Page 36 of Guarding Bristol

Chapter Thirteen

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Rattled, fighting everyinstinct that screamed at her to obey the red light, she hit the gas and turned her blinker on as she neared the intersection.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Trying not to get uskilled,” she snapped back, cringing as she reached the intersection.Calling a hail Mary, she hit the hazard light button in case it might help stop someone from hitting them.

“Go, go!”TJ yelled.

She shot through the red light at a terrifying clip, cringing, and smothering a squeal as she made the turn.“I am!”Horns blared all round her, tires screeching as cars swerved to avoid slamming into them.

“And stop indicating your every goddamned move to the guys chasing us!”He punched the hazard button to shut the lights off.

“Well, I’msorryif I’m not doing it right,” she snapped back, gripping the wheel with white-knuckled fingers as she tore up the hill.“It’s my first car chase, and I’m just a little bit stressed right now—so cut me some damned slack!”

The car directly ahead of them was moving too slow.She shoulder-checked, automatically flicked on her blinker before she could stop herself.“Shoot,” she muttered, drowning out TJ’s outraged exclamation as she shut it off.

Behind them the truck had run the red light too.It was speeding up the hill, its more powerful engine closing the distance at a terrifying rate.

“Cut around the green car up ahead and turn right.And don’t you dare use your turn signal,” TJ warned.

Huffing out a flustered breath, Bristol focused intently on the road.She passed the green car, did another quick shoulder check, and managed to zip back in front of it without indicating.She gave a mental shout and fist pump, feeling like a total badass for breaking so many traffic laws while fleeing for her life.If she survived this, Cassie would never believe what she’d just done.

“Don’t stop,” TJ said, his voice clipped as he looked out the back window.“They’re still right on us.”

But they had another problem.There was a lineup of traffic stopped at the next light, about fifty yards ahead.“Uhhh...”

“Go left.Now,” he bit out.

It went against every instinct and everything she’d been taught about driving, but self-preservation took precedence.She yanked the wheel hard left.

Her little car whipped around the turn, tires screeching as the back end fishtailed slightly.Biting back a curse as she fought to regain control of the steering, she sped up the hill toward the freeway, the short side street she’d turned onto clear of traffic.So far, at least.

A glance in the mirror moments later showed the pickup was nowhere in sight.She felt a wave of mingled hope and relief wash over her.“Do you see them?”Maybe she’d lost them.Her heartrate slowed a fraction as she divided her attention between the road and the mirrors.

TJ swiveled in his seat to look behind them both ways.“No.But that doesn’t mean the coast is—”

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