Rowan decided to strap in and clipped her seatbelt closed. The driver sped up, weaving wildly in and out of traffic. She heard horns honking and saw cars swerve out of their way.
The gray sedan moved alongside them and she watched the men in it signal her driver. Then it fell back, drawing closer to the lead Team 52 SUV.
God, what now? She saw the sedan’s windows lower, and guns were aimed at the black SUVs.
No. Her chest locked. Gunfire cracked through the air, and the SUV dodged. But what they didn’t do was slow down. They were still gaining speed.
Then, she spotted Blair hanging out one window, face composed, returning fire.
That’s when Rowan saw the second black SUV roaring forward. Her eyes widened. It was going to— It rammed into the back of the sedan. The sound of screeching tires and more honking horns followed the crunch of metal on metal. The sedan veered into the median in the center of the road, and crashed into a palm tree.
“Fuck!” Rowan’s driver bit out.
“Keep going,” the passenger yelled. “Faster.”
Rowan looked back. Blair was still hanging out a window, firing at them.
Suddenly, Rowan’s SUV swerved, and the driver’s curses got damn creative.
“They hit a tire!” the driver yelled.
“Keep going. There’s more traffic ahead. Blend in.”
No. That was a terrible idea.
The driver turned sharply, tires squealing. They sped into the other lane, and Rowan was jerked against her belt.
They roared closer to the cluster of traffic ahead. The driver weaved in and out of cars and trucks. Vehicles swerved, and more horns honked.
Oh, God. They were going to crash.
Team 52 was right behind them and suddenly, the crumpled silver sedan rejoined the chase.
It sped recklessly toward one black SUV, with Blair still firing from the side. But as it drew alongside, Blair ducked back inside, and the SUV jerked toward the car.
It rammed into the side of the sedan. The car veered off the road. It bumped over a curb, and crashed into the driveway of the casino before smashing into a fountain. Water sprayed everywhere.
“Yes!” Rowan grinned.
The passenger swiveled and shot her a dirty look. She glared back.
“Shit,” the driver said.
Rowan looked up and saw a slow-moving RV right in front of them. The driver jerked the wheel to avoid it.
It swung them right up alongside one of the Team 52 SUVs.
Rowan saw Blair in the passenger seat, and Lachlan at the wheel.
She pressed her lips together. They’d come for her again. He’d come for her.
The other SUV pulled in close behind them.
Suddenly, the traffic cleared. Lachlan’s vehicle roared forward and then swung in front of them.
The SUV’s taillights flashed on.
Oh, shit. She braced herself, and heard the driver swear. They rear-ended the black SUV with a crunch of metal and breaking glass.
Rowan was tossed hard against her belt.
The man in the passenger seat wasn’t strapped in. He sailed through the windshield. The driver’s air bag went off with a bang. She heard him groaning.
Rowan’s ears were ringing again, and she shook her head a little to try and clear it.
Suddenly, the doors were yanked open. She watched the airbag deflate, and the driver was pulled out of the vehicle.
Her door opened, and she blinked up at Lachlan. He reached in, unlatching her belt.
“Okay?” His face was set in hard lines, those gold eyes extremely pissed off.
She nodded as he helped her out. As soon as she was vertical, her knees gave way. Lachlan scooped her into his arms, and she held onto him.
“You’re not okay,” he muttered.
She slid her arm along his shoulders. “I am now.” Then she passed out.
Chapter Eleven
Lachlan paced his living room, watching Callie check Rowan over. She had an ugly bruise and swelling forming on the left side of her face.
Heat roared through him. One of those bastards had hit her. She was lucky she didn’t have a concussion or a broken cheekbone.
He’d just returned from dropping the men they’d captured off in the secure bunker beneath their hangar at the airport. They’d attempted to question the driver of the vehicle, but the man wasn’t talking. Lachlan had left him in Seth’s capable hands. The man was a hell of an interrogator.
“All clear.” Callie stood, pushing things back into her backpack.
Rowan attempted a smile. “Thanks, Callie.”
The medic reached out and gripped her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. From his seat on the couch, Axel leaned forward and patted Rowan’s leg.
“You rocked out there, chiquita.”
Lachlan frowned. “I think she’s been touched enough, Diaz.”
Axel lifted his hand and shook his head. From nearby, Blair tried unsuccessfully to hide her laugh.
“And you’re sure Nat is okay?” Rowan asked, concern on her face.
“She’s fine,” Callie assured her. “Pissed, but fine.”
“She alerted us as soon as her apartment was breached,” Lachlan said.
Axel muttered under his breath. “If she hadn’t leaped into the fight like a warrior princess, she might not have gotten conked on the head.”
Rowan tucked her hands into her lap. “These people need to be stopped. They don’t care who gets hurt and if they get their hands on the artifact…”
“Rowan—”
She stood, shaking her head at Lachlan. She turned, her hair whipping around. “I am sick and tired of being hunted down like a dog.” Her gaze met Lachlan’s, filled with quiet determination. “I saw the havoc that artifact wreaked. I won’t let it happen again. I am not going to cower and hide. I want to help you find it.”
“For now, you stay where I can protect you.” Lachlan didn’t explain to her exactly what kind of enhanced security his apartment had, but he knew she’d be safe here. Brooks had decked out the place with enough layers to ensure no one was getting in. He made a mental note to have him do the same to Nat’s place.
Rowan thrust her hands on her hips. “I’m not going to hide away and do nothing—”
“I don’t want you hurt.”
“And I don’t want more innocent people hurt.” She set her shoulders back. “I have several degrees, including a PhD. I can help you.”
Lachlan knew she was smart, but this was about keeping her alive. He cupped her jaw. “Rowan, if something happened to you…” Fuck, he was starting to realize he couldn’t stand that. How could she get so far under his skin in such a short time?
She stared at him. “No one’s ever cared if something happened to me. I’ve never been important to anyone.”
“Your damn parents made you feel that way,” he bit out. “That’s on them, not you, Rowan.”
“I always just thought that maybe I’m defective.”
“I care.”
Her eyes were huge as she stared at him.
“I don’t want you anywhere near this artifact or the people who are after it.”
She shook her head, like she was trying to clear it. “Please let me help. I need to help, for my people who died at Ellesmere. I trust you to keep me safe while I do.”
He stared into her blue eyes and realized how much she needed this. Some control back in this out-of-control situation.
“You can work with us and Brooks.”
She smiled.
“We need to find out more about the Red Wolves, who else is involved, and who has the artifact.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m out of here,” Callie said.
Rowan jerked, like she’d just remembered there were other people in the room. Lachlan sighed and looked at his team members. Yep, grinning like loons.
Callie headed for the door. “Get some rest, Rowan.”
Axel and Blair followed. His second-in-command caught Lachlan’s eye. “If I find anything, I’ll let you know.”
“See you guys in the morning.” Once the door closed, Lachlan checked the security system was up and running. Then, he moved back to where Rowan sat on the couch, and knelt in front of her. He gently touched the swelling on her face.
“I’m okay,” she said quietly. “Not even a headache.”
“You threw yourself on the driver.”
“I knew if they got away, I was dead.”
Dead. Fuck. The word reverberated inside Lachlan’s head, and he didn’t like it. Not one bit. He pulled her into his chest and she clung to him.