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her out of Shore’s line of sight.
    Brandon heard the creak of the wooden gate and glanced over his shoulder just as it opened.
    Shore came out, and he had his gun ready.
    The assassin glanced around and spotted them. Brandon wanted to shoot him then and there, but he couldn’t risk a stray shot hitting the children.
    Shore obviously didn’t feel the same. He reaimed, pointing the gun directly at Willa.
    Brandon grabbed on to her waist and shoved her into the side of the fence.
    A bullet flew past them.
    God knew where it landed, and Brandon prayed it hadn’t gone into one of the houses or a car.
    “We can’t stop,” he told Willa, though he could hear her breathing hard.
    They headed up the street toward a parked car, but then Brandon spotted the city bus. It was only about two blocks away and was lumbering in their direction. If he could get Willa on that bus before Shore saw them, they might be able to escape before the man could figure out where to aim more of those deadly shots.
    Brandon kept Willa positioned behind him, and he hurried toward the bus. He also pushed back his jacket to reveal his badge.
    “Get back inside!” he shouted to an elderly woman who opened her door.
    Still hurrying toward the bus, Brandon flagged down the driver and hoped like the devil the man would stop. He didn’t take his attention off the intersection where he knew Shore would soon appear.
    The assassin wouldn’t just give up.
    The bus inched closer, and with Willa in tow, Brandon raced toward the vehicle. The seconds clicked off in Brandon’s head. He wanted to make sure these seconds weren’t their last ones.
    The driver slowed even more as he approached them. Probably because he was concerned about the gun Brandon was holding.
    “Open up!” Brandon told the middle-aged Hispanic driver. And he flashed his badge again.
    The door swung open.
    Just as Brandon caught a glimpse of Shore.
    The assassin was at the intersection, barely a block away. Willa was still in Shore’s kill zone.
    Brandon pushed her onto the bus and was relieved that they were the sole passengers.
    “I’m Sheriff Ruiz,” he said identifying himself. “Drive!” Brandon ordered the man behind the wheel.
    He dragged Willa to the bus’s floor, praying that Shore hadn’t seen him.
    But he obviously had.
    Because a bullet came crashing through the bus window.

Chapter Five
    Willa covered her head with the bag when the glass spewed across the bus.
    The nightmare wasn’t over.
    Shore was still after them, and if he managed to injure the driver, then the bus would almost certainly crash. The crash alone might not be fatal, but it would leave them wide open for another attack.
    “Don’t stop,” Brandon warned the driver, “and stay low in the seat.”
    The driver was cursing and praying at the same time. Brandon was mumbling something as well, but Willa didn’t think she had the breath to utter anything.
    Her baby began to kick, hard, but Willa welcomed the movement. It meant her daughter was safe. For now. But they weren’t out of danger.
    The next bullet proved that.
    It came through the back window, tearing the glass apart, and it exited through the front. Thankfully, it didn’t come near them or the driver, and the driver slammed on the accelerator to get them out of there.
    “Shore’s on foot,” Brandon reminded her. “He won’t be able to come after us for long.”
    Willa held her breath, waiting and trying to brace herself for more bullets. But the shots didn’t continue.
    Brandon lifted his head and looked out the window. “He’s gone,” he let her know.
    Willa still didn’t move. She lay there and prayed the threat was truly over.
    “Drive to the nearest police station,” Brandon told the driver, and he took out his phone.
    While Brandon punched in some numbers, he helped her from the floor and moved her onto one of the seats. He dropped down onto the seat directly across from her.
    “Are you okay?” he asked.
    Willa nodded, but