"SUV just picked Knight up at the front door. Black, with an Ohio license plate." Amari's voice sounded slightly distant as she talked via the Bluetooth connection in her motorcycle helmet. "I'm following a couple car-lengths back. He's caught in traffic leaving the arena for a bit, so you've got a couple of minutes, but I'd haul ass if I were you two."

  "We're getting in the truck now," Dania replied. As soon as Amari had said she was in position with her bike, she, Jake, and Machairi had threaded their way through the seeping mass of people slowly flowing toward the arena exits. Eventually, after many annoyed bumps and much apologizing, they'd managed to escape into the night, where they jogged across the park toward where 8-Ball waited.

  "Right. We're moving toward the park exit on Baker," Amari said as Dania twisted the key in the lock. She opened the door and tossed the phone onto Jake's seat without hanging up, and pulled herself up into the classic Chevy truck. She leaned over to unlock Jake's door, and then waved him in.

  "Talk to Amari," Dani said. Jake gave her a brief nod and picked up the phone as he shut the door. In the meantime, Dania cranked the ignition, bringing 8-Ball to life with a muted roar.

  "Amari says Baker Street," Jake relayed.

  "Yep, got that." Dania put the truck in gear and backed out of her parking spot, and then carefully navigated to the parking lot exit that would take them to Baker Street. "I'm trying to time this right. She said black SUV, Ohio plates…"

  "I see it!" Jake cried, pointing. "Right there, second from the front. It looks like the first car is turning out now."

  "Okay, got him," Dania said. "Here's hoping at least one of these four cars in front of us is driven by a nice guy who lets people exit parking lots when traffic is backed up…"

  "Good luck with that," Amari's voice came from the speaker on Dania's phone. Jake put the phone on the dash, angling it so the windshield would echo the sound back to them.

  "Speakerphone, good call." Dani tossed a small smile over at Jake, who grinned back at her.

  "Looks like we've got a winner," Jake said after a moment. "White car two ahead of us is letting Knight's SUV out of the parking lot. You got eyes on us, Amari?"

  "Yep," she said. "I'm going to turn right instead of left, though and circle around. I'll stay on the line in case you need me, but the bike is more noticeable than a truck, so I'll keep my distance."

  "Gods above and below, girl, you sound like a pro. How often have you done this?" Dania muttered.

  "Followed people? Once or twice. My cousin on my mom's side had a shitty boyfriend once. I'll tell you the whole story later."

  "Sounds good." Dania slowed to let another car exit the arena parking lot, and then continued down Baker toward the next intersection.

  "Knight's SUV is getting in the left turn lane," Jake said.

  "Probably heading for the highway," Dania said. "Fortunately for us, so is everyone else." She clicked on 8-Ball's ancient signal, and slowly nosed her way left as traffic crept toward the light. "Amari, did you copy?"

  "Yep, I'm just circling the block. You're at Baker and Anatole, right? I'm turning down Anatole right now."

  "Perfect. I'm going to try and stay three-ish cars back."

  "If he gets on the highway, you can increase that distance a little, and offset by a lane, too. Change the lanes up, as well. Look like you're not following him."

  "We'll see," Dania said. "There's the green arrow. We're turning left on Anatole, Amari."

  "I'm right behind you. I've got eyes on the intersection now."

  Dania followed the line of traffic as the cars in front of her made the left turn and began creeping away from the backed-up intersection. Most of the cars immediately veered to the right for the on-ramp to the highway, but the black SUV with Ohio plates stayed in the left lane and accelerated.

  "He's continuing down Anatole," Dania said. "And, shit! The light turned yellow, and the gutless wonder in front of me stopped. I'm gonna lose him, Amari."

  "I'm on it," Amari reported, and a second later, the light changed and Dania saw the sexy red sport bike speed through the intersection, weaving between lanes as she did.

  "Amari's a badass," Jake muttered.

  "She's got a death wish, riding like that when the streets are still slick, but I agree with you," Dania said.

  "You guys know I can hear you, right?" Amari said, laughter threading through her words. "Don't worry about me, I've been riding since I was a kid. I caught up to our boy. Two lights up. He's just cruising down Anatole."

  "Don't let him see you," Dania said, even as she realized how useless the words really were. Amari obviously knew what she was doing.

  "Yep," Amari said. "We're moving again."

  "So are we," Dania said as the green turn arrow flashed back into existence on the streetlight for her lane. The car in front of her rolled slowly through the turn. "Or we would be, if the gutless wonder would find the damn gas pedal!"

  "Okay, I'm backing off so he doesn't notice me," Amari said. "Catch up as quickly as you can. We're coming up on the light at Sheridan."

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  "The one with the good ice cream place?" Jake asked, and Amari answered with a chuckle. Dania shook her head, but kept her eyes on the road in front of her as she made her left turn. She intentionally cut it wide, turning into the center lane instead of the left, and behind her, someone laid on their horn.

  "Yeah, yeah," Dania grumbled. "Sorry about that, bro, but I've gotta get around this guy." She punched down on 8-Ball's accelerator, and the truck revved as it surged forward, passing the "gutless wonder" on the right.

  Dania cut back over to the left and stayed on the gas. She didn't frequent this neighborhood super often, but she was familiar with Jake's "good ice cream place". It was where she'd gotten the cake for his birthday, a few weeks and a lifetime ago. Sheridan was a couple of lights from the highway she passed under, so she had some ground to make up.

  "Light's green at Sheridan," Amari reported, sounding a tiny bit more strained than she had earlier. "You guys coming?"

  "We're a block back," Dania said. "Stay on him."

  "Okay. I'm… Shit! He's turning. I missed it! He turned left from the center lane, Dani, I couldn't get over in time! I'm going through the light. Don't worry, I'll cycle around, but it's gonna make it that much more likely he'll spot me."

  "It's okay, do what you gotta do. I'll take the left at Sheridan too. That's heading into the university district. It's basically a grid up there, you can parallel him the next block over or something."

  "If I don't miss another turn," Amari grumbled. Dania didn't bother to respond. Instead, she gunned the engine as the light ahead of her turned yellow and continued pressing down Anatole toward Sheridan.

  For once, luck favored her, because she slid easily into the turn lane just as the left turn arrow flashed green, signaling she was clear to turn onto Sheridan.

  Unlike the major thoroughfare that was Anatole, Sheridan was a simple residential street without designated lanes. Student housing apartment buildings crowded close on either side, and the further Dania drove, the more choked the road became with cars parked next to the curb.

  "Amari, we're on Sheridan," Dania said. "Heading toward the main campus. I don't see our guy."

  "He hasn't turned back west," Amari said. "It's a ghost town here. I'm probably a few blocks ahead of you. I'll cross back over Sheridan and see if I can spot him."

  "Okay," Dania said.

  "That house looks like the one in the dream dungeon," Jake said, pointing at one of the slightly worn Victorian mansions with Greek letters prominently displayed above the entryway.

  "All fraternity houses resemble each other to a degree," Dania said. "Plus, it was a dream, so it should theoretically have looked like what we expected, right? Anyway, that's not what we want to be focused on right now. I need you looking at the side streets as we pass. See if you can spot Knight's SUV. He might have turned while we didn't have eyes on him."

  "Right, sorry, Dani," Jake said.

  "I have been watching," Machairi spoke up from his seat between the two of them. "I have not noticed the vehicle we were following."

  "Thanks, Creepy."

  "Crossing Anatole now," Amari reported. "The road looks clear ahead, and I only see one set of headlights behind us… that you?"

  "Probably," Dania said, flashing them.

  "Yeah, I see you. Otherwise, it's a ghost town. Fuck, I'm sorry, Dani. I think we lost him."

  Fuck.

  "Okay," Dania sighed, pushing her disappointment away. "No big deal. Let's head back downtown and find a safe place to park the cars. Then we can head home for the night and come up with another plan."

  "Can we stop at the good ice cream place?" Jake asked. Amari's laugh echoed through the phone speaker.

  "Sure," Dania said, easing off the gas as she approached a stop sign. She rolled to a stop, looking around, but like Amari had said, the entire place was a ghost town. Only the occasional lit window from one of the student housing buildings indicated that anyone was around at all.

  "I'll meet you guys there," Amari said as Dania started forward again. "I'll get us a tab—"

  Crunch!

  The world jerked sideways, whipping Dania's head against 8-Ball's door panel. Amari's voice disappeared under a sudden cacophony of crashing glass, twisting, tearing metal, and a high, anguished screaming Dania couldn't quite place.

  "—ANI! Oh my gods, Dani! Wake up! Oh fuck. Dani, please, say something, tell me you're okay!"

  Oh, that's what it is. It's Jake. He's screaming. Crying? He sounds like he's panicking. I haven't heard him like that since the night his parents died…

  …in a car accident…

  "Jake," Dania whispered. "Jake, are you hurt?"

  "A… a little! That car! Dani, that car had his lights off and he just sped through the intersection like he was trying to hit us."

  Jake's words cut through the fog of pain wreathing Dania's mind. She snapped her eyes open, then blinked rapidly as something hot and sticky ran down into them, obscuring her vision.

  Blood. I'm…upside down? Sortof. That's the ground under me. The truck must have rolled?

  "Jake, who hit us? Was it Knight?"

  "I—I don't know. It was a black car."

  "Where's Machairi?"

  "Here, Guardian. My deckbearer is only minorly injured, but you appear to be trapped between the wheel and the—"

  "Don't worry about me. Are you guys free?"

  "Yes."

  "Jake, jump in Machairi's shadow. Now." Dania shook her head, listening for the footsteps her gut told her were coming.

  "I'm not leaving you."

  "Jake. Not a request! Go. Now!" Dania tried to crane her neck backwards to look at him, but Machairi was right. Her lower body lay trapped between the steering column and the twisted metal that used to be a classic truck. The way they'd rolled resulted in Jake being somewhere "above" her, and she just couldn't move enough to see him.

  "Dani!"

  "Jake, please," Dania whispered. "Go! Machairi, please, help me get him safe!"

  "Someone is coming, Guardian," Machairi reported.

  "Jake!"

  "Stay alive, Dani. Understand? Don't you leave me! I'll come for you!"

  "Never, kiddo. You and me. Now go!"

  Machairi's cold, inhuman hand brushed her shoulder, and then they were gone. Their sudden absence rang through the car, broken only by the sound of footsteps crunching on the glass nearby.

  "Well, well. What do we have here?" A sneering, hate-filled voice reached her. Dania turned her head to see a pair of black boots right outside what was left of her window. "If it's not the bitch that beat the cop tonight! You and your kid deckbearer thought you'd follow me, huh? Bad fucking idea! Sucks to be you."

  "Knight! Quit shit-talking the injured chick and get her into the car!" Dania didn't recognize the other man's voice, but it carried enough authority that she heard Knight let out a gusty sigh.

  "She's trapped. We're gonna need to cut her out," Knight called back. "You got some jaws of life or something?"

  "Tory, get the blowtorch out of the trunk," the other voice said. "What about the kid?"

  "What kid?" Knight asked.

  "The kid that was with her," the other voice said, sounding as if he were clinging to his patience. "He's the one we're really after."

  "Ain't no kid. Just this bitch with her face all fucked up from the broken glass."

  "She had a kid. Find out where he went."

  The toe of the boot reached in through the window and nudged Dania. "Hey, bitch. What did you do with the kid?"

  Dania licked her lips. "What kid?" she whispered. The pain she'd shoved aside in her haste to get Jake safe reasserted itself, clawing at her from inside her ribs and setting her entire lower body afire. She coughed, and a bit of blood flew from her mouth to splash on the toe of Knight's boot.

  "What the fuck? You're going to pay for that, whore. These are brand fucking new!"

  The last thing Dania saw was his bloody boot rearing back before it swung back toward her face. She didn't feel it hit, but the darkness and agony swept over her like a wave, leaving her drowning in oblivion.

  Books 1 and 2 are now available in KU, and Please check it out and tell him I sent you!

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