Page 58 of Lethal Attraction

“What the fuck?” Reed mutters in disbelief. “Did someone stab him?”

I shove him, making him walk faster. “I don’t know, but he probably deserved it.”

Reed snakes an arm around my waist, tugging me closer. “We’re going to talk about this later.”

“Uh, huh.”

Fuck. Me. Sideways. In the ass. In my ear. Everywhere.

“There’s no way you drive a Corvette…” Taryn mutters in awe as she pauses at the sleek black hood.

“Who do you assist? Batman?” Emma jokes.

I give an awkward laugh as the heat of Reed’s stare cuts into the side of my head. After tonight, there’s no doubt he’s going to start piecing things together.

“Just someone wealthy,” I say through clenched teeth as my eyes snap to the space behind us only to find it empty.

That sends ice down my spine. No more footsteps or voices. Nothing.

“That’s weird,” Emma murmurs, glancing around. “Weren’t those guys just here?”

No kidding.

Every instinct in my body starts screaming to move. Now. I yank my keys from my pocket and hit the unlock button. The Corvette chirps as the lights flash.

“Get in the car,” I snap.

Taryn startles. “Jesus, okay—”

Emma scrambles for the backseat while Taryn circles around to the other side. Reed lingers beside me, his body angling protectively as his gaze sweeps across the lot. His hand still rests at the base of my spine, offering a small emblem of comfort that really makes me want to do unspeakable things to him.

“Should we be worried that those men disappeared?” He asks quietly.

“Absolutely.”

His jaw tightens before he nods and slips into the passenger seat without another question. We’ve just started dating and I’m pretty sure I’m in the doghouse already. Wonderful.

I ease behind the wheel, slamming the door before turning the key in the ignition and letting the engine purr to life. Something in the back of my mind urges me to look up, and the second my eyes meet the rearview mirror, two black trucks parked near the edge of the lot flick their headlights on.

Bright beams flood the interior of my car. Beside me, Reed shifts in his seat while Taryn’s head whips toward the back window. “Uh, I think I found them...”

The trucks begin moving before she can say anything else. Not toward the exit, but towards us.

“Why are they following us?” Emma asks, her concern immediately sharpening the atmosphere inside the car.

I’m already shifting into drive. My mind is too occupied with evaluating routes and creating distance to answer her. The objective is simple: get everyone in this vehicle home safely.

Nothing else matters.

I press down on the accelerator and pull out of the parking lot just as the trucks surge forward behind us. Their engines roar in pursuit, staying close enough that I can feel their presence even without looking in the mirror. As I merge into traffic, I weave between slower vehicles, forcing the trucks to either commit to reckless maneuvers or lose ground.

A hand brushes mine where it rests on the shifter. My gaze breaks for a moment, shifting over to Reed. I expect confusion, fear, maybe even anger after everything that’s happened tonight. Instead, there’s only concern. He’s staring at me like he wants to help but has no idea how. The look makes something tighten painfully in my chest.

“Okay, I don’t know what’s going on,” Taryn says from the backseat, gripping the handle above the door, “but at least talk to us.”

I don’t.

My attention stays fixed on the road ahead and the mirror above it. The lead truck is trying to stay directly behind me while the second hangs back, waiting for an opening. They’re working together like a well-oiled machine, but that’s not enough.