The seatbelt is digging into my chest, but that will be the least of my worries if Sean’s men end up catching up to us.
“I doubt it.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because there won’t be time.”
I go to yell some more, but my words get caught in my throat as Kieran pulls sharply off the main road into an empty warehouse district that we passed on the way back into the city.
“What are you doing?” Panic rises in my chest as the car disappears between two buildings.
Kieran doesn’t answer as he slams on the brakes, kicking up a cloud of dust behind us.
The sun is still high in the sky, which means the only thing keeping us hidden is the warehouses on either side of us, but that won’t be enough to keep Sean’s men away. Unless, of course, that’s Kieran’s plan.
“We need to keep driving?—”
“Stay down. Into the footwell,now.”
For once, I don’t argue. Pulling off my seatbelt, I slide into the footwell and keep my head down as Kieran climbs out of the car.
His door slams shut, sending my heart into my throat.
I should go after him. I can’t let him walk out there alone, but I’m completely unarmed.
Wait. Maybe if I appear, Sean’s men might hesitate. Despite my betrayal, I could still be worth something to him. Even if he uses me as a bargaining chip against my uncle, it would be worth it to get Kieran out of here alive.
I’m about to climb out of the footwell to go to Kieran’s aid when gunfire erupts, followed by the sound of tires screeching.
I cover my mouth to keep from screaming as bullet after bullet gets fired.
I can’t make out Kieran’s voice among the shouting, and I brace myself for Sean’s men to find me cowering in the car.
Please, don’t be dead.
Tires screech again, and the gunfire instantly stops, but it feels like hours until the car door finally opens, and Kieran slides into the driver’s seat. His face is a cold mask as he looks down at me.
“Get up. We need to go.”
My body is shaking so badly I can barely move, but I manage to slide back into my seat, and Kieran reaches over me to buckle me in.
I search his face, but he’s refusing to meet my eyes.
“What the hell was that?” I ball my hands into fists in my lap to try and calm the shaking, but it doesn’t help.
Kieran still refuses to look at me as he starts the car and reverses back out from the gap between the warehouses before spinning the car around.
“Are you out of your mind?” I shout when he still refuses to answer me, unable to keep my emotions under control any longer. “You just went out there like some action hero and started shooting! Do you know how idiotic that is?”
“I was asserting dominance. It’s the only language guys like Sean understand.”
I scoff. “Asserting dominance? You could have been killed!”
“Better me than you,” he growls.
“That’s not the point, Kieran.”
He finally looks at me then, his dark eyes simmering with rage.