“I don’t know.”
“Where do you want me to go?”
“I don’t know that either, just drive for now. Please.”
“It seems like whenever you get in my car there's a 50-50 chance that you're running away from something or running to something.”
I pulled my phone from my pocket. “I know. If I told you what was going on, you probably wouldn’t believe me. I’m so sorry for getting you in this mess.”
“It’s no problem. It’s my job.”
“Not to chauffeur me around when I run out of every building like a maniac.”
“Actually,” he said, his voice amused, “that was one of the things Mr. Dark insisted upon. He said no matter where I saw you or when I saw you, it was my job to do as you instructed. So here I am.”
“Thank you, Randy. I’m going to make sure you get a huge raise because of this.”
“Not necessary. Mr. Dark’s already been far more generous than I ever could have hoped for.”
I gave a tight smile and shifted in my seat, searching for another black car while I pressed the screen of the phone to call Declan. The rain was coming down harder, making it difficult to see.
He answered immediately. “Royal? Are you okay?”
“No. Yes. I mean, I don’t know. I was at the office and then your dad was there and he was going through your desk, and then he told me that I had to go with him and so I ran and then—”
“Wait, where are you?
“I’m in the car with Randy and—” I gasped.
“What? What’s wrong, Royal?” Declan demanded.
“There’s somebody following us,” I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. “I don’t know where to go—”
He cursed under his breath and then said, “The cabin. I’m closer to the cabin than I am to work. Meet me there. Don’t stop anywhere. Tell Randy not to stop anywhere.”
“No, he won’t. Randy, go straight to the cabin. Do you remember—”
“I remember where it is,” he affirmed but kept his eyes on the road. He flicked the windshield wipers so they moved faster, dashing away the water on the glass.
“Are they still back there?” Declan asked. “Can you see who’s following you?”
I shifted in my seat again, and the seatbelt pulled against my shoulder. I squinted, trying to peer through the rain. “I don’t…” My stomach dropped when I spotted the black SUV. “Yes,” I said breathlessly. “They’re still back there but I don’t know who’s inside. I think it’s your dad. Do you want me to go somewhere else or—”
“No,” Declan said firmly, and then cursed under his breath. He murmured a few things away from the phone and I heard a voice respond. I hoped he was already in the car somewhere close by. “No, keep heading to the cabin. We have GPS on all of the cars. I’ll have someone check where you are.”
I heard him giving more orders and somebody else answering him.
“Should I let you go?” I asked.
“Don’t you dare hang up your phone, Royal.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
His voice softened in an instant. “No, sweetheart, I’m not mad at you—”
“No, I mean about the weekend. I just felt like you were shutting me out. And I was upset.”
“We’ll talk. Once we get to the cabin, we’ll sort all this out and everything will be okay. All right?”
I nodded to myself, feeling reassured. Until Randy cursed.
“The rain is getting worse,” he said as he turned onto the highway. “Are they still back there?”
“Yes.” I was keeping an eye on the car behind us, and they exited to get on the highway as well. The same highway my dad was on when he got in his accident.
And it was probably the same person following us.
My stomach swelled with nerves. “Declan—”
“We've located your position. Hold on, Royal.”
I squeezed my hand tight on the phone like it was a lifeline. “I’m so sorry, Randy. I didn’t mean to get you into this mess.”
“It’s not your fault, Miss Patterson. I’m just trying to concentrate.”
There weren’t many other cars on the road, and the last one that separated us from the black SUV pulled off. The SUV sped up, making me gasp.
“What?” Declan asked. “Royal—”
“They’re right behind us,” I told Randy. “Be careful—”
Words caught in my mouth when the car pulled to the side like it was trying to force us to the other side of the road.
“Shit,” Randy said, making my gaze jerk to the front of the car. I stared through the windshield and spotted taillights ahead, then heard the unmistakable screech of brakes. One of the cars on the other side of the road was hydroplaning, sliding sideways down his lane and converging into ours.
“Ran—” I started, but there wasn’t anything he could do.
He turned the wheel, trying to angle away, but there was a metal guardrail along the side of the road.
The hydroplaning car slammed into the side of the SUV, smashing both our doors and shattering the windows so that glass rained down on us. I gasped and held my hands up to stop it from hitting my face.
Then my breath caught when the SUV rammed us from behind. The airbags up front went off and I heard a pained groan from Randy before it all went quiet except for the patter of rain on the rooftop.
Chapter 35
The seatbelt was taut against my chest, and when I tried to move, glass crunched all around me.
The door next to me was smashed in, bowed into the car, and pressing against my arm, which ached vaguely. The seat cushions were ripped from the glass and leaking what looked like stuffing. Foam from inside.
A face appeared at the window next to me, making me gasp.
“Royal,” Declan
