ra scrambled to her feet, stunned. He''d seemed fine just moments ago-what happened?


    They rode the esctor down in silence. Dn didn''t say a word. Neither did Aiden.


    ra, feeling a bit like an outsider, kept quiet too.


    Back in the car, she grabbed a bottle of water and held it out to Dn. "Want some?"


    Dn leaned against the backseat, his Adam''s apple bobbing, but he didn''t take the water. He lookedpletely lost in his own misery.


    ra started to say something tofort him, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw a line of massive trucks barreling toward them.


    Almost without thinking, she shouted, "Aiden!"


    Aiden had already floored the gas before she even finished.


    ra forced herself to stay calm and nced behind them. The trucks filled the entire road-they were on the only route back to the Capital. Someone clearly didn''t want them getting back.


    She took a deep breath. "So, what''s the n?"


    Aiden''s face was steady, totally unfazed. "We keep driving. Wherever we can make it to, that''s where we''ll go. Miss, I''ll need you to look after the boss. He''s not doing well."


    ra slid over next to Dn and touched his forehead. No fever, but he looked awful.


    "Dn?"


    She called his name gently, even brushing her fingers near his nose just to check he was breathing.


    It felt a little ridiculous, but right then he seemed almost lifeless.


    Dn''s eyes fluttered open. In the rush of the speeding car, with the wind whistling outside, he suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.


    ra was caught off guard-his arms wrapped around her neck, their bodies pressed together, heat and tension spilling between them.


    Her mind went nk. She could feel how stiff he was, and the hand she''d meant to use to gently push him away just froze in the air.


    Aiden said he was having an episode, but as far as she knew, Dn only struggled with insomnia. Was there something else? What on earth happened in that building to mess him up like this?


    She patted his back gently.


    "It''s okay. I''m here. Try not to worry."


    Aiden nced at them in the rearview mirror but didn''t say anything. He had bigger problems right now.


    He took a steadying breath, pulled out his phone, and called for backup, steering them onto an even lonelier stretch of road.


    The trucks couldn''t keep up, but a string of ck sedans stuck to them like glue— and then the gunfire started.


    ra heard the sharp cracks and instinctively cupped Dn''s face in her hands. He still looked pale and shaken.


    Not sure what else to do, she leaned


    in and nted a quick kiss his


    lips


    It''s okay. Just close your eyes


    and rest for a bit, all right?"


    Maybe it was just her imagination, but it always seemed like her kisses calmed


    him down more than anything else.


    She turned her attention to the front. "Aiden, do we have a gun?"


    There were at least ten cars behind them, and it couldn''t go on like this. If


    someone managed to hit a tire, they''d be done for.


    "In the drawer to your left," Aiden replied.


    ra popped open thepartment, grabbed the gun, snapped it together in seconds, and cracked the window open just enough to aim.


    She fired at the nearest car''s tire. It spun out and tumbled off the road.


    Aiden''s jaw tightened as he watched her in the mirror, but he said nothing.


    ra didn''t have time to care about anyone''s reaction. She fired again—another tire, another car down.


    She spotted a sharp curve ahead and yed out the next few seconds in her head. Turning to Aiden, she said on my count, drift. I need your to line us up head-on with them.”


    If things stayed like this, she''d have to pick them off one by one. But if they could face the other cars


    directly, she


    tbe able to take


    them all out at once.


    Aiden nodded, trusting herpletely.


    As they reached the bend, ra shouted, "Now!"