Page 78 of Worth

Blake skids to a stop in front me, and I narrowly miss running her ass over flat. “Aiden,” she gasps. “The car.”

I realize I’ve been staring at the ass I almost run over ass, not paying attention to anything around us, and glance up. “Fuck,” I snarl as I take in the SUV’s flat tires, nasty gashes in each one.

Blake turns to look at me, her eyes wide with a hint of panic. My cock twitches at the blood still splattered on her face and staining her hair, though she tried to clean up before we were grabbing whatever we could to get out the door.

“New plan,” I shout, hoping Zander hears me. I drop the bags at Blake’s feet. “Wait here,” I tell her, and take off at a run.

I keep Redd in an old barn at the back of the property. My arms pump as I run, fucking praying that these animals haven’t found and touched my baby. My upper arm throbs from where a bullet passed through the fleshy part and I’m sure it’s bleeding again. I slam into the door, my momentum carrying me, and shove it open on the slider track. Redd greets me with a glimmer of her red paint catching in the light.

I pat her hood affectionately. “Who’s a pretty girl, huh? Are you a pretty girl?” I coo. A gunshot catches my attention and reminds me we’re like battling for our lives and shit. “Fuck!”

I yank Redd’s door open and slide in, firing the engine. I bounce in my seat as I jam the button down to lower the roof while I wait for the engine to warm up.

“Sorry, baby,” I murmur, shifting into gear as soon as the top is down. “Can’t wait anymore. We gotta go.”

Redd growls as I launch us forward out of the barn and race towards the house. I see Zander and Blake taking cover behind the SUV as I approach, a Hummer on the opposite side from where they are. Four men stand strategically as they face the SUV, riddling Zander’s vehicle with holes. I wince at the idea of how many bullet holes Redd is going to have by the time we get the fuck out of here.

My tires lock up as I slide to a stop and I duck as the soldiers increase their shots at my appearance, their automatic weapons ripping through the SUV.

“Get in!” I yell, ducking as a bullet glances off the metal frame of Redd’s windshield. Zander is already chucking our bags into the back seat. Blake crawls to the car as he does, keeping low. She lifts the lever to fold the front seat down and climbs into the back, her hips getting stuck as they try to wedge between the frame and the seat. Zander grabs her ass and pushes, forcing her in as more bullets glance off Redd.

“Go!” Zander urges, halfway into the front seat.

I smash the pedal to the floor, hearing Zander’s grunt as he heaves himself in all the way and slams the door, switching gears faster than I’ve ever forced upon Redd while on the dirt. We fishtail for a second and then shoot forward. Bullets rain down on us, visible when they hit the dirt and send up a cloud of dust; and I can hear them injuring Redd with every sickening punch of metal.

Wind whips around us as I push Redd to her limits, but even the noise of her engine isn’t enough to block out the sounds of the Hummer gunning to life behind us. Blake lets out a little shriek as we go careening sideways when I jerk the wheel into a hard right onto the main road.

On the asphalt, I push Redd harder, wanting to put as much distance between us and the Hummer as I can.

“Claire,” Zander barks into his phone. “We’re being chased. We need a transport and safe house.”

I glance in the rearview mirror, looking to see when the Hummer makes it to the road. They veer onto the road a few moments later and I catch Kitten’s eyes in the reflection. The look on her face makes me pause. I jerk my attention to the road to make sure I’m not about to take anyone out, and then twist in my seat to look at her.

“What’s—?” I start, scanning over the expression on her pale face.

Kitten’s breathing is labored. “Watch the road, you psycho,” she pants, interrupting me. Her arms are crossed, each hand resting on the opposite shoulder.

“What the fuck is wrong?” I demand, and I see the way I ask catches Zander’s attention while he’s still requesting assistance from Claire from the corner of my eye.

“Aiden. Watch. The. Road,” she grits out, pointing.

I spin around just in time to cut around a car going negative-five-miles below the speed limit—or maybe they’re doing the speed limit. Doesn’t matter. They’re going slow as fuck. They honk at me, the driver flipping me the bird as we go screaming by.

“Blake,” Zander commands and I watch her in the rearview mirror. “What happened? Now.”

I can see her skin glistening with sweat as she moves her arms, not saying a word. There, on her right shoulder, is a bloody mess that is slowly seeping into her shirt. Her face pales further, if that’s even possible, as she stares at her mangled shoulder.

“Oh, fuck,” I breathe. “Kitten. Fuck.”

“Aiden, drive,” Zander orders and I refocus my attention on the Hummer, seeing it gaining on us. He hauls himself into the backseat, grunting, and goes to work on helping her. “Lose them and get us to the lake. Claire is sending someone to pick us up.”

Knowing that Kitten is in good hands, I lean forward in my seat, my mind whirring with all the thoughts of where we need to go and how I’m going to make it happen.

We need a fucking plan.

Just as I think that, the chopping sound of a helicopter fades into my ears.

“Goddammit!” I scream. How in the fuck am I supposed to lose the Hummeranda helicopter?

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