Chapter Thirty
Rylan
The headlights in the rearview mirror draw closer, the Castillos gaining ground with every second. My grip tightens on the wheel, my knuckles turning white as adrenaline courses through me.
"Stay calm," I say, my voice steady despite the chaos swirling around us. Beside me, Savannah clutches the seatbelt across her chest, her breathing fast and shallow.
A sharp crack echoes through the car when a bullet ricochets off the rear window. Savannah screams, her hands flying to her ears. "Rylan!"
"Get down!" I bark. Reaching into the glove box, I pull out the gun I know Declan keeps stashed. My mind is sharp, calculating the odds as I roll the driver’s side window down just enough to fit the gun through. I glance at Savannah, only to find her frozen in terror. "Mo stóirín, listen to me. Crawl into the back seat and get on the floor. Stay down and don’t come up until I say. Do you understand?"
Her eyes lock onto mine, wide and full of fear, but she nods and moves quickly, scrambling into the back seat and curling into a ball on the floor. Another round of gunfire shatters against the reinforced glass. The windows are holding, but not for long.
I take a deep breath and lean into the partially lowered window. With my left hand still holding the steering wheel, I use the other to aim the muzzle back toward our tail. I squeeze the trigger and the deafening crack of the shot cuts through the chaos. The car jerks slightly under the recoil, but my aim stays steady as I fire again, determination surges through me with each pull of the trigger. The side mirror of the Castillos’ car explodes in a shower of glass. The vehicle swerves, but they don’t slow down. Their determination to get to Savannah is clear, and it makes my blood boil.
"Come on," I mutter under my breath and fire again. The bullet catches their front tire, causing the car to wobble slightly, but they regain control.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch movement in the side mirror. My heart lifts when I see Declan’s bike roar into view, flanked by two black SUVs I recognize as belonging to our family. Relief mixes with renewed focus as I fire again, trying to buy them more time.
"Hang tight, Declan."
The roar of engines fills the air as Declan and his team move in, their vehicles closing the gap between us and the Castillos. Through the rear view mirror, I watch as Declan’s bike weaves expertly through the chaos. The flash of his gun marks each precise shot at the Castillos’ vehicle. The SUVs move in sync to box them in. One hard nudge from an armored SUV sends the Castillos’ car spinning out of control. It veers off the road, flipping twice before coming to a rest in the ditch.
The instant the threat is neutralized, I press the gas pedal harder, putting as much distance as I can between us and the wreckage. My heart pounds in my chest. Not to be outdone, my mind races with a thousand possibilities.
"Rylan?" Savannah’s voice is small and trembling from the back seat.
"We’re clear for now," I say and glance in the rearview mirror to make sure she’s still huddled on the floor. "Stay down a little longer."
We need to get somewhere safe quickly. I turn the car toward our warehouse, taking the longest possible route to ensure no one else is following us on our path to safety. I make a series of sharp turns, weaving through back streets and alleys, doubling back twice to make sure we don’t have a tail.
By the time I pull into the warehouse lot, my shoulders ache from the tension, and my head feels like it’s about to split open. I park inside, shut off the engine, and lean back against the headrest for a brief moment of silence.
"You can come up now," I say softly.
Savannah sits up slowly, her face pale but determined. "What now?"
"We wait for Declan and the others," I reply, stepping out of the car, and offer her my hand. "They’ll meet us here."
She hesitates before taking my hand, her grip firm despite her shaking fingers. "Do you think—do you think they’ll come after us again?"
My jaw tightens as I look into her eyes. "They won’t stop, mo stóirín. But neither will I."