the idea of Julie being out of sight. Being gone meant she was one less thing for them to worry about, and they didn’t need to waste manpower watching her house or protecting her at a safe house. They already had Julie’s contact information, and now they had Abbey’s for extra insurance.
Troy came out of his bedroom to find Julie still sitting on his sofa. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d brought someone to his condo. It had the bare minimums required because he hardly spent any time here. Although he called the place home, it acted as more of a shelter. He wouldn’t have considered bringing her here, except that he didn’t plan to let her out of his sight for the foreseeable future.
The scratches on her cheek and chin stood out on her pale face. Her eyes had that bruised quality of exhaustion and stress. He wanted to hold her and make it all go away. He wanted to give her the tender love she deserved and make her forget about everything that had happened today. Getting out of the hospital had been crazy. Dodging paparazzi had taken the spunk out of her. She was tired of the game. Tired of the attention. Anyone who paid any notice this afternoon could see she hadn’t gone into it for the fame.
He should let her sleep tonight. Let her get used to the idea of splitting town for two unplanned weeks, but he wanted to get gone as soon as possible. Wanted to make her disappear as quickly and quietly as he could, and the longer they stayed in town the more the press was bound to hound her anywhere she went, including her house, which now that it had been plastered on the news was under serious scrutiny. The footage from the helicopter had newscasters all over the city talking about which canyon she lived in. By this time, cars were driving by getting a look at the house and hoping for a Julie sighting. Nope, he had to get going before her stalker had time to regroup. Leaving tonight meant he could get a few hours’ sleep in Vegas before attacking the road for real.
Yeah, he liked this plan. He set his duffel by the front door and checked his watch. It was later than he thought. Julie could crash in the backseat of his car and keep her leg up. It all sounded decent. All he had to do now was get her back to her place to pack a bag and it was go time.
“We really have to leave tonight?” She gave him the sad face he’d seen on her show and it felt strange to be looking at it in person. Was she sincere or playing him? He felt like a scumbag for even thinking that question. The lady was as genuine as it got and she didn’t play games in real life. She was in-your-face honest and forthright.
“Yeah.” Troy nodded, crouching in front of her. “I think it’s the smart thing to do. We’ll stop by your place next and pack a bag, then hit the road, spend the night in Vegas, then head out in the morning.”
“Where are we going?”
“As far away as we can.”
She snorted. “That’s the East Coast.”
He nodded again. “Yep.”
Her jaw dropped open and her eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. You don’t plan to drive to the East Coast.”
He checked his watch and took the spot next to her on the sofa. Under the faint aroma of smoke, he still smelled the intoxicating scent of her. “Not only do I plan on it. I plan to get us there in record time.” He calculated the numbers in his head. “I figure eight hundred miles a day, give or take a dozen, should have us in Maryland in four days.”
“Eight hundred miles a day! Are you crazy? That’s like fourteen hours a day.”
“I don’t plan on going sixty. I can cut hours off that time going eighty or ninety.”
“Eighty or ninety?” She threw her hands in the air. “Hell, why not go one-twenty and get those eight hundred miles done in six hours.”
He grinned. Loved her sarcasm. “I might just do that.”
She shot him a look. “If you go a hundred and twenty, I’m getting out at the first opportunity and I’m not getting back in your car. I don’t have a death wish.”
The words seemed to clarify the whole reason for the escape and Julie closed her eyes