Fight for Her#3 by JJ Knight Page A

behind, then,” Colt says. “You can handle yourself.”
    “That’s a good idea,” Jo says.
    “What if Maddie is headed to New York? What if Lily is in trouble?” I ask. Damn, surely they wouldn’t go so far as to hurt a child.
    “You go to New York, then,” Colt says. “And I’ll go to LA.”
    “You don’t have to do this for me,” I say.
    “You forget,” Colt says, and his hand cutting across his belly reminds me of that night, blood pouring out of his gut from the gunshot wound. “I have a score to settle with these people myself.”
    “We have to end this,” I say.
    Colt nods grimly. “We definitely have to end this.”

Chapter 18: Maddie

    After another fifteen minutes pass, the taxi driver pulls up to a red light and turns around. “You decided where you’re going yet, miss?” He’s got a huge mustache that pushes up into his nose and completely covers his upper lip.
    I’ve been fussing with the new phone, trying to learn how to use it while also figuring out where to go. No doubt Colt and Parker are already trying to intercept me at the airport. I can’t go there.
    “Is there another airport other than the one in Vegas?”
    “I reckon you could go to Flagstaff.”
    “How far is that?”
    “Three hours.” His fingers smooth the black mustache. “Kinda far for a cab ride.”
    “How can I get to Flagstaff?”
    “Other than the airport?”
    “Right.”
    “There’s a bus.”
    “Head that way,” I say.
    He turns back around. I frantically search for the bus schedule out of Vegas. I don’t want to arrive too early and sit around. If anyone thinks to go there, they’ll find me. I won’t be able to decide what to do with Parker pressuring me. Nothing he and Colt and those other people did last night did any good.  
    As long as Striker feels he hasn’t evened the score, he isn’t going to stop.
    But I can’t exactly tell them to kill them all.
    I have no answers for this situation. I just want to be with Lily. I have to get her moved, hidden, safe.
    Finally the bus schedule comes up. I can book a ticket from my phone. Perfect. Once I’m out of Vegas, I can worry less. No one will think to look for me in Flagstaff.
    The bus doesn’t leave for an hour.
    I lean forward. “Sir? How long will it take to get to the station?”
    “About ten minutes.”
    “Can you drive around a while? I don’t want to get to the station for another 45 minutes.”
    “Your dime,” he says.
    I find a flight schedule out of Flagstaff. There’s nothing available into New York, but I can get to Newark, New Jersey, by midnight. Close enough.
    I sit back and look out the window. This part of Vegas looks like any other city. Houses. Strip malls. Parking lots full of cars. Beyond the businesses are normal neighborhoods with houses and kids and probably parks. There’s definitely less green here. No bodies of water. And certainly the dizzying lights of the Strip in the distance set it apart at night.
    But everyday life happens here. At least outside this car.
    I have to say something to Delores that will make her understand this is urgent, but not make her panic so that she calls the police. I don’t know if involving them will help. I doubt it.
    I pull up messages and reply to one of hers.

    There’s been a hiccup in my schedule. I have to fly into Newark. Can you guys get a hotel near there? The Marriott? I’m dying to see Lily.

    That sounds normal.
    After a minute, she replies.

    Parker said your schedule was fine. That you got a new phone.

    So he’s already written her.

    It just happened when I checked in. I didn’t get to do it early due to the new phone.

    God, lightning is going to strike me for these lies.

    Are you sure that’s what you want us to do? Lily will miss school tomorrow. And don’t you have to work?

    Like any of that is important now.

    Took the day off. Lily can miss a day.

    I look out the window as I wait for Delores to reply. We’ve left the city. The desert stretches