Page 164 of Saving Her

I’d wanted him to like me. I’d carelessly thought he had. That his protection was more than a job. That he wasn’t like the other men who were only interested in sex.

Boy, was I wrong.

“Goddammit.” I pound my fist against my thigh and scream. The piercing sound fills my ears. My head. I keep belting my heart out until there’s no voice left to give. Until my lungs are dry and my throat is hoarse.

Then I slump into the leather seat, and become illuminated by the bright lights of a car pulling up behind me.

Shit.

They found me. Already. I haven’t even successfully left the city, let alone the state.

Seems I can’t do anything right.

I sit up straight, tilt away the rear-view mirror and its blinding reflection, and wait for retaliation. In my peripheral vision, I see a figure approaching the side of the car. A masculine frame that’s big and bulky.

I square my shoulders against the threat. I won’t let him daunt me. If I want to see Tobias again, I need to get over my outburst and become smarter than the unpredictable person I’ve been.

When a shadow creeps over the side of my face I drag in a breath and wait for Hunter’s demand to get out of his car. Or a growled order from Luca.

I don’t get either.

There’s only an ominoustap,tap,tapagainst the glass.

If they expect me to apologize they’ve got another thing coming. I don’t care if I stole a car.

I jerk my head toward the window, glaring, only to be met with shadowed eyes staring back at me from beneath a thick ski mask. Thetap,tap,taprepeats, the noise coming from the barrel of a gun against the glass.

Oh, God.

All the air escapes my lungs on a heave.

Everything stops.

Time.

Movement.

My heart.

I plant my foot on the accelerator, the car roaring to life without movement.

Oh, shit.

I fight to put the gearstick in drive as a mightyboomthunders beside me. A circle of splintered glass appears on my window, the integrity still intact.

Holy fuck. He’s shooting at me. At bulletproof glass.

I shove the gearstick into place and slam my foot harder, my hands shaking as the wheels spin. I escape in what feels like slow motion, thetink,tink,tinksof sound against the car frame continuous until the back of the vehicle jostles, a tire seeming to take a bullet.

“Please, please, please let me get out of here.”

I keep my head low and speed through the night. I turn left. Turn right. Turn left. I become more lost in the labyrinth of streets until I finally reach a busy road and get stuck in traffic, heading God knows where, fleeing God knows who.

I wind down my window, unable to see through the bullet impacts, and hyperventilate.

I never should’ve left the house.

I never should’ve left Luca. Now all I can think about is returning to him, to his protection, but I don’t know how.

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