The car's headlights slice through the night, momentarily blinding me as I squint into the bright light. The screech of tires still echoes in my ears, the panic in my chest growing as I glance at Max and Liam.
"We can't trust them," Max says, his voice low and filled with suspicion. "We don't even know who it is."
I don't know why, but I feel like we have no other choice. The growls of the figures behind us get louder, their movements quick and calculated. Jaxon's grin sends chills down my spine. We're running out of time.
Without thinking, I grab Max's arm and pull him toward the car. "We have to go," I whisper, my voice shaking. "They'll kill us if we stay here."
Liam hesitates, his gaze flicking from the car to the approaching figures. He knows we don't have much time either. With a resigned look, he nods. "Get in the car. We don't have a choice."
Max shoots Liam a glare, still unsure, but follows me as I climb into the backseat of the car. The door slams shut behind us, and the engine roars to life. The car speeds off, tires screeching against the pavement, leaving the figures in the dust. I turn my head, my heart still racing, but they don't follow us immediately.
As we speed down the empty streets, I glance at the driver. The face is shadowed, their features hidden under the darkness of the car. I can't tell if it's friend or foe.
"Who are you?" I ask, my voice trembling. "Why are you helping us?"
The driver doesn't answer immediately. Instead, the car swerves around a corner sharply, throwing me back against the seat. I grip the edge of the door, trying to steady myself.
"I said, who are you?" I repeat, this time with more urgency.
The driver's voice comes out in a calm, almost distant tone. "Not here to explain. Just here to get you out."
I glance at Max and Liam, both of them tense, their eyes scanning the road behind us. Liam shifts in his seat, his jaw clenched. "Why are you helping us?" he asks, his voice wary.
"I have my reasons," the driver responds, their voice unwavering. "I'm not here to make friends. Just here to make sure you survive."
My stomach tightens with unease. The car continues to speed through the streets, the engine roaring as the driver takes sharp turns, making sure we're not followed. The silence in the car feels suffocating.
"What is this all about?" I can't help but ask, the words spilling out before I can stop them. "Who are we really running from?"
The driver's answer is almost a whisper. "People who want to keep you from finding out the truth."
The words hang in the air like a warning, heavy and ominous. I glance at Max and Liam, both of them looking more lost than ever. They don't know any more than I do. But the tension between us is palpable, and for a brief moment, I wonder if we're all caught in a web of lies and secrets that none of us can escape.
"Why now?" Liam asks. "Why not before?"
The car slows as we approach a quieter area. The driver takes another turn, this one even sharper than the last, and pulls up to a hidden alley. "This is where I leave you," the driver says, finally stopping the car. "You'll be safer here."
"Wait," I say, my pulse quickening. "Where are we? What's going on?"
But the driver's door opens, and before any of us can respond, they step out of the car. The figure pauses, their face still hidden in the shadows. "This is as far as I go," they say cryptically. "Don't trust anyone."
And just like that, they disappear into the night, leaving us in the silence of the alley.
I stare after the figure, my mind racing. "What just happened?" I whisper, turning to Max and Liam.
Max looks at me, his face grim. "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this."
Liam is already out of the car, moving toward the end of the alley. His posture is tense, his gaze scanning the surroundings, but his eyes dart back to me. "We need to move. We're not safe here."
I follow them out of the car, my mind still spinning. I don't know what's real anymore. I thought I was running from danger, but now, I'm not even sure who the real enemy is.
As we move deeper into the alley, I hear a faint noise behind us. The kind of sound that makes my heart skip a beat. The sound of footsteps.
I freeze, my breath caught in my throat.
Max whirls around, his eyes wide. "Did you hear that?"
Liam's gaze snaps toward the sound, his body stiffening as he watches the shadows stretch out before us. "We're not alone," he mutters, his voice low.
Before I can respond, a figure steps into the alley, their outline barely visible in the dark. It's too dark to make out any details, but I can feel their presence like a weight in the air. And then the voice—low, smooth, but filled with an edge I can't quite place—speaks.
"You didn't think you'd be free that easily, did you?"
My breath catches in my throat.
It's Jaxon.