Through the Fire (Daughter of Fire, #1)(23)
He ripped his hand from his pocket, lifted his shirt to reveal a holster and gun. In the next instant, he had it drawn and pointed at his father.
“Now, Evie! Run!”
I didn’t think twice. I turned, and I raced from the room—rushing through the doorway and into the darkened corridor. Before I’d even broken free of the warehouse, I heard the sound of fighting erupt behind me. After a rash of thuds and bumps, Clay’s voice shouted indecipherable words, and then the sound of a gunshot sliced the air. My heart beat rapidly as I skidded to a stop. A pained cry filled the corridors. The sound was enough to stop my progress and spin around.
Another loud crash sounded, and one of the men was right behind me.
“What the hell?” the older voice, Clay’s Dad, shouted from inside the room. Angered cursing replaced his uttered statement and filled the space around me, vibrating off the walls and drowning out all other sounds.
At least until Clay saw me standing still with his brother fast approaching.
“What are you waiting for, Evie? Run!” Clay shouted as he crash-tackled his brother into the wall. “Run and don’t look back. I’ll find you!”
A loud, wet thud sounded as Ethan fought back against Clay’s hold.
Bursting out into sunshine, I didn’t even stop for the air I desperately needed before I climbed into the truck and gunned the engine. My eyes were trained on the warehouse as I reversed out onto the road, so I barely even noticed the Hummer that was parked in my way until I almost hit it. I spun the wheel at the last second to avoid collision and ripped out part of the fence on my way to freedom.
I drove like a madman until I was halfway home and then the adrenaline left my system in a rush, leaving me with tear-filled eyes and shaking hands. It was in that instant that it struck me what was different about Clay’s kiss.
The extra time and space I’d had to assess it properly had left me without any doubt. With his kiss, he’d said goodbye.
He didn’t think he was coming with Dad and me anymore. After that gutting discovery, I couldn’t move the car another inch, even if I wanted to. A chorus of beeping sounded around me as a reminder that I wasn’t alone on the road, and yet even that wasn’t enough to force me to drive.
Pressing my forehead against the top of the steering wheel, tears that I couldn’t fight fell in cascades. The ghost of his kiss lingered on my lips. His “I’m sorry” and “Goodbye” had echoed through every motion of his mouth, I just hadn’t understood.
By the time I’d finally been able to compose myself enough to drive, I didn’t know where to go. I worried that taking the truck home would flag a warning in some database. Did they already know where we lived? Dad would kill me if I dumped his truck, but he’d be more devastated if it was a link that led to us being discovered. I had no way of contacting Dad to discuss the best course of action. After hearing Clay’s admission of how he’d found me, I had no doubt Dad’s reasons for not getting cell phones were valid. I would have to make the choice unaided and live with the consequences.
I put the truck into drive and forced myself to head down the tree-lined road toward home. Just as I drove past Renaissance Park, the black Hummer that had been at the warehouse tore through the streets behind me and slammed into the rear of my truck, jolting it roughly. I was thrown forward, and my head smashed against the steering wheel. For a moment all I could see were stars, but I fought to remain conscious.
When my vision finally cleared, my heart slid into my stomach as I looked beyond the hood to see a young man who could almost have been Clay sitting behind the wheel. I hadn’t had the chance to look at him in my rush to flee the warehouse, but now I couldn’t look away. He was clearly a few years older, his exposed arms were bulkier, but otherwise the likeness was obvious. After hearing his statement before Clay had left to greet him, I was certain he knew the truck was mine and that I was the one driving it. Cringing at the violent look on his face, I held tightly onto the steering wheel and forced my foot flat against the accelerator pedal.
With the Hummer on my trail, there was no way I could go home. It would be leading him straight to my father and my best chance of long-term survival. At the next intersection I turned right instead of going straight ahead. That road would lead me away from the city and could only hope it offered the opportunity to shake Ethan before too long.
I gunned the engine and watched the rearview mirror closer than was probably safe. Desperate to put as much distance between my vehicle and the Hummer as I could, I drove recklessly—with no regard for the law, other cars, or traffic lights. After a time, the houses grew farther apart and the trees grew denser. Regardless, Ethan was always right behind me, giving my truck the occasional tap on the rear. My skin flamed hotter as his vehicle swerved through the lighter traffic on the highway, almost in time with mine. It was as if he were tethered to my rear bumper.
Once the traffic around us had thinned, Ethan’s driving grew ever more aggressive. He’d slow the Hummer down before speeding suddenly to ram into the back of my truck with almost enough force to send me through the windshield. My hands shook as I just tried to keep the car on the road, looking desperately for any opportunity to get away from him. I whimpered each time he smacked his vehicle into mine. The truck jolted forward roughly with every impact and at least once it crabbed to the side. Tears pricked at my eyes, and the vinyl on the wheel melted away to reveal a metal frame. I watched the rearview mirror rather than the road ahead. All I could do was look for any signs he was about to try to ram me off the road again.