Page 6 of Protecting Christina

“If you come at me, you better watch your back,” he sneered and slammed the door in my face.

“I’ve been watching my back since I was twelve years old,” I ground out.

I waited until my heart slowed down and my legs no longer felt like jelly, so I could walk down the steps back to my car.

The boys on the porch next door had moved onto the lawn and I wondered if they were the reason Simon had backed down.

Coward.

A man I didn’t recognize caught me off guard when he appeared from the side of the house. He walked up to a pickup truck parked in the driveway.

I kept my eye on him as I climbed into my car and pulled away.

I spotted his truck behind me when I drove down the street and he was still there when I merged onto the main road.

There was no way I would go home. Not with this guy following me.

Pressing my foot on the gas, my head fell back onto the headrest as it roared to life. I weaved in and out of traffic and when I spotted the first exit, I took it.

The sun had set, and this road had fewer streetlights. There weren’t many homes or buildings nearby either. When I saw the truck’s headlights behind me, I knew I hadn’t lost him.

I smacked the steering wheel. “Shit.”

Spotting a hidden exit on my right, I yanked the steering wheel towards it, hoping he hadn’t seen me.

But a few seconds later, bright headlights shone from the back window inside my car. He sped up and I could barely see the road ahead of me, blinded by his bright lights.

Pressing my foot on the gas, I raced down the deserted road, pebbles hitting my car.

I gritted my teeth but floored the gas pedal, putting some distance between us. The lights were further away now and I could see better.

A smile spread across my face until something in the distance caught my eye. Was it an animal? A person? A bag of garbage? I wasn’t sure. I swerved to avoid it, but I panicked and yanked the wheel too hard.

The car spun out, turning around once before it went airborne and then landed in a ditch.

The side of my face hit the steering wheel on impact and I screamed out in pain. Wheels screeched above me and a car door opened. I couldn’t move. I didn’t think I could run if he came after me with a gun. I closed my eyes.

I don’t want to die.

I gathered all my strength and felt around for the seat belt latch.

Before I could remove it, a door slammed again, and the truck sped off.

I breathed a sigh of relief and dropped my head back.

I would live through this night.

My hands grasped the steering wheel as I pushed myself up. A drop of blood fell onto the embossed logo over the black leather wheel. Then another.

I should have bought the newer model instead of a classic, it would have had better safety features.

Turning to grab my phone to call an ambulance, pain shot through my neck.

Yes, I would live.

And I would make Simon pay for this. Or die trying.

2

---