The Billionaire's Secret (Tycoon Billionaires 5)

“And she doesn’t need your protection,” Jake said. He pushed Daniel away from where he was standing on his gun, then he bent and grabbed it from the gravelly ground, so Astrid lowered hers. She breathed hard, feeling confident, strong, and excited.

Daniel stumbled, but remained upright, so Jake punched him, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Jake turned to face her. “You coming with me, Astrid? Looks like we’re fugitives now.”

She gazed at Daniel who was clambering to his feet. “I… Jake – just tell me – does trouble follow you everywhere?”

Jake grinned. “It seems to. You wanna come on the run with me? We’ll find Emma, I promise. Come on, when’s the last time you did anything fun, huh?”

She laughed. “Maybe things have become a little stale and boring in my life.”

“All right. Let’s get outta here.”

They held hands and ran to his car, feeling free and full of hope. Astrid trusted that he’d help her find her sister. He was showing her a new way of life – a fun and exciting way of life. And she couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

Chapter Eighteen

Astrid had never done anything like this before – and somehow she loved it. She sat in Jake’s Ferrari, trying to get her breath back, feeling utterly exhilarated.

“Did you see what I did?” she said, laughing. “His face was a picture.”

Jake turned on the ignition. “You did great, babe, I’m proud of you.”

They shared a smile. Astrid leaned over and kissed him. Then reality drifted back. “We need to find my sister. I wish I understood why Simon was doing this.”

“We’ll figure it out. What did Simon say?”

Astrid sighed. “He was saying if I wanted to see her again then there were a few things I needed to do. One was that he wanted me back... He was about to elaborate, but Daniel fucked everything up.”

“Did you get a look at his license plate? The car was too far away for me to see.”

Astrid shook her head. “No. I was too focused on –”

Astrid jumped as Daniel appeared at the window and tapped on it. “Get out the goddamn car now – you’re both under arrest for pulling a firearm on a police officer.”

Astrid stared at him, unsure what to do. But Jake replied by revving the engine loudly, wheel-spinning fast, then speeding off. Astrid grabbed the handrail above the door and yelped as the adrenaline pulsed through her. “You’re crazy, Jake!”

“If he wants to fucking chase us he can,” Jake said. “If we can get to Simon – to your sister – with a convoy of cops in tow, they might come in handy.”

Astrid laughed. “You’re so bad.”

He threw her a grin. “Maybe you need a little ‘bad’ in your life right now.”

She nodded. “Maybe I do.”

She opened her mouth to thank him for shaking her life up for the better, but her phone rang in her purse. “Probably Daniel,” she said.

She grabbed the phone, as Jake drove them back toward the freeway.

“Hello?”

“Astr

id…” It was the voice of the kidnapper.

Astrid’s muscles tensed. “Simon? Is that you?”

Jake gripped the wheel. “Put him on speakerphone.”