Free Hunted by Kaylea Cross Page B

friend, and the other—” She took a deep breath, prayed she wasn’t about to lose Leticia over this. “—is waiting in a cab around the corner.”
    Leticia’s head snapped up. Her eyes widened in horror, in betrayal, and she instantly took a step backward, dragging Xander with her as if she expected men to come racing at her at any moment.
    Zoe held up a hand to stop her, her heart aching for the woman. “I told him to stay where he was. He doesn’t know who you are or why I’m here. He’s not even from the area, he lives on the East Coast and is only in town for a few days. But he’s a good man and I promise you he’s no threat to you or Xander. He’ll know how to help.”
    Leticia shifted and the faint moonlight illuminated the right half of her face, showing the tears glimmering on her lashes. “I don’t know where to go.”
    “I know.” Zoe reached out a hand for her. “Come with us. We’ll drop you off at the shelter for the night. I won’t let my friend see which house we go into. We’ll make sure we’re not followed by anyone, my friend will keep watch on the way there and once I get you settled, you and Xander can get a good night’s sleep for once. In the morning you can let me know whether you want me to ask my cousin and friends for help.”
    If this Carl guy was as bad as Leticia seemed to think he was, he likely had a lengthy criminal record. The FBI might be willing to help out with protective custody or even WITSEC in exchange for her testimony to put Carl away. That would depend on how bad the agency wanted him, though. “You can think about where you want to go tomorrow, but please don’t try to run now. It’s the middle of the night and you just said yourself that you don’t have a plan. For Xander’s sake, come back to the shelter and think things over. It’s not safe for him out here either, especially at this time of night.”
    Leticia drew in a shaky breath, released it slowly, and Zoe knew the mention of her son’s safety had just clinched the deal. “I can’t go back to the shelter even if I wanted to. They explained the curfew thing when we got there and told me how strict it is to protect the other women and children already staying there. They won’t let me back in now.”
    “I’ve already talked to the woman who runs it, and cleared it with her. She’s waiting for my call to let her know whether you’re coming back.”
    Leticia swallowed. “The guy waiting in the cab. You really trust him that much?”
    “I do.” Gruff and antisocial as he was, she knew Clay was a good man. And crap, she hadn’t texted him yet. She pulled out her phone. “I promised I’d text him to let him know I’m okay. I’m not telling him anything about you still.” She typed in a quick message, held it out to Leticia in case she wanted to check it herself but she shook her head.
    His response came back a second later. OK
    The curt, no-frills response made her smile a little. So Clay.
    Putting her phone back into her purse, she looked at Leticia. “Well? What do you want to do?”
    The woman glanced down at her son, seemed to exchange some kind of unspoken message with him, then met Zoe’s gaze and nodded. “Okay. We’ll come with you to the shelter. But only for tonight.”
    Relieved, Zoe relaxed and gave them both a smile. “Sure.” She held out an arm, beckoned them both closer. “Come on. Right this way.”

 
     
     
Chapter Six
     
     
    Clay didn’t like it, but he reluctantly stayed put in the cab while Zoe took the woman and kid to wherever she was taking them. The urge to get out and follow to make sure she was safe was strong, but the neighborhood here in the Garden District was quiet. And since most properties here probably cost more than ten times what he’d make in this lifetime, he was pretty sure Zoe could walk to and from the shelter alone without getting assaulted.
    At the twenty minute mark he started to get antsy, but he’d seen how reluctant the