The last thing I wanted was to risk firing off a shot in such close quarters. With him fighting me, there was always a distinct chance that bullets would ricochet.
That didn’t mean I couldn’t pistol whip him into unconsciousness.
Which was exactly what I did.
Tires squealed.
The car lurched and skidded, going sideways by several feet.
Now my beautiful companion was the one screaming, her loud roar containing even more rage than the one erupting from my lungs.
The car finally spun to a stop, creaking as soon as it did.
Hearing her heavy breathing, I almost laughed. “Fuck. Fuck. That was… Wow.”
“Don’t tell me.” My laugh sounded bitter. “You enjoyed it.”
“That was a rush of adrenaline. What now?” She turned in her seat, staring into my eyes before noticing the driver was out cold.
“Now, we get the hell out of here. Come on. Let’s find out what we’ve picked up from our friend here.”
“And what about him?”
I glanced out the window, noticing we were in a more rural area. “I’ll dispose of him.” Perhaps I expected some level of pushback or even demanding that I allow him to live.
She didn’t.
What she did do was help me check him over for any identification. While he had some, my guess was that it was as forged as hers. What we did find in the trunk of the Cruze was rope, additional weapons, and ammunition.
Bingo.
At least now we had our arsenal back.
“What are you doing?” I asked after closing the trunk lid, noticing she was looking under the hood.
“Checking to ensure we don’t have any leaks. We’ll need to dump the car and purchase another one at some point, but we’ll need to get as far away from here as possible before the cops chase us down. That means the engine needs to be in decent shape.”
I walked toward her, quickly glancing into the backseat. I’d tied the motherfucker’s hands with zip-ties I’d found as well as quickly scoured the interior of the car, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have hidden a weapon somewhere I hadn’t seen.
When I was able to see what she was doing, I had to admit I was thoroughly impressed. “Wait a minute. You work on cars too?”
She held the oil stick into the headlights, appearing satisfied. Slipping it back into the slot, she finally wiped her hands on her jeans. “That shocks you that much? My daddy taught me many things so I wouldn’t need a man. I can change a tire as well. Would you like to see me do so?” Her look was full of mischief while shutting the hood.
“No, I think I’ll believe you.” What few knew about Baptiste Prince was that for as powerful and ruthless as the man was, he’d loved his family more than anything. When I’d been with himduring the few private times, if any family member had called, he’d excuse himself and take the call.
No matter what business he was in the middle of.
Including interrogating an enemy.
Jaxon had told me how many times his father had coached him in football, helping Jax make the high school team. That had surprised the hell out me. When I first arrived, he helped me with enhancing my English skills so I could finish high school and apply to college. Which he’d paid for part of.
He’d also taught me how to fight like a boxer would, avoiding as many hits as possible while doling them out.
A memory flashed through her mind and I could see it in her eyes. “We should get going before sunrise.” With her voice low and even, I realized I’d also been non-formally introduced to another side of her. I’d thought there were two. All business and frivolous.
Yes, she was an incredible businesswoman, but nothing about her was frivolous. Daunting.
Hardheaded.