Page 35 of Wolf's Whisper

"Abel," Tank cut in, his voice like steel. "Listen to your mom. Sit back and keep an eye on your brother and sister."

That shut him up, though he looks like a million more questions were brewing in his head. He slumps back into his seat with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest.

The car jolts as Tank swerved again, and that’s when I feel it. The other car had hit us from behind. It throughs us forward, my hands instinctively flying out to brace myself against the dashboard. Chloe cries sharply, her little voice trembling as sheclung to her bunny with all her might. Abel and Dillon both yelp, but thankfully their seatbelts hold them in place.

"Tank!" I shout, my voice cracking with fear.

"I'm on it," he barks back, his focus razor-sharp as he tightens his grip on the wheel. He sped up, but the car behind us was relentless, slamming into us again. The sound of metal against metal made my stomach churn.

Chloe starts sobbing softly from the backseat. "Mommy," she whimpers, her tears soaking into her bunny's fur.

I twist in my seat to face her, gently stroking her leg. "It’s okay, baby," I sooth, though my voice wavered. "We’re going to be okay. Just hold onto your bunny and stay buckled up, all right? Mommy's got you." My words feel hollow, but I can't let her see my fear.

Tank mutters under his breath again, something about needing a better car for this kind of heat. “All right, Janelle,” he says, his voice clipped but steady. “I need you to check the glovebox. There’s a little surprise in there.”

I blink at him, my heart still racing. “A surprise? Tank, this isn’t exactly the time—”

“Just do it!” he snaps, his eyes flicking toward me for half a second before returning to the road. The car jolts again as the one behind us rams into us harder this time. Chloe screams.

I fumble with the glovebox, my hands shaking so badly it takes two tries to get it open. Inside was a small handgun and a single clip. My stomach drops.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whisper, staring at the weapon like it might bite me. My hands freeze mid-air, trembling. The weight of the moment hit me like a freight train. I’ve never held a gun in my life.

"Janelle!" Tank barks, his voice pulling me back to the chaos around us. "Load it. Now!"

"I—Tank, I don’t—" My voice cracks as panic surged through me.

"Janelle!" he bellows again, his tone brooking no argument. "You need to do this! For your kids!"

That snaps something inside me. I grab the gun and the clip with shaky hands, fumbling to fit them together. My fingers felt clumsy, like they belonged to someone else. Another jolt from behind nearly sent the gun tumbling from my grasp, but I clench my teeth and force myself to focus.

Before I’m able to get more than three bullets in, the car hit us again, but this time it sends us sideways. All I see in front of us was a tree, and the world seems to slow down. Tank yanks the wheel hard to the right, trying to regain control, but the car skids on the dirt and gravel. The sound of tires screeching fills my ears, mixed with Chloe’s terrified cries and Dillon’s panicked shouts.

"Hold on!" Tank yells, his voice cutting through the chaos like a whip.

The impact comes fast and hard. The car slams into the tree with a sickening crunch, throwing us all forward. My forehead hits the dashboard, stars exploding in my vision as pain shoots through my skull. For a moment, everything went silent except for the ringing in my ears.

I blink rapidly, trying to shake off the disorientation. My heart pounding so loud it feels like it might burst out of my chest. My first thought is of the kids.

"Abel! Dillon! Chloe!" I croak, twisting around in my seat despite the sharp pain in my shoulder and ribs. "Are you okay? Talk to me!"

Abel groans, his face pale but his eyes open. "I’m... I’m okay, Mom," he says, though his voice was shaky. Dillon holding his arm, tears streaming down his face. "I think I hit my elbow," he sniffles, but he didn’t look hurt. Chloe sobbing uncontrollably,her little body trembling as she clutches her bunny like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

I look over to Tank, and there’s so much blood. He isn’t moving but before I could check; the door whips open. The cold night air rushes into the car as someone stands in the open door, and I instinctively raise the gun, though my hands are still trembling. A tall figure looms over me, silhouetted by the car's headlights. My heart may explode.

Coming into view, it’s my ex-husband, Jack, and his face twists into that all-too-familiar sneer. His greasy hair clings to his forehead, and his eyes glint with anger and satisfaction. My stomach churns at seeing him, my fear momentarily replaced by a wave of white-hot rage.

"Hello, Janelle," he drawls, leaning casually against the door frame as if he hadn’t forced us off the road. "Miss me?"

"Get away from us," I say through gritted teeth, tightening my grip on the gun despite my trembling hands. My voice steady, even though every fiber screamed to grab the kids and run.

Jack's eyes flick to the gun in my hands, and he chuckles darkly. "You? With a gun? That’s cute." He leans in closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "We both know you don’t have it in you."

"You don’t know anything about what I have in me," I snap, louder than I intended. My finger twitches on the trigger, though I wasn’t sure if it was from fear or anger. Probably both.

Jack smirks, the kind of smirk that makes my blood run cold. "Oh, but I do, sweetheart," he sneers. "I know you’re just a scared little girl playing pretend. You wouldn't dare."

In that moment, something inside me shifts. Maybe it’s the way Chloe’s sobs cut through the night air like a knife. Maybe it’s the sight of Abel clutching Dillon protectively in the backseat. Or maybe it’s the years of being told I wasn’t strong enough, brave enough, good enough. Whatever it was, it lit a fire in me.

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