137
Dominic didn’t hesitate. His foot slammed against the gas pedal, and the car shot forward with a violent jolt. The engine roared, tires screaming as we hurtled straight toward the police barricade. My stomach twisted, every muscle in my body tensing so hard it hurt. I clutched Adam tighter against me, my fingers digging into the fabric of his small backpack, feeling the hard edges of whatever toys or books were inside. His body was shaking, his face buried in my chest, muffling his terrified sobs.
The barricade was seconds away. The cops behind it scrambled, some diving to the side, others raising their guns. A split second before impact, Dominic yanked the wheel hard to the left. The car swerved violently, nearly tipping onto two wheels, the right side of the bumper clipping the edge of a police cruiser. Metal scraped against metal, a teeth-grinding screech that sent sparks flying. The impact sent the police car skidding sideways into another, and before I could process it, the two vehicles crashed together, one flipping onto its side.
The explosion came a heartbeat later.
A deafening boom. A flash of orange and black. A shockwave that rattled the windows and punched the air from my lungs. I barely had time to register the two cop cars smashing into each other before another slammed into them from behind, its driver unable to stop in time. The entire street was a war zone of crushed metal, flames licking at the edges of destroyed vehicles. A siren cut off in a sputter as one last police car lost control, spinning out, its front slamming into a street pole before crumpling like paper.
Tina let out a strangled curse in her language, her voice tight with pain. She pressed a bloodied hand against her stomach, gasping, her other hand white-knuckling the seatbelt that dug into her body. “Goddammit—motherfucking psycho!” she panted, wincing as she shifted. “I’m dying, and you’re playing bumper cars with the cops!”
Dominic let out a bark of laughter, wild and unhinged. “You’re not dead yet, sweetheart. Hang tight.”
The street ahead opened up. Less traffic. More space. The cops were behind us now, sirens wailing like banshees, but the crash had slowed them down. Dominic took full advantage, gunning the engine, the force of it slamming me back against the seat. The speedometer climbed past eighty. Ninety. My heart was a hammer against my ribs, my fingers trembling as I smoothed Adam’s hair, trying to calm him, trying to calm myself.
The city blurred around us, sunlight bouncing off glass buildings, casting sharp streaks of brightness that made my vision swim. My mind was a mess of fear, adrenaline, and exhaustion. I had no idea where we were going, but we needed to disappear before backup arrived.
The streets started to change. The towering buildings gave way to shorter ones, industrial warehouses, empty lots, patches of overgrown grass. The road stretched ahead, straight and open, nothing but the heat of the sun baking the asphalt. The city was behind us, the police cars still trailing, but struggling to catch up.
Still, Dominic didn’t slow down.
“Dominic,” I managed, my throat raw. “We lost them. You can slow down now.”
He didn’t. He grinned, eyes glinting in the rearview mirror. “You really think they’re not sending more? Gotta put some distance between us.”
I clenched my jaw, feeling the tension coil in my chest. I looked out the window, trying to get my bearings. The road was long and mostly empty, flanked by patches of trees, a few abandoned buildings in the distance. A gas station sign was half visible ahead, the letters faded, the price per gallon almost laughable. Then it clicked.
“I know where we are.”
Dominic glanced at me. “Yeah? Where?”
“I have a place. It’s two hours from here, but it’s secluded. No one will find us.”
He snorted. “Two hours? Tina’s bleeding out, sweetheart.”
Tina let out a weak laugh. “I’m fine. I’ll just die in the front while you two bicker.”
I ignored her. “If you drive fast, we can get there in thirty.”
Dominic’s grin widened. “Now you’re talking.”
I exhaled sharply, pressing a kiss to Adam’s temple. He was still trembling, his little fingers clutching my shirt like a lifeline. I could feel his backpack digging into my ribs. It was small, worn, the fabric decorated with faded Marvel superheroes—Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man. A kid’s bag, filled with childhood innocence that had just been ripped away.
I looked down at him, my fingers threading through his dark hair. “We’re safe,” I whispered, even though I wasn’t sure it was true.
Dominic scoffed. “You sound real confident.”
I shot him a glare. “Shut up and drive.”
“Bossy.”
“Annoying.”
“You love it.”
“I hate it.”
Adam shifted against me, his voice muffled. “Please stop fighting.”
Tina groaned, throwing her head back against the seat. “For the love of God, I should’ve let those bastards take me. Hell, I’ll throw myself out of this car if you two don’t shut the fuck up.”
Silence.
Dominic and I exchanged a look before both snapping our mouths shut.
Tina gave a weak nod. “That’s better.”
Dominic cleared his throat. “Alright, boss lady. Where’s this magical hideout?”
I exhaled. “In the Catskills. There’s an old estate I bought years ago. It’s off the grid. No one knows it’s mine.”
Tina shook her head. “I don’t know if I can last that long.”
Dominic’s grip tightened on the wheel. “Like she had said, if I push it, we’ll be there in thirty.”
The car sped down the empty road, leaving everything behind. I held onto my son, my fingers never leaving his hair, my heart pounding with the fear that this wasn’t over. Not even close.
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