Chapter Seven
Addison
We’re being followed.
I was right.
My heart pounds as my hand clutches at the door. “What the fuck is going on?! Why are we being followed?”
Rowan splits his focus, his eyes subtly shifting between the rear-view and the asphalt. He’s calm as can be as the speedometer hits a hundred. Meanwhile, I'm losing my mind!
“Talk to me, dammit!” I curse as headlights from behind illuminate the dashboard. They're gaining, and it only causes my driver to accelerate.
“It’s nothing you need to be concerned about right now! Just listen to me!” Rowan shouts. “Sit back!”
I do as he says, but keep my eyes on the truck riding our ass in the mirror. My hands begin to shake as the first tendrils of adrenaline course through my veins. My fear response kicks in—fight-or-flight—weighing my options.
Rowan’s eyes momentarily break from the road as he reaches a hand across and settles it reassuringly over mine, which has a death grip on the chest strap of my seatbelt. “You’re okay. Deep breaths, Addison.”
“Eyes on the road!” I plead desperately, my voice sounding frantic and unnatural to my own ears.
“I’ve got you, okay?” He urges gently. “I have an idea, but I need you to stay calm, Sunshine.”
Sunshine.
I don't feel like a fucking ray of light right now, but the mellow softness of his tone does the trick as I take deep breaths.
My heart feels like it could pound right out of my chest, but I force myself to look away from the truck behind us.
Instead, I focus on the hand holding mine and the warm thumb brushing over my own.
It’s comforting in this time of distress. Until the vehicle behind us rams into the tailgate, and Rowan has to wrench it back before we tailspin off the road.
I close my eyes, my whole body tensing as we swerve. A mangled whimper leaves me as I faintly register Rowan cursing. He rights us on the road, hitting the gas to give us some distance between them. It isn't much, but we aren't playing bumper cars anymore.
“Try not to tense up,” my driver instructs. “If we wreck—”
“I don't need a lesson on road safety!” I shout in fear. “Please, get us away from them!”
I can't think about us crashing.
I’m spiraling.
“Working on it,” he grits. “Do you trust me?”
I don't think I heard him right as I crack my eyes open. “What?”
“Do you trust me, Addison?” His voice softens slightly as his stare locks onto something up ahead.
Well, this is a fine time to unpack some trauma.
I follow his gaze, my heart plummeting when I see a semi truck rolling steadily toward us in the opposite lane. “No, no, no!” I scramble back in my seat, connecting the dots in my head.
“Don’t tense! Relax!” He commands tightly. “I won't let anything happen to you.”
“ROWAN!” I cry out as he swerves just as the large truck is about to pass us.
Everything seems to happen in slow motion.
Rowan cuts out, startling the driver, who quickly veers to avoid us.
At the last second, my driver turns the wheel hard, bringing us back onto our lane as the semi swerves back onto the road and crashes into the men following us.
It’s absolute bone-chilling carnage to watch from the rear-view as shrapnel flies. The sound is even worse as groaning metal pierces the air. I’m horrified, yet I can't look away as the semi finally tips over, scraping over the asphalt.
We speed away, but my eyes stay locked on the wreck behind us as my pulse pounds in my ears. It isn't until Rowan takes a sharp turn onto a side road that I’m left staring at receding trees. An eerily quiet fills the cab, and I don't even blink as my brain attempts to process what just happened.
“You’re okay,” Rowan coos. He reaches a hand across the console, and I jerk away from him as my stomach churns.
“Stop the truck,” I mumble past the building saliva in my mouth.
“You’re fine, Addison—”
“STOP THE TRUCK!” I shout, my stomach rebelling as Rowan swerves to the shoulder.
I’m throwing the door open before he can come to a stop. My hands fumble with the seatbelt before I jump out and onto the grass. I stumble on shaky legs before I bend over and brace my hands on my knees.
I hear heavy boots rounding the truck’s hood before a gentle hand gathers my hair away from my face. I can't even thank him as I inelegantly vomit up my breakfast.
I try to get the wreckage out of my mind.
The possibility of the people following us dying in that wreck is too high for me to find comfort in.
Just thinking of the dead bodies we potentially left behind has another dry heave coming from me.
There’s nothing left in my stomach, and I begin to feel exhaustion tugging at me as my adrenaline wanes and I shake where I stand.
I catch my breath, only to notice a comforting hand rubbing slow, steady circles on my back. It’s distracting and calming as I come back to the present.
“There you are,” Rowan says softly. “You’re okay. We’re safe.”
“What…” I take a sharp breath, battling more bile that threatens to rise. “What was that? What’s going on?”
I’m shaking uncontrollably now, my whole body shivering with the morning chill, and the Epinephrine leeching from my veins.
“Let’s get you back in the truck first,” Rowan instructs, keeping that soothing tone that seems unnatural for his deep voice. “Can you walk?”
“I…I don't know.” I shake my head, the nausea resurfacing.
“It’s just your adrenaline.” his words are a balm for my racing mind, and I focus on him rather than my state. “Stand up slowly.” He places a hand on my chest, helping me until I'm upright. “Your heart rate is accelerated. Slow your breathing, Addison. I've got you.”
I nod, trying to mimic his motions as he takes deep breaths with me. My knees wobble, and he catches me before I can fall. His solid arm wraps around my waist, anchoring me to him as he supports my weight.
“Wrap your arms around my neck, Sunshine,” he whispers in my ear. Everything is becoming numb as I do as he instructs. “Hold tight.”
I grip my forearms the best I can before he scoops me up with a single arm and trudges back to the passenger side.
His strength is impressive, but all I can focus on is not losing my mind as he sets me down in the seat.
He buckles my seatbelt before closing the door and jogging around to the driver’s side.
“You’re okay,” he says again as he pulls away from the shoulder.
I can’t move.
Everything feels like too much as he joins the steadily building morning traffic. I’m silent beside him, a million questions plaguing me, but my mouth remains sealed tight as if talking will break the peace that settles over us.
“Talk to me, Addison.” Rowan urges. “What’s something you and your dad liked to do?”
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth as it goes dry. I unfeelingly reach for my purse, grabbing my travel mouthwash to get rid of the acidic taste lingering on my tongue.
“You’re in shock—”
“I fucking know that!” I snap, whipping around to him.
The corner of his mouth quirks. “I’ll take your anger. Bitch at me. Tell me how you feel right now.”
I swish the concentrated mint around my mouth before rolling down the window and spitting it out.
“I feel like you're a fucking creep and you’ve been stalking me.
I feel like I just witnessed a murder, and I don't know how to cope with it.
And I feel like you're hiding something from me!” My voice hits a crescendo, the sound bouncing off the walls of the cab.
Rowan never flinches. His smirk only grows until he has this ruggedly handsome glow to him. It breathes life into him, and I nearly gasp at how it transforms his face.
He’s beautiful.
“Good, Sunshine,” he purrs. “You’re so fucking smart. You’ve been onto me since the beginning, haven't you?”
“Did you just admit to stalking me?” I ask in disbelief. I know he's trying to distract me, and it's working.
“I never said that.” He challenges.
“You don't have to when we ran into each other three times all within the span of a few days.” I counter.
He shrugs. “Maybe it was a coincidence.”
My mouth falls open. “No, no! You don't get to do that! Don't gaslight me into thinking it was a coincidence. I know it wasn't.”
He keeps smirking, popping his shoulder again. “Or maybe I wanted to see you, but didn't know how.”
I scoff, sitting back in my seat and crossing my arms. “Why don't you take a picture? It’ll last longer.”
His smile fades slightly as his eyes darken. “And who says I haven't?”
“Wait, did you take pictures of me?” That uneasy feeling returns as I observe my travel companion. My neck prickles as those dark, half-lidded eyes shift to me. The atmosphere becomes thicker, and I suddenly feel trapped rather than saved.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Addison.” He sighs, sounding a little resigned.
In times of distress, I often revert to sarcasm. It’s my best defense, and I can't think of the rising chill that's climbing along my spine. “Oh, thank the heavens for that! I learn you’ve been taking pictures of me, and I'm supposed to believe you won’t hurt me?”
“I won’t,” he offers. “If I wanted to…” His voice trails before he runs a hand across his mouth. “Let’s change the subject.”
“Change the subject?” My eyes widen. “What were you going to say? Why are you being so cryptic?”
“What happened back there was a misunderstanding. They thought we were someone else.” He speaks slowly, as if cementing his lie with no room for argument.
But I'm not having that. “It wasn't, and we both know it. You have to tell me what’s going on. Is Loxley in trouble? Is that why she sounded weird on the phone?”
“No,” he answers quickly. “She’s safe with my brother. My job is to make sure you're safe, too.”
Relief washes over me, but it’s short-lived as even more mystery arises. “You said you do freelance—”
“Don’t ask questions you won’t like the answers to, Sunshine. It isn't going to do anything but worry you more.”
I throw my hands up, growing agitated with this little game he seems to think he’s running. “How can you expect me not to ask questions? What the fuck just happened, Rowan?”
His jaw works as he glances in the mirror. “This isn't my story to tell. Loxley wants to sit you down and talk about everything.”
I stare at him for a moment, still in disbelief that he won’t tell me anything. “You’re seriously going to make me wait for answers?”
“You just went into shock over us being chased, Addison. You need to be in the right headspace for this. Can you trust that I’ll get you to Columbus safely?” His eyes flicker to mine, something profound there. Like he’s itching to know if I can trust him.
Do I trust him?
Hell no, is my immediate response. I don't trust easily and haven't for a long time. But if something this big is happening, and he's all I’ve got, then I have to give him something. He’s in control of this situation.
With the realization that Rowan is literally holding my life in the palm of his hands, I lean forward and hook my phone up to the Bluetooth before turning on one of my favorite playlists. Music fills the cab as I sink back and stare out the window. “That coffee was ass.”