We were on a narrow little stretch not far from the compound when I heard the engine. It was too fast, too close.
My head turned slightly, eyes moving toward the rear window just as a black Charger came up behind us fast, then eased back like the driver caught himself. The windows were tinted dark, and the car stayed back just enough to look like the driver was out for a casual Sunday evening drive.
Shit wasn’t casual. Every muscle in my body went tight. I opened the partition.
“Juvie.”
“I see it,” he said, eyes glued to the rear-view mirror.
Mikhail shifted in his seat, already reaching.
“What?” Theory asked, looking between us.
The Charger lingered behind us through the next curve, then crept a little closer.
“Theory, get down,” I ordered.
Her eyes flew to my face. “What’s wrong?” she demanded.
I put a hand on her back and pushed. “Milaya, when I sayget down, get down.”
She frowned. “Targen?—”
“Now.”
Something in my tone cut through her irritation. She bent down as low as the seat would let her go, still looking up at me with anger flashing in her eyes. Mikhail twisted around in thefront, gun ready, while Juvie pressed the gas hard enough that the engine sounded noisy in response.
The Charger stayed with us.
“Targen, talk to me,” my wife pleaded, fear creeping into her eyes.
Juvie’s voice cut off my reply. “Charger ain’t alone, OG. We got more company.”
My gaze cut to the rear glass. Two darkly-tinted, black SUVs had fallen in behind us. My hand went to the gun under my jacket.
“Targen!” Theory hissed.
“Stay down,” I told her.
“I’m not a child.”
“Then don’t act like one and be hard-headed. Get low.”
Juvie bounced in his seat. “To the windowwwww, to the wall. Til the sweat?—”
“Julien!” I warned.
He nodded, then took a turn almost too fast. Engine roaring, the Yukon leaned so hard that the tires whined. Mikhail twisted in the passenger seat, watching the vehicles behind us.
“The Charger disappeared. One SUV immediately on us. Other hanging back,” he reported.
“It’s testing us,” I said.
He nodded. “I believe this, too, sir.”
Theory gripped the leather seat with one hand and my thigh with the other when Juvie whipped around another curve. I looked down at her hand. Even scared, she was still reaching for me. That shit hit me somewhere deep. I couldn’t think too much about it, because right then, the first shot rang. The back window cracked but held.
Theory gasped.
