Page 45 of Song Bird Hearts

The road curls around the mountain like a lazy snake, slow and winding through thick forest and switchbacks still slick from morning melt. Though it’s spring, this high up on the mountain, frost still forms at night, but as soon as the sun comes up, it starts melting away. It’ll be like this for another month. Maybe we’ll get one last surprise snowfall before summer comes around. Either way, it’s a relief to feel the sun on my face through the backseat window.

Inside the car, no one talks.

Kevin sits snugly between me and Gilden in the back seat, snorting softly, completely unbothered by the tension that thickens the air. I can tell he’s enjoyed this little vacation, away from the flashing lights and hordes of people. Of course, he’s also enjoyed the snacks and bits of food that Gilden sneaks him all the time. The two became fast friends after that.

Gilden has one boot up on the back of Knox’s seat and is humming something under his breath, but even he hasn’t poked the bear today. He’s no longer dressed in his signature loafers, choosing instead to stick with jeans, a dark t-shirt, and boots, like he’s prepared for war. I suppose he is. I suppose we all are.

Wolf rides shotgun, all still and silent as a statue as he stares out the window like he can feel a trap coming. His eyes take in every detail, hunting for signs of attack. Of the three men, he’s the most supportive of this plan, happy to see me stepping back into the woman I was before fame set in.

Knox drives with both hands tight on the wheel, his jaw clenched against the tension around us. His eyes are hard on the road in front of us as he expertly drives along the hazardous road. He’s dressed like Gilden, just as prepared for war.

Or for earning his paycheck, I guess.

God. I probably should have asked Hank how much he had to pay for this protection. I should pay him back so I can free Knox from this hell. Free both of us at this point. I’m sure he’d enjoy that.

I continue to stare out my own window, my arms crossed against the tension. Knox keeps looking at me in the rearview mirror when he thinks I’m not looking. I catch him out of the corner of my eye, but I don’t look back or let him know I see. He’d made his opinion perfectly clear. I’m reckless, naïve, and a paycheck he’d once considered letting die. He doesn’t trust my choices and he doesn’t trust himself with me.

And maybe he’s right.

Maybe I am stupid for this, for wanting to stop pretending I’m someone I’m not, for wanting more than survival. By the time we make it to the main road again and start heading toward White Stag Pastures, I’ve fully convinced myself I’m an idiot for all of this, but it’s too late to back down now. Even if I admitted this was a bad idea, we’d still need somewhere else to go, and there are only so many places to hide from an organization as large as the 27 Foundation.

The only thing keeping me grounded is Kevin’s snout in my lap and Gilden’s fingers threaded through mine. Through all of this, Gilden and Wolf are steadfast in their decisions to support me and happy to tell me how they feel.

Even if Gilden hasn’t told me that he loved me like he’s apparently told Knox.

That’s a conversation for another time.

Gilden’s humming comes to an abrupt stop. It’s the first sign of something being wrong. When Wolf stiffens a split second later, I tense and straighten in my seat.

“Vehicle behind us,” Wolf says, calm and controlled. “Been there since the last turn.”

I turn and take in the black SUV a ways behind us. It’s gaining fast, clearing speeding up.

“Just one?” Gilden asks.

“For now,” Wolf answers, his eyes on the mirrors.

Knox’s eyes sharpen. His voice stays low. “Seatbelts. Now.”

I’m already wearing mine, but the others dutifully click theirs on. Kevin finally straightens in concern, fueled by the sudden fear coming from me. He presses tighter against me and I wrap my arms around him in comfort.

I thought we’d at least have time to make it to the ranch before they attacked. They were just waiting. . .

Knox slowly picks up speed and I look behind us, watching what the SUV will do. When it guns the engine harder and starts really closing the distance, I realize we’re in a whole heap of trouble. At least it’s only one car to tangle with. At least it isn’t a whole team of cars.

“Here we go,” Knox mutters, almost annoyed, before he slams on the gas.

The tires squeal briefly before we launch forward and I’m pressed back into the seat. My arms tighten around Kevin, fear dancing in my chest. My heart leaps in my throat and it takes everything in me not to reveal just how panicked I am.

“Tell me he can drive,” I say to Gilden as I grip Kevin to me like he’s my guardian angel. A guardian angel pig. When pigs fly. Maybe we’re lucky right now. I’m rambling. Oh god. We’re gonna die.

“He can drive,” Gilden fires back, grinning despite the situation. Adrenaline sparkles in his tone, as if this is the most exciting thing he’s done in a while. Honestly, that puts me more at ease than anything else. If Gilden panics, then I know we’re in trouble.

Despite Knox’s driving, the SUV clearly has more horsepower than this car does. It surges up alongside us, trying to clip our rear end and send us spiraling. Knox swerves with surgical precision, weaving between lanes like he was born to drive like this. When their SUV hits us, he goes with it, preventing us from spiraling into an uncontrollable spin. It might be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen Knox do, the way he drives. The way he keeps us from dying.

We hit a narrow pass and the SUV tries again, this time aiming to ram us off the road entirely. Knox yanks the wheel left, skidding just enough to avoid impact and keep control.

“Fuck!” I gasp as I clutch Kevin to my chest like he’s a seatbelt extension. With how much we’re moving around, I don’t want him to get hurt if we actually do spin out.

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