Page 4 of Rear View
His laugh was pissed off and wet. “I’m not the only one.”
The crank of the garage door ground out and my father’s eyes narrowed at the sound.
Dammit! He couldn’t know anyone else was there. “You’ve been had, old man.” I tapped the documents on his chest to distract him. Ones showing the funds his dumb accountant ass had stolen and funneled into his own bank account, ’cause he was predictable like that.
He spit blood to the side when he eyed them. His breath burst from him, and his jaw clenched hard. “Where the fuck did you get these?”
I smiled. “Doubt your clients’ll be good with it.”
His nostrils flared again, panic exploding deep in his eyes. “What’s the endgame here, Xavier?”
My smile morphed to a shit-eating grin. “Gettin’ rid of you.”
“You think you’re smart? You’re nothing. The cops will never believe you.”
“They don’t need to. You screwed yourself on this one.” I edged back and headed for the front door. Pausing in the entrance, I gave him a salute. “Good luck in prison, Pops.” Then I bolted, exploding out into the night as I made for his car.
“Xavier!” he bellowed, but anything else he said wascut off when I dived into the driver’s seat of that Chevelle and turned its loud, rumbling engine over.
“It’s done?” Alec asked, ducked low on the passenger side while Sean crouched in the back, their balaclavas on to keep their asses from being seen.
Red and blue lights tracked across the houses outside, those sirens wailing loud. They were close. Real goddamn close.
My split knuckles ached as I shifted into reverse, but it was worth the pain. “It’s done.” I punched it outta there and careened down the driveway. I hit the road, then the brakes. When I cut the wheel, the car drifted, front end swinging around. Popping the clutch, I slammed the car into first and hit the gas.
One of the cop cars whipped into the driveway, and the other came after me.
Fuck!Not optimal, but I’d anticipated it. Just in case. Almost two years I’d planned that route. Knew it better than I knew the scars on my father’s fist. Had driven it with Alec a thousand times. Only obstacle I couldn’t account for was traffic, but that’s where he came in.
“Three pedestrians, crosswalk to your right,” Alec called.
I veered left to give ’em room.
Weaving us through the city, I pulled ahead of the cop that trailed us. But it didn’t take long before he called in reinforcements and more joined in.
“How many?” I asked.
Alec eyed his side-view mirror. “Six that I can count.” His attention darted forward. “Truck blocking the right lane three intersections up.”
Ten minutes later, the whop, whop sound of a helicopter carried. My stare flicked up just as they beamed thatmegawatt spotlight at the car. I’d gained a lead over the cruisers on our tail, the gap between us getting wider and wider. But it didn’t matter, the chopper had me pegged.
“Pull the vehicle over. Stop. Pull the vehicle over,” a cop said over the loudspeaker on repeat.
There was a creak from the back seat before Sean said, “Holy shit.”
Cutting a hard right, I aimed for the bar district and laid on the horn. People screamed as they scrambled outta the way.
“You’re clear,” Alec said.
I exhaled to steady my breathing before I hit the gas. Every head was fixed on me, phones lifting as I careened through. The underground lot came into view.
“Two hundred meters,” Alec said. “One hundred… Fifty.”
I snapped the wheel, steering us inside, then followed it down, tires shrieking from the speed as I went deeper. I didn’t panic. I knew the car’s limits—had lived for the rush when I’d tested them with Alec a shit ton before.
Sean pulled his balaclava tighter. “They’ve got cameras down here, man!”
“X took them out,” Alec said when he twisted to look through the back window.
