Joseph by Kris Michaels Page B

how in the world are you going last while I go shopping?”
    He turned his head towards her. “Em, I’m asking you to make quick selections and only get the basics, but you do need to have some clothes. We don’t know how long we’ll be at the cabin.”
    She nodded at the store they were parked in front of. “I can get the basics here.” She reached over to the floorboard and pulled his hiking boots towards her. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”
    “Not happening. I’m going with you. I can’t risk leaving you alone.” He lowered slowly toward the floor board, reaching for his hiking boots.
    “Fine. Let’s get you dressed and go shopping.”
    Ember found a bench for him and stood unmoving in front of him until he agreed to sit down. “I promise to keep within your line of site. The store is closing in ten minutes and there is nobody here but the cashier. She’s at least sixty-five. I’m not in any danger.”
    She quickly selected clothes and walked to the register. Paying for the items, she put the bags next to him and smiled. “I have to buy some shoes, Joey. As much as I love them, these heels probably won’t work where we are going. The shoe department is around that corner. Give me five minutes and if I’m not back, you can send in the cavalry.”
    He stood and physically paled before he bent over and grabbed the shopping bags. “Like hell I will. I feel like I’ve been hit by a car, but I’ve lived through worse.” He nodded in the direction of the shoe department.
    “Men. I swear a feather would knock you down right now and you think you are going to protect me?”
    “No Em, my forty-five is going to protect you. I may be under the weather, but I’m still better than ninety-five percent of the people they would send after you.”
    “Yeah? And what about the other five percent?”
    “Unless Morales pays over two million, they wouldn’t bother.”
    Em looked up at him. He was dead serious. Dead being the operative word.
    “Glad I’m not worth the effort then.”
    “Oh, I have the distinct feeling you will be worth the effort.” His small evil laugh left no doubt of his meaning. Even beaten to hell his mind went from zero to sex in a second flat. Ember visibly shuddered earning another roll of the wicked laughter.



Chapter Eight
    Em watched him hunch over the steering wheel of the truck in obvious distress. He tried to play off the pain, but she knew. She knew only too well.
    “Joey, do you want to get a room here and get some sleep? Or maybe I could drive?” He shook his head and started the truck.
    “No. I’m taking back roads. We need to make it to the cabin tonight under the cover of darkness. The area we are going to is desolate and I need to know for sure we’re not being followed. If someone is tailing us, we’ll see them. Once we get there, we’re uploading the data to the server in Virginia and then we’re going to lock the doors and go to bed for a couple days.”
    She laughed gently. “I’m game, tiger, but I think you may need a few days of sleep first.”
    The perspiration soaked edges of his hair clung to his face making the pallor of his skin almost ghostly in the fading evening light. “Actually, I was talking about sleeping, Em. I think I’m pushing my limits right now.”
    She put her hand on his forehead. Heat radiated from him. Infection or withdrawal, either way, the source needed to be addressed. “Can we stop at a drug store on the way out of town? I want to get some over the counter medication, decent bandages and antiseptic for your wounds and a temporal thermometer. You’re burning up. I have to know how high that fever is. I’ll make it quick.” If I were licensed in this state, I could write a script for antibiotics and painkillers. But that process took forever, which wouldn’t do them a damn bit of good tonight and would leave a trail to her. Right now, she agreed with Joey. It seemed nothing in life was easy.
    They left the city behind