Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
My heart almost explodes from my chest, but now I just feel crazy. Jeremy isn’t coming for me at all. He’s nowhere to be seen, nor are any of his men. I have a feeling he’s laughing at me somewhere, knowing that he’s got me.
But he did shoot Nova, so there is a risk, I can’t forget that.
I wave Clara over and even though nothing happened to me she runs like there’s no tomorrow. Her legs move so quickly, it’s ridiculous. But I understand. I feel her pain. I know that from my own run just moments before.
“Come on, Clara,” I mutter with terror. “Come on, get here swiftly.”
She does. She jumps into the car and almost skids right across to my lap. She jumps in so hard. “That was fucking nuts.” She shakes her head. “Let’s get out of here.”
I bring the car to life and speed along the roads, feeling incredibly confident with every passing second…
Bang!
Clara screams and ducks her head. I wish I could do the same thing, but I need to keep
my eyes on the road. Even more so now.
Bang! Bang!
“It’s okay,” I try to reassure the very terrified Clara. “I’ll get us away.”
Bang! Bang!
Now I don’t just have to worry about me, it’s her and the car too. If one of those stray bullets hit my vehicle then I’m screwed, we could end up spiraling off the road.
Bang!
“I don’t think they want to hit us,” I try to tell her. “Or they would.”
But she continues to scream, not reassured at all. The sound vibrates right through my brain, making this the most stressful car journey of my life. I can understand why she’s still scared…. it sure as hell feels like they are zoning in.
I turn out of the estate, sucking in a breath, expecting the worst, but nothing happens right away. It’s silent, aside from the normal Las Vegas noises. But I don’t relax right away, not until I’ve been driving for about ten more minutes.
“Clara!” I call out. “Clara, stop! They aren’t shooting anymore. We’re fine.”
She curls around into the fetal position on the passenger seat, making herself as small as she possibly can. I wish there was something to calm her down, but I just need to keep going.
I blink the sweat out of my eyes, the strain getting more intense with every passing second. My house, and hopefully the shooters, are peeling out of view. I just hope Jeremy doesn’t have more guys at the hospital. He must know that Nova is there.
“We’ll be there soon,” I say to Clara, but also to myself. “Won’t be long now.”
I tap my fingers on the steering wheel in the same pace as my heart beat as we go. It’s very difficult for me to get any air into my lungs, but I keep sucking in deep just to stop myself from getting too dizzy. My head wants to lose control, but I can’t let it.
“Okay, Clara.” I can’t keep the tension from my tone. “We’re here.”
“We’re at the hospital?” She doesn’t uncurl right away. “Is there anyone here?”
I want to lie to reassure her, but I can’t. “I don’t know, but this time I think we should just do the run together. I’ll park as close to the door as I can.”
“Yeah, I don’t want to be on my own anymore.”
I slide the car around, barely even noticing if I have space or not, and grab onto Clara’s arm. “We need to be strong, for Nova. We need to get in there to see her.”
“Yeah.” She pants a couple of times. “Let’s do it.”
I squeeze her hand and give her a reassuring smile. She doesn’t return it, but I can see the determination cross her expression. “I think I’m ready. Let’s go.”