Page 15 of Breeding Justice

I exhaled slowly, gripping Sebastian tighter as we walked down the jet bridge. The hum of the plane grew louder with each step, a reminder of just how far we still had to go. But for the first time in hours, I felt a flicker of hope.

We were moving. We were one step closer to New York, to Dante, to getting our people back.

But as we settled into our seats, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone, somewhere, was watching us. And that whoever it was wouldn’t be far behind.

Chapter Six: Justice

The van groaned as we sped out of the loading dock, the engine struggling against the strain of my frantic driving. My knuckles were white on the wheel, sweat slicking my palms as I swerved past a stack of crates. My breaths came short and sharp, the weight of what we’d just done crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

This wasn’t supposed to work.We weren’t supposed to make it this far.

But Skylar’s grin in the rearview mirror was infuriatingly casual. “Not bad, love. Not bad at all.”

“Shut up, Skylar,” I snapped, my voice trembling despite my best effort to sound in control. “This isn’t over.”

“Easy now,” he said, leaning back like we were on a leisurely drive. “Just giving credit where it’s due.”

Beside me, Bash braced one hand on the dashboard, his face as unreadable as ever. But his jaw was tight, his breathing shallow. I knew he felt it too—the danger hanging over us like a guillotine, ready to fall.

“We’re not out of this yet,” he said, his voice low but commanding. “Keep your focus.”

I bit back the sharp retort on my tongue. He was right, but his calmness grated against the storm raging in my chest. My eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. Headlights glared back at me, cold and relentless.

“They’re coming,” I whispered, my stomach twisting.

Skylar leaned forward, his playful smirk fading. “They’re fast, I’ll give them that. Two more joining the party.”

Two SUVs flanked us, hemming us in on either side. My mind raced, searching for options, but the parking lot was a maze of parked cars and narrow lanes. Every turn felt like a dead end.

“What now?” I hissed, panic clawing at the edges of my voice.

Bash’s voice was steady, but there was no comfort in it. “Straight ahead. Don’t stop for anything.”

“And when they box us in?” I shot back. “What then?”

Skylar’s laughter was sharp, like a knife. “Then we improvise, pet. That’s what we do best.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of their trust pressing down on me. The headlights closed in, the roar of engines filling my ears. There was no time for hesitation. I slammed my foot on the gas, the van lurching forward with a groan.

The van rocketed towards the exit of the parking lot, a narrow choke point that felt more like the barrel of a gun. I could almost hear the metal-on-metal shriek of a collision in my mind, see the sparks fly as we crumpled like an empty soda can. My hands ached from the tension as I gripped the wheel, my body bracing for an impact that seemed inevitable.

"Hold on!" I shouted, not sure if I meant it as a command or a desperate plea.

I was going to barrel through it…but I couldn’t.

The SUV on our left swerved into our path, its driver bold and unrelenting. My hands clenched the wheel, my heart hammeringas I aimed straight for them. They wouldn’t risk crashing, not if they needed us alive.

But I didn’t know if they needed us alive. I did know that Vito wanted Sebastian.

I just hoped we were still considered leverage. I didn’t have time to think about it for long.

My fear came true. The impact hit like an explosion. Metal crumpled and groaned as the van veered off course, slamming into a row of parked cars. The air was filled with the screech of tires and the acrid scent of burning rubber. My head snapped forward, pain lancing through my skull.

My head snapped forward, then back, a ragdoll in the hands of an angry child. The world spun in a nauseating blur, colors and shapes melding together in a chaotic symphony. A high-pitched whine filled my ears, drowning out the shouts from Skylar and Bash.

I tasted copper.

Slowly, reality seeped back in. The van was still, save for the occasional creak of strained metal. My body ached with the dull throb of a dozen new bruises, but I was alive.

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