from his trip up north to deal with Kara. That’s about it. Marcus has his inner circle and I’m not part of it. Been gone too long. I also know they’re not worried about me losing you. I think they wanted me to ride ahead to lose me, not to find you. They know where you are, Jace.”
He thought fast. “They must have a tracker on the vehicle somehow. Maybe they put it on the SUV while we were at the motel.”
He eyed Al’s big touring bike with the plush leather seat, saddlebags and sissy bar. Same bike his old man had when he’d been arrested more than twenty years ago. Looked to be in good shape, too.
“You really want to make up for all the crap you did to me? Give me your bike and take the SUV.”
Al blinked. “You want me to ride in that cage?”
“It must have a tracker on it. That’s how they’re following me. I don’t know when or how they did it, but it has to be it. You can drop it off at...” Jace consulted his phone and named a gas station off the interstate. “Then I’d vanish, if I were you.”
Al hesitated a minute. Nodded. “You can have my bike but leave the SUV here. I’ll get a ride. I didn’t manage prison for all those years without knowing how to make my way around a tight spot.”
