A rock.
A stick. My hand finds something round.
I rise and throw it, hoping it lands far enough away to fool our pursuers.
It makes a cracking sound and the men immediately veer toward it, away from us.
"They're spreading out," I whisper, my lips brushing her ear. "We need to move."
When I'm certain the immediate threat has passed, I ease away from her. She's trying to be brave, but she trembles against me.
“We move quietly but quickly,” I say.
She nods and looks up at me like I’m some sort of superhero. Fucking hell, if I fail her now…
We move deeper into the woods, away from where I believe Maksim’s men think we’re heading to.
Instinct would have us moving toward a populated area or the road to get help.
But we’re going deeper into the woods toward the other side of the 175-acre park.
We’ll avoid the trails and paths, keeping to the woods until we come up behind one of the residential areas where I’ll steal a car and get us the fuck out of here.
We move quietly, careful of the hidden roots and loose rocks. One misstep could send us tumbling, announcing our position to everyone within earshot.
Every few minutes, I stop and listen. The sounds of pursuit grow fainter, but I don't trust it. Maksim's men are professionals. It won’t be long before they decide to change direction.
Valentina’s heel catches on something and she stumbles. I grip her arm, probably too hard, but it keeps her upright.
"Cristian," her voice cracks. "This is my fault."
I hate that she’s blaming herself. Even when she’s doing stupid shit that provokes Alessandro or Maksim, it’s not her fault. It’s the fault of the fucked-up world she lives in.
"No. This is Maksim showing his true colors."
A branch snaps somewhere behind us. We both freeze.
"I've got you," I promise, hoping to hell I’m telling the truth. "I won't let him touch you."
Nothing follows the sound, so we push through the woods for what feels like hours, though my watch says it’s been forty-five minutes.
Finally, the trees thin as I reach someone’s backyard. I slow our pace, scanning for threats before we break through the tree line.
"We made it," Valentina says.
"Not yet. We're still too exposed. Maksim will have men covering the main roads.”
“Alessandro must be looking for us.”
Shit.
I should have considered that.
I pull out my phone, knowing he’s not calling me to not expose me.
As I check it, I see it’s dead.
Cracked.