Page 23 of Final Sins

Jason nodded. “I hear you. Smart plan. You and I can handle this end.”

They piled into the car, the musty scent of aging leather enveloping them. They were alive, they were free, and they had resources.

She fired up the engine and met Jason’s intense gaze. “Let’s get Gravy somewhere safe and regroup.”

Her hand brushed Jason’s as she reached for the gear shift. The brief contact sent a jolt through her system, a reminder of the charged energy between them.

“Where to?” he asked, his voice low and steady.

Alex allowed herself a small smile. “I know a place. Hope you boys like the smell of hay.”

Not that she’d care much if they didn’t.

12

Jason’s knucklesturned white as he gripped the grab bar on the passenger door, his stomach lurching with each swerve of the sedan. Alex’s driving was insane, more like a Hollywood car chase than a discreet escape. The blur of passing cars and honking horns created a cacophony that set his teeth on edge.

In the rearview mirror, he caught sight of Gravy’s ashen face. The guy’s fingers dug into the armrest like it was a life preserver. At least he was quiet for once.

“Maybe ease up on the gas there, Dale Earnhardt,” Jason suggested, wincing as they narrowly missed clipping a minivan.

Alex frowned. “I don’t recall asking for a driving instructor. How many cars do you even have in Redemption Creek? Rush hour must be a complete stress-zone, what with all those stray cattle and tractors.”

Her sarcasm was as sharp as her turns. Jason bit back a retort as she whipped around another blind corner, nearly rear-ending a delivery truck.

“How about we don’t draw so much attention to ourselves?” he managed through gritted teeth.

Alex’s shoulders slumped slightly, her speed decreasing. The man was not wrong.

The momentary relief was short-lived as her voice turned icy. “I’m just SO angry that you led this Seven-Five group straight to my door.”

Jason’s eyebrows shot up. “How could you know that? Maybe they were after Gravy.”

“Hey!” Gravy’s indignant squawk from the back seat was the first sound he’d made since they’d peeled out of the safe house parking lot. “Maybe they were already onto RAVEN.”

The car fell silent, save for the hum of the engine. He glanced at Alex, seeing his own concern mirrored in her eyes.

Gravy might be onto something. The thought was more unsettling than Alex’s driving.

As they merged onto the freeway, Jason’s eyes darted between his phone and the road, his mind working overtime to plot the safest route. “Take the next right,” he instructed, feeling the car swerve in response. “These side streets should keep us off most of the traffic cams.”

Alex nodded, her earlier bravado replaced by laser-focused concentration. The quiet residential areas they navigated were a stark contrast to the chaotic freeway they’d left behind. The soft purr of the engine was almost soothing in the relative silence.

He spotted a secluded alley. “Pull over here. We should switch drivers.”

“I know these streets,” Alex protested.

“Exactly.” He waited for his logic to sink in. They’d do far better with her navigating.

She turned the corner and braked, shoving the vehicle into Park. Once they switched seats, Gravy leaned over the seat back. “What now?”

Alex didn’t take her eyes off her phone. “I’m finding us a place to hunker down.”

“Sweet!” Gravy’s excitement was palpable. “Got a spare mansion around here somewhere?”

“Not exactly,” Alex replied, her tone cryptic. “We’re going more old school.”

Jason drove, following Alex’s directions through a maze of back roads and industrial areas. The scent of exhaust and city gradually gave way to something ... earthier.

---