Page 57 of Traitorous Lies
It’s just about doing what you have to do in spite of being afraid.
The reminder helped, and she sped up as they approached the turn into the road, anxious to get away from the bullets she could hear dinging into the sides of the vehicle.
“Slow down a little,” Jax coached as he leaned out the window and fired off a few shots. “You take that turn too fast and you’ll lose control and send us flying.”
With the aches and pains from the accident still present in her body, and the memories of her terror as the car flipped and twisted as it rushed down the embankment still fresh, Monique slowed a little. The last thing she wanted was to crash the car because if she did, it would all be over.
There were more of them than there were of her and Jax, so that was a whole lot more weapons that would be firing on a wrecked car than Jax could fire back at. They’d either be killed or kidnapped again, and neither of those options was at all appealing. Kidnapping was only prolonging the inevitable anyway. They were loose ends, and whoever was behind these attacks on Jax’s family was determined to have them all snipped off.
While the tires squealed as she took the corner a little faster than she should have, Monique was able to keep the car on the road.
“Good girl,” Jax murmured as he pulled back inside the car.
“Did you get them?”
“Some of them maybe, I doubt all.”
“So they’re going to follow us.” It was what she’d expected, but she would love for there to be a quick fix and a happy ending to this little drama. Especially now that she knew for sure that she and Cassandra were sisters and she’d decided to forgive Jax and see if they could salvage the relationship they’d started building in the French forest.
“They will. You want me to take over driving?”
“No.” That would be taking the coward’s way out. This was something she could do, and it left Jax free to take out the men after them. Itwouldn't be fair to put all the pressure on him while she did nothing but cower and hide.
“You sure?”
Since there was no judgment in his tone, Monique didn't feel like he was implying that she was incapable of contributing, more just that he was every bit as scared as she was, but he had the training and experience to hide it better.
“Positive. Besides, they’re going to start shooting again any—” She broke off as bullets once again began to fly.
“Second,” Jax finished for her as he once again shifted in his seat so he was balancing precariously out the window so he could return fire.
A glance in the rearview mirror told her that a vehicle was rapidly approaching them from behind.
Déjà vu filled her senses.
This was exactly what it had been like in France, only Jax had been the one driving. Still the small road, the trees all around them, the isolation, it was all too familiar, and her hands, which had been gripping the steering wheel with a death grip, began to tremble.
As though sensing her growing panic, even though he wasn't looking at her, his attention focused on picking off the threat, Jax’s soothing voice rumbled through the vehicle. “You got this, Monique. You're okay, and you're doing a great job. All I need you to do is keep doing what you're doing. Can you do that for me?”
“Y-yes.” The word came out more as a squeak, but the shaking in her hands decreased, and her panic receded to a more manageable level. Even though she’d been abducted last time they were in this scenario, they’d survived only because of Jax, and she believed he could get them out of this alive again.
The sound of the gunfire was so loud, and she wished she could lift her hands to cover her ears and scrunch her eyes closed so she could pretend this wasn't happening. But she didn't do that. Instead, she kept her grip on the wheel and drove as fast as she could while still maintaining control so they didn't go skidding off the road and into the trees.
It seemed to be working until …
“Uh, Jax?”
“Yeah, princess?”
“There’s another car in front of us on the road,” she said. That fear she’d been doing such a great job of containing now suddenly burst free, erupting inside her and spewing almost paralyzing waves that had her entire body stiffening while her heart rate went haywire.
A curse fell from his lips as he looked over his shoulder to see that they were about to be sandwiched between two vehicles, both of which were firing on them.
There was no way out.
The road wasn't wide enough for her to go around them, and even if it was, the car in front could just move to block her. There were no turn-offs any time soon, it would be another ten miles before they’d reach another road. Her animal rescue was secluded, she’d chosen it for just that very reason. With all the animals she had there, it could get loud, and she didn't want to bother neighbors, plus she’d always liked the peace and quiet. It was calming and soothing.
Well, it used to be.
