Ava’s POV

The tires screeched as Joe swerved to keep control of the car. My heart pounded so hard it drowned out everything else—the hum of the engine, Joe’s muttered curses, even the rumble of the pursuing SUV’s engine.

I twisted in my seat, craning my neck to look out the rear window. The black SUV was closing in, its headlights glaring like twin predators hunting in the night. My stomach churned as a sliver of memory clawed its way into my mind.

The night I was kidnapped.

When Joe had pulled the car around, I had seen a familiar figure—sitting at the passenger’s seat of the SUV. The person was dressed in all black, with a nose mask concealing most of his face and a cap pulled low over his eyes. I thought I’d imagined him. And maybe I did.

My throat tightened. There was something about him—his posture, the way his head had tilted ever so slightly when he saw me—that felt hauntingly familiar. My skin crawled as I replayed the scene of the kidnap in my mind.

It couldn’t be.

I shook my head, forcing the thought down like bile. It wasn’t possible.

“Ms. Ava, what’s going on?” Joe’s voice was sharp, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel.

“I don’t know!” I snapped, my voice cracking. “Just lose them, Joe!”

“I’m trying!” he barked, jerking the wheel to the left as the car veered onto a side road.

The SUV followed, its tires screaming against the pavement as it matched our every move.

“They’re not giving up,” Joe muttered. His jaw was tight, his eyes darting between the road and the rearview mirror. “This isn’t random.”

I didn’t need him to tell me that. My mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. Who could be following me? Chloe? Orion’s mother? No, this wasn’t their style. They preferred manipulation, mind games. This...this was something else entirely.

The SUV inched closer, its front bumper nearly kissing the back of our car. My breath hitched as the driver revved the engine, the roar echoing through the night.

Then it happened.

The SUV slammed into us, the impact jarring me against my seatbelt. Pain lanced through my shoulder as I cried out.

“They’re trying to run us off the road!” Joe shouted.

“No kidding!” I spat, clutching the armrest as Joe fought to keep the car steady. I tried to pick out my phone to dial 911 but it dropped from my hand during the intense chase, and fell under the car seat.

The SUV rammed us again, harder this time. The force sent us skidding toward the edge of the road, where the asphalt crumbled into a shallow ditch. Joe yanked the wheel, barely managing to bring us back onto the road.

“Hold on!” he warned, flooring the gas pedal.

The car surged forward, the engine roaring as it strained to outrun our pursuers. I glanced out the window, my pulse racing as the darkened countryside blurred past.

For a moment, it seemed like we were gaining distance. The SUV’s headlights grew smaller in the rearview mirror, the gap between us widening. I allowed myself a flicker of hope.

But then, just as quickly, the lights grew brighter again. They were catching up.

“Who are they?” Joe demanded, his voice tight with frustration.

“I don’t know!” I yelled, panic creeping into my tone. “Just get us out of here!”

As if in response, the SUV swerved to the side, pulling up alongside us. My blood turned to ice as I caught a glimpse of the driver through the window.

It was him.

The man from the driveway months back. His nose mask and cap obscured most of his face, but his eyes...those cold, calculating eyes bored into mine, sending a shiver down my spine.

And then it hit me.

I’d seen those eyes before.

The memory crashed over me like a tidal wave, unbidden and unwelcome. The constant fear that I was being followed. The threatening messages sent to me regarding my sister.

It was him.

The man who had stalked me those months ago. The one who had threatened to kidnap Holly. I had caught a glimpse of him before their car pulled away the very day I suspected that I was being followed.

“Ms. Ava?” Joe’s voice broke through my haze. “Ms. Ava, are you okay?”

“I—” My voice caught in my throat. I couldn’t tell him. Not now. Not while we were still in danger.

“Just drive,” I managed to choke out.

Joe didn’t ask any more questions. He yanked the wheel to the right, taking another sharp turn onto a gravel road. The SUV followed, its tires kicking up a cloud of dust that swallowed us whole.

“Hold on tight!” Joe warned again, his voice rising above the roar of the engine.

The car bounced violently as we tore down the uneven road. My head slammed against the window, pain blossoming across my temple. I bit back a cry, forcing myself to focus.

The SUV was still on our tail, relentless as a predator stalking its prey.

“We’re not gonna make it like this,” Joe said through gritted teeth.

“What do we do?” I asked, my voice trembling.

He didn’t answer immediately, his eyes scanning the road ahead. Then, without warning, he veered off the gravel path and onto a narrow dirt trail that cut through a dense thicket of trees.

The car jolted and bucked as we tore through the underbrush, branches scraping against the windows like skeletal fingers. My heart pounded as I gripped the armrest, praying the trail would lead us somewhere safe.

Behind us, the SUV hesitated for a moment before following, its headlights cutting through like twin beacons.

“Come on, come on,” Joe muttered under his breath, his hands tight on the wheel.

And then, just when it seemed like we might lose them, the road opened up into a small clearing.

“There!” Joe shouted, pointing to a narrow bridge that spanned a shallow river.

He gunned the engine, the car lurching forward as we raced toward the bridge. But as we neared the edge, the SUV slammed into us again, the impact sending us skidding sideways.

The car teetered on the edge of the embankment, the wheels spinning helplessly in the loose dirt.

“Get out!” Joe yelled, unbuckling his seatbelt.

I fumbled with my own belt, my hands shaking as I scrambled to open the door. The SUV had stopped a few yards away, its engine idling menacingly.

“Hurry!” Joe urged, pulling me out of the car just as the SUV’s doors opened.

Two figures emerged, both dressed in black, their faces obscured by masks.

My legs felt like lead as Joe grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the bridge.

“Run, ma’am!” he shouted.

I forced my legs to move, my breath coming in ragged gasps as we sprinted across the bridge. Behind us, the sound of footsteps echoed in the night, heavy and deliberate.

When we reached the other side, Joe stopped, turning to face our pursuers.

“Go,” he said, his voice firm. “I’ll hold them off.”

“No!” I protested, panic rising in my chest. “I’m not leaving you!”

“Ms. Ava, go!” he insisted, pushing me toward the trees.

Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled forward, my feet carrying me into the shadows. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.

The last thing I heard before the night swallowed me whole was the sound of a struggle, Joe’s voice shouting something I couldn’t make out.

And then, silence.