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"What's going on?" Tahani asks, but I'm not sure if she's talking to me or Carter.
"Guerrero is in Sacramento, sweetheart," Roman says. I think he's trying to keep me calm, but rage and panic bleed into his tone anyway, sending my heart into overdrive. "He's…fuck. I don't know how much he knows about Tahani. Do not go to her house. Turn around right now and drive straight to the nearest police precinct. Do you hear me? Don't fucking stop for anyone."
"O-okay." I swallow hard, clutching the phone a little tighter.
"I'm coming for you and Tahani, baby. I promise you that."
"What the fuck?" Tahani growls.
I jump at the sound of her voice, my gaze flying to her, only to find her looking straight ahead, frowning. My gaze follows hers, my heart taking another nosedive in my chest.
A black Acadia has parked sideways across the road right before Tahani's driveway, completely blocking the street. The dark tinted windows make it impossible to see inside the vehicle.
A sick sense of dread slides through me at the sight of it, freezing the blood in my veins. Fear pumps through me hard and fast, my fight or flight response kicking into high gear. My feet actually tap against the floorboard like my body is preparing to run even though I'm trapped in the Jeep.
"Tahani, turn around," I whisper, squeezing her hand tighter. "Turn around now!"
"Stop!" Carter barks at the same time. "Stop the fucking car."
Tahani immediately slams on the brake, pitching me forward. The seatbelt locks around me and throws me right back into the seat. I gasp when my head bounces against the headrest so hard I nearly drop the phone.
"What the fuck is going on?" Roman roars in my ear.
"I don't know," I mumble, trying to make sense of the scene in front of me.
"Back up," Carter tells Tahani, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Tahani throws the car into reverse and starts backing up, forcing Benson to do the same behind us. She doesn't ask any questions or demand answers. For once, she just does what she's told.
"Get some fucking backing units here now," Carter growls at whoever is on the phone, pulling his gun from his holster. "I think he's here."
A whimper climbs up my throat as soon as the words leave his lips. Guerrero isn’t on the way. He isn’t coming for us. He’s here now.
Carter drops his phone to the seat beside him, cursing under his breath. He takes the safety off and then slides the hammer back on his service weapon, chambering a bullet.
"Mila, talk to me," Roman says, his voice hard and demanding.
"There's an SUV blocking the road in front of Tahani's house," I whisper, turning to Tahani. "Jose Guerrero is in Sacramento. Roman's on his way here."
"Oh my God." Her voice shakes with fear.
"Where the fuck are Benson and Carter?" Roman seethes in my ear. He's practically yelling, but I hear the little thread of terror in his voice and in the way his breath rasps down the line. Knowing he's afraid kills me. He's the strongest person I know, but he's hours away, unable to do anything to help us. It’s probably tearing him apart. He's on the verge of losing it.
I take a deep breath, trying to hold it together for both of us. I have to hold it together for him. "Carter is with us. Benson is in the car behind us," I tell him, speaking as calmly as possible. "We're okay, baby. They're right here with us."
"What the fuck is he doing?" Carter mutters, pulling my attention away from the phone again.
Before I can say anything else, Tahani hits the brake, stopping the car.
"Why isn't he moving?" she mutters, craning her neck to see behind her.
Carter's phone rings again. Before it's even through the first ring, he's got it at his ear. "What?" His scowl deepens, his brows pulling together as he barks that single word. "You're fucking kidding me."
"What is going on?" Tahani demands, her voice sharp and panicky.
Carter's gaze flicks to her face and then to mine. Worry flickers through his green eyes before he quickly schools his expression into a stoic mask—the same one Roman wears when he doesn’t want me to know what he’s thinking. When he’s seriously fucking worried about something. "There's a car blocking the roadway behind us," he says softly. "Benson's getting out to check it out."
Tahani whimpers.
