Page 172 of Punishing His Runaway Bride
I turned at the next intersection.
The car turned too.
Shit.
Goddamn it.
"Leo," I kept my voice calm. "Ready for something?"
"What?"
"A game with Mommy. Keep your seatbelt tight, hold on to the handle. We're going to play an exciting racing game. You're brave, right, baby?"
He nodded excitedly, gripping the handle by his seat tight. "Yes! What's the prize?"
"Mommy will make your favorite chocolate pie." Cold sweat began forming. "Don't panic, stay calm, protect yourself, baby."
"I want two!" Leo shouted excitedly.
"If you're good."
I pressed the gas, picking up speed, shooting through a yellow light.
In the rearview mirror, the black car followed, closing the distance.
My heart started racing.
"Mommy," Leo said from the back, "I'm brave!"
"Keep going," I said. "Good. Don't let go."
I floored it, turning onto a narrower road. Green belts on both sides. Up ahead, a truck was making a U-turn, blocking half the road. I glanced in the rearview—the black car had followed me in.
The truck ahead hadn't cleared yet. I tapped the brakes.
In that second, the black car's window rolled down a crack.
Before my brain could process it, the first gunshot exploded.
"Leo!!"
I don't know what I was thinking. Instinct made me slam the gas pedal. The car lurched forward, squeezing through the gap between the truck and the green belt—barely half a car width. Metal scraped metal with a piercing screech.
Leo's panicked crying came from the back seat. "Mommy!"
"Stay calm! The game just got harder! Hide behind your seat! Be good! Don't get up!" I screamed, tears instantly blurring my vision, but I didn't dare blink, eyes locked on the road ahead.
Two more shots.
The rear windshield cracked. Something whipped past my ear. I felt the air move. My blood ran cold.
"No, no, no..." I muttered, tears streaming down my face.
"Mommy, I'm scared..."
"Leo, close your eyes, hold tight, don't move!"
My voice shook, but I had no time to think about it. The steering wheel vibrated violently in my hands. I gripped it hard, eyes on the road. A curve ahead. I didn't slow down, just swung into it. The tires screamed against the pavement, the car tilting to one side, nearly sliding out. I wrenched the wheel, pulling it back.
