Page 110 of Racing Hearts

I hesitate while the others hurry to the back door, and the officer nods at me. “Go, save your family. We’ll stop him here and give you a chance.”

Backing away, I nod my thanks before turning and following my friends and family. The back door is already open, the finger pad smeared with blood, and they are waiting outside, looking back at me. My car is parked behind some police cars, and I spy the keys inside as I hurry over before hesitating.

“Are we really going to hide at the other scene?”

I look over at Skylar. “What do you think?” I retort, one eyebrow arched.

He groans, sharing a look with Bones. “I think you’re going to do something crazy and find Evan and stop a crazy serial killer.”

“Then you’re right.” I open my door, nodding at Alice. “Get her to safety?—”

“No, I’m going with you,” she argues.

“Alice,” I start, just as Skylar rolls his shoulders back.

“She’s right. We are going with you,” he states. “You aren’t in this alone. Evan is our friend too. We won’t let anyone else die tonight. Tell us your plan.”

Just then, there’s gunfire inside, and we all turn to look before sharing a worried expression. “I have a feeling they won’t stop him,” I admit. When I looked into their eyes, I saw that they knew it as well. They knew they were going to die, but they did it anyway. “Which means he will follow us. We need to find Evan.” I rub my head, worried and stressed.

“He couldn’t have gone far with her,” Bones reasons. “The whole city is in lockdown. She would need to lie low until it lifts. The school. It has to be. It’s close, and it’s the last place they would think to look.” He opens up his phone and snarls. “I knew it. She’s in Rose Manor. We have an entry camera. It clocked her just twenty minutes ago. She must have stalked either Evan or Ford there before. She’s using the Silent Rose hideaway as her own, and nobody would have a clue since it’s a secret.”

I nod. “So we go there.”

“And him?” Sky gestures at the police station when there’s more gunfire and screams from inside.

“We show him who he messed with. No one touches my family and gets away with it.” I glance at Alice. “Are you sure about this?”

“Evan is my friend, and this is because of me. I won’t run and hide. We are in this together.”

I hate it, but looking into her eyes, I know I can’t talk her out of it. She’s just as stubborn as I am, and honestly, the best place for her right now is probably at my side. I can’t keep her locked away forever. This is her life, her friends’ lives. She deserves to be part of it. I won’t take away her freedom.

I can’t. There is a difference between love and control, and I never want to control her.

“Then I have a plan,” I say as it becomes quiet inside. I know he killed them and will be coming after us. We don’t have a lot of time, so I explain it quickly as they stare at me.

“It’s totally batshit,” Bones grumbles.

“I’ve always wanted to race in a cop car.” Sky grins at me. “Let’s show Ford how fast we really are.”

Grinning, I nod at him. “Let’s do this. We’ll end this where we started, on the streets.”

This has to work. It has to.

Bones is in the back, lying across the seat to hide, and Lally is in the back seat of the police car Skylar . . . borrowed and seemed far too happy about. We are parked next to each other, with Alice in my passenger seat.

“Are you sure you can do this?” I ask her, gripping the wheel.

“Trust me, Alek, please, just this once,” she begs.

“I do,” I admit, looking over at her. “I trust you more than anyone. Don’t get hurt, okay?”

“Don’t you get hurt either,” she orders as she grips the handle.

We wait, and when I see the back door opening, Ford in the doorframe, I turn on my engine, Skylar doing the same, and then we share a look. I had just enough time to fix what was wrong with my car, but I sure as fuck hope it holds out. I wish I had my Skyline, but tonight, I’m racing in this. I rev, getting his attention so he sees Alice in my passenger seat, and then we peel away. As soon as we are around the corner and out of his sight, I slow, and Alice leaps from my car and into Skylar’s. Our doors slam as I gun it to the left, and he speeds off to the right.

I hold my breath, hoping it works, and when headlights shine over my trunk as Ford swings out onto the road behind us, chasing me and where he thinks Alice is, I know I have him.

“I got you, you bastard.” I smirk as I shift gears and slam my foot to the pedal.

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