“Yeah, bud. I’m fine.” I hid a sniffle in my sleeve.
Hawk slammed the door. “Callie, switch with me.” He motioned at our seats, and I eased into the gap between the front and the back.
Colt sat upright through sheer force of will, one hand pressed to his shoulder, the other on Cody’s. His jaw locked when Diesel took a sharp U-turn, the G-force pulling us both to the side. He braced his feet against the floor and let out a low, pained grunt.
Cody shot a look at Colt’s shoulder.
“Don’t.” I put two fingers under his chin and redirected his gaze to me. “Look at me.”
He did, gulping air like a starved fish as he tried to hold it together the way I’d taught him.
“It’s okay. You’re okay. We’re going home.” I kept my voice low, the tone under control so he didn’t freak out and start screaming.
It was there, right under the surface. Panic made his pulse flutter, and he blinked several times before leaping into my lap and flinging his arms around my neck.
Diesel took another turn sharp enough to send Colt listing to the side.
“Colt’s bleeding.” Cody whispered into my ear.
“I know.” I patted his back. “But he’s going to be fine.” I didn’t explain how I knew. No six year old needed to have the knowledge that Colt had been shot high and to the right, in a clean through and through. He needed reassurance, not something to talk about at school that would have them calling me for another parent teacher conference.
“Promise?” Cody twirled the end of my braid around his fingers.
I met Colt’s gaze over our son’s head. “I promise.” I pulled Cody closer and stared through the windshield, taking in the back alley we bounced down. This was not the regular way home. Had I missed something?
Two bikes appeared in the side mirrors, their headlights bouncing into my eyes until I winced and looked away. My heart skipped a beat…or several, when a dark SUV joined the chase.It stayed behind the bikes, almost like a lookout or someone coordinating their moves.
Diesel spotted them already, and his jaw tightened. Otherwise, he did not react. No acceleration, no sharp movement. He took a left when he normally would go straight and eased his foot harder on the gas pedal, accelerating smooth enough it might not register as a response to the bikes.
Hawk held his phone to his ear. “Second blocker, north on Crane. Don’t close it yet.” He paused. “Let them think they have the line.” His gaze met mine before he pulled it to the mirror. “First blocker holds Mather until I say.”
Street names. He was telling them where to block streets. I swallowed the rising bile and smoothed Cody’s hair away from his face.
He didn’t have his hoodie to hide in.
Colt reached behind us, his torso twisted in an angle that had to be agony. He grunted and pulled his hand forward. “Here.”
My vision blurred when I recognized the hoodie in his hand. One of his. One I’d seen him wear all those years ago right after we met.
Cody dove into the shirt like it might save his life, bundling into the material and letting the too long sleeves cover his hands. He yanked the hood over his head and burrowed in deep, taking big breaths. The hoodie smelled like Colt, and I couldn’t help breathing it in with my son.
The bikes stayed with us through the turn.
“Closing.” One word from Diesel. We didn’t need more than that for the tension to grab me by the throat.
Cody’s breathing went shallow against my ribs. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “When we get back, we’re going to make a huge bowl of popcorn, and you can add the white cheddar.” I closed my eyes for a single heartbeat, some part of me praying for all this to end with no bloodshed. At least, not on our part. If that made me a horrible person then oh well. “And we’ll watch your favorite show.”
“The one with the cars?”
“Yes.”
“But you don’t like that you. You said they never get the cars right.”
I chuckled and held him tighter. “That’s true. But we’ll watch it tonight. We’ll eat every single kernel of popcorn.”
“I have ice cream.” Colt’s face went pasty, and he grimaced when Diesel hit a pothole. “Can I watch TV too?”
“Yeah.” Cody peeked at Colt from the depths of his hood, the strings already crossed in his mouth.
