Page 43 of Royal Hacker

I walked back into the kitchen and pulled out a multilayered Reese’s peanut butter cake. Between each layer was a row of Reese’s. The frosting was chocolate and peanut butter and had Reese’s crumbled on top. When I opened the freezer to pull out the ice cream, I couldn’t find it. I looked through all the shelves—it wasn’t there.

Patty and Bridget were still in the living room, playing with Alonzo when I walked back in. “Hey, guys, I’m going to run to the store really quick and pick up some ice cream. Do you need anything else?”

Patty shook her head. “Make sure you take one of the guys with you.”

I ignored Patty’s request. We’d had nothing but shadows since Patty’s kidnapping. My ex was in the grave, along with Patty’s crazy friend. The tabloids still hadn’t made a big deal over my identity. There was no reason to bother the guys. I was running to the store. It was only a few miles away.

I grabbed my phone and purse and headed down the elevator. My black Lexus SUV was parked in the front spot next to Patty’s Range Rover. I jumped in and headed out of the garage, waving at the guard on the way out.

The streets were quiet for a Sunday afternoon. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d driven myself somewhere without a bodyguard or someone else dictating my life. Enjoying my freedom, I choose to take the scenic route. In the marshy grass, I spotted a momma alligator basking in the sun next to her baby.

I noticed a black Escalade in my rearview mirror. The windows looked tinted. When the car was close, I couldn’t make out the driver. They had a hat pulled down low, covering their face. It was going faster than it should on the back roads. The car was getting closer and closer. I accelerated. Clicking the hands-free button on my steering wheel, I called the first person who popped into my head.

“Where are you, Jessica?” Brock answered. “You aren’t supposed to leave without so—”

“Shut up! I need help.”

The car was getting closer. The more I sped up, the more it did. It was riding my bumper.

“What’s going on?” I could hear the panic in Brock’s voice.

The car behind me smacked my bumper, causing my car to lurch forward. I put my foot down on the gas, hoping I could outrun the Escalade.

“Someone is trying to run me off the road.”

“Try to slow down and see if they will pass you. It’s probably someone with road rage.”

“They hit my fucking bumper. They won’t pass me. Did you know in a seven-year study period, there were over two hundred murders associated directly with road rage? Let’s hope it’s not road rage, and they leave me alone.”

“Where are you? This is not the time for a fact check.”

“I took the scenic r—”

The car hit my rear right fender, causing my car to swerve to the right. My front tire got caught on the uneven pavement on the shoulder of the road causing the car to flip.

I couldn’t hear Brock anymore over the deafening sound of crunching metal. Glass flew into the car, and I could feel the shards hitting my skin.

“Brock, please find me,” I whispered before the lights went dark.

The End

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