Page 64 of Twisted Vows

Before I can decide, I spy two other men in the distance, and I fire two final shots at the stragglers. They scatter, clearly having lost their nerve after the ambush didn’t pan out the way they planned.

The garage reeks of gunpowder and burning rubber, and I can hear sirens approaching.

I open the passenger door and climb in. Then I reach over, brushing Sophia’s neck while checking for wounds. She flinches but doesn’t pull away.

“You’re okay,” I rasp. “You’re okay. “

She nods, clearly unable to speak. Trembling, she stares at the windshield like she can’t believe her actions.

Under my touch, her heartbeat races.

“Drive.”

She spares me a long look before sighing and hitting the accelerator.

We tear out into the street, the tires screaming, the engine roaring like a beast. I press a hand to the shallow but raw bullet wound. Blood stains the edge of my shirt.

She glances at me, those green eyes laced with panic. “You’re bleeding.”

“Not the first time.”

The slight sneer and shake of her head confirm that she doesn’t care for that answer.

With clenched muscles, I use the dash to steady myself. Every nerve is on fire, but I can only feel her.

This woman. This impossible, maddening woman.

She didn’t freeze.

She didn’t cry.

Instead, she drove straight through the bastard trying to kill me.

By the time we reach the edge of the estate, she’s shaking. The car skids into the drive and cuts off with a final, exhausted groan.

She plucks up her phone, already trying to call someone.

“No.”

She glances at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What do you mean, no?”

“No calls. No loose ends. No digital trail. You want them to follow us back here?”

Her chest rises. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m alive.”

She throws the phone down, and it bounces once on the floor mat. “You should’ve told me.”

“They were watching your mother.”

Her face crumbles. “So that visit was a trap?”

I nod. “They knew you’d come.”

She presses her lips together. “I still would’ve gone.”

God help me, I believe her.