Joseph frowned. “Why are we going to Essex?”
Dylan’s resolve sagged. He couldn’t handle the ‘Ivan conversation’ now. “You’ll see when we get there. Come on, drink your coffee and get dressed. I’ll take Sarah breakfast in bed, then…. Well, we’ll meet you in the hallway in an hour, ready to leave. Alright?”
Joseph smirked. “Sure. Enjoy your breakfast – nudge, nudge.”
Dylan laughed. “Don’t be cheeky. Nobody likes a smartass.”
Chapter Sixteen
The sun shone brightly as they set off in Dylan’s BMW for Essex. Sarah was so grateful to Amy for loaning her this pretty summer dress. It was freeing to be out of her suit and work shoes, and she felt as if they were going on an adventure. Dylan cranked up the music as they cruised out of London, but Sarah was finding it hard to concentrate. Less than an hour ago, Dylan had been treating her to an amazing orgasm, and her body was still tingling with arousal and love.
But not love. Because falling in love with him would probably end up with heartache. He was in trouble with Russians, and even if he did manage to shake them off, surely he knew he could do much better than her nowadays? She didn’t have low self-esteem, but she wasn’t stupid either. She was a hotel manager, not a socialite. The woman who Dylan would eventually settle down with would surely be the daughter of a business magnate. She’d be called Elektra or Mercedes. She certainly wouldn’t be called Sarah.
As they cruised down the freeway, Dylan fell silent and switched off the radio. An icy atmosphere swept away the jovial vibe in the car.
“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked.
“I think we’re being tailed.”
Sarah twisted in her seat to look out the rear window. “What? Who by?”
“That blue Toyota’s been behind us since we joined the freeway.”
“Coincidence?” Joseph asked.
“Not sure. Hang on to your hats.”
Dylan suddenly rammed his foot down on the gas and swerved across the lanes, to a cacophony of angry honking horns.
Sarah grabbed the dashboard as the car skidded. “Jesus, Dylan, you’ll kill us!”
He braked hard, then pulled off at the approaching intersection. Thankfully, no one had acquired whiplash during his manoeuvre, but it had been so swift that the Toyota zoomed straight past the exit and continued down the freeway. Sarah exhaled.
Dylan squeezed her knee. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“I think so.”
He winced apologetically. “We need to get a different car. Can you search for a local showroom nearby?”
Sarah’s instincts were yelling at her to get out of the car right now and banish Dylan from her life forever. But she loved him, goddamn him! There, she’d admitted it. She forced herself to relax. When you’re in the slipstream, it’s best to go with it – struggling against the tide is exhausting and will only result in drowning.
She suddenly realised what he’d just said. “You’re going to buy another car?”
“Yeah. We need to be quick, though. If they were following us, they could easily turn back and find us.”
Sarah grabbed her phone and located the nearest dealership. “There’s one just up the road.”
“Great.” Dylan followed the directions, then pulled the car into the parking lot of the desolate showroom – which was basically a huge glass box with a giant paint- peeling wooden sign on the roof and mid-range cars lined up in front and inside.
They all climbed out into the sunshine, and were greeted by a balding middle-aged man wearing a sheepskin coat – even though it was the middle of summer.
“How can I help you, sir?” the man asked in a weasly voice, speaking directly to Dylan, which irritated Sarah.
“Hey,” Dylan said. “We need to get rid of this car and get a new one.”
The man snorted. “On the run?”
Guilt flashed through Sarah, but Dylan kept his cool. “No. Just keen to get another vehicle today.”