Mad Boys (Blue Ivy Prep, #2)(10)

He was usually not that far from the dance floor. He’d been amazing about being where I could see him or get to him if I needed reassurance and keeping his distance so I could just let go.

All the way down to the ground floor, I looked everywhere and didn’t see him. I pulled out my phone and hit his contact number, pushing my way to the door and trying to ignore the photos being snapped of me. I could always tell the moment someone recognized me.

Dix didn’t answer.

Dammit.

I pulled the ticket out of the top of my boot along with the cash to give to the valet. I needed to go now. The car was never far, as he always made them park it close. The valet took one look at me and the cameras flashing that came from the other end of the line.

Yep. They knew I was out here.

Fuck.

“C’mon,” the valet said, hurrying me to the car. It was parked ahead of a silver Mercedes and I ignored it to slide into the driver’s seat. The valet gave me the keys, and I gave him the hundred. He shut the door, and I pulled the seatbelt on and stared at the car.

How hard could it be?

I knew the basics.

I pressed the start button and the engine rumbled to life, then I shifted into drive and floored it to get away from the building. The car all but leapt like a bucking bronco as I pressed the accelerator. Right, little green lines helped keep me in a lane. Left pedal to stop. Right pedal to go.

I had this.

Lights flashed at me as I raced through an intersection. The lights had been green. Was that a cop? I turned to glance, but another light flashed at me. Goddammit, more press.

My eyes burned from the rapidly changing sparks dancing across my vision. I needed to turn somewhere. I didn’t even know where the hell I was. So far, I’d had green lights, which was great.

Sooner or later, I was going to have to stop. I pressed a button on the steering wheel and it asked me what I needed.

“Show me the route home,” I said. Hoping that was right. Dix said he’d programmed all the addresses in, and home here would be Beverly Hills.

There were red lights ahead and the car behind me was getting closer, so I turned at the next intersection. There was a sign telling me the freeway was that way. The end of the car fish-tailed, and I fought with the wheel to get it steady even as the car was trying to steady itself.

Yeah, Dix said the car did most of the work, but my heart raced, my palms were sweating, and I couldn’t breathe. Too late, I realized the road I was following turned, and I didn’t catch it in time before I bounced over the curb and then right down a little hill.

A scream clawed up my throat as the ground went rough below the tires and I bounced down into the woods. I’d tried braking, but the car slid sideways and then came to an abrupt stop against a tree. Everything jerked, and the crunch of the impact echoed inside the car.

Or maybe just inside me. The airbag didn’t deploy, but it didn’t change the fact that my hands were shaking violently, the car was slammed against the tree, and the headlights were still on.

I hit the power button and then looked for the switch to turn off the lights.

Maybe the press wouldn’t follow me.

Maybe…

Lights cut across the road above, and I swore. Okay, get out of the car. I checked my phone. No call from Dix. Man, he was gonna be so pissed at me. But I couldn’t be caught in the car. I didn’t have a license.

I got the door open, phone and key in hand and nearly screamed when Lachlan appeared.

“You okay, Ace?” Concern etched across his face.

The trembling from earlier redoubled as I glared at him. I was so fucking happy to see him, and I did not want to be happy to see him. “Do I look okay?”

“You look gorgeous and in one piece.” Did he sound relieved? He glanced up the hill. “But we have company, come on…” He held out his hand to me. “Come with me.”

It was like the scene from The Terminator. Come with me if you want to live…

Did I want to?

A car door slammed, and there was a motorcycle just there and someone had a camera. Shit…

“C’mon,” Lachlan said. “Trust me, Ace. I’ll get you out of here.”

Not like I had much choice. I clasped his hand and turned my whole body away from the top of the hill. Lachlan’s grip tightened on me as he tugged me to him.

“Stay with me,” he urged, then started jogging. Thankfully, I could move in these boots, and they didn’t have heels on them. He ran and I kept up with him, mostly. We ran across the green belt to where a silver Mercedes sat waiting with the hazard lights on.

“In,” he ordered, pulling the passenger door open for me. I slid inside and he shut the door before hurrying around to the driver’s seat. He’d barely slid in before he had the car in motion, accelerating down the road… that was some kind of private road. We circled and then raced back up the road.

He barely got his seatbelt clicked in when cars hurried past us, heading to where we’d been.

“You okay, Ace?” he asked, flicking his gaze at the rearview. “Yeah, they’ve already figured out where you are. Hang on.”

Figured out? He cut a corner so tight I almost bit my tongue. The car was smooth as aces though, as he ran two yellows, barely cutting under them before the lights turned red.

I glanced behind us as our pursuers were caught by the lights. But not all of them…