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“It’s okay. We’re okay,” I called back to her. But there was nothing convincing in my voice, and Lainey’s whimper became a half-hearted cry.

“Shh, baby. Shh,” I said, flying down the street. “We’re going to go see Coast again, okay?”

I was about to hit the brake, respecting the speed limits to avoid a ticket.

When I saw a black car with dark tint racing up on me.

“Shit,” I cried, pressing my foot down again, my sweaty hands gripping the wheel.

“Shit shit shit,” I whimpered, saying a silent prayer that we didn’t flip as I turned down a cross street.

What did I do?

Go to the police station?

But I’d just turned in the opposite direction.

I could circle back.

Or…

I reached for my phone, unlocking and scrolling to my contacts while trying to keep my eyes on the road and rearview.

My whole body felt like it was shaking as I hit the speaker and dropped my phone into my lap, listening to it ring.

Once.

Twice.

“Hey, baby, what—”

“Coast!” I cut him off, voice high and desperate as the car behind seemed to be gaining on me.

My little clunker was no match for a newer model luxury sedan.

“Where are you?”

I swear I could already hear him moving.

“I’m on… on… Sunnyside Ave,” I said, catching a street sign. “It was a setup. They lured me to their house. Now they’re chasing us in their—no!” I cried as there was a hard tap on my bumper.

“Talk to me.”

“They just rammed into me.”

“Fuck. Okay. Listen to me. Do you know where you are?”

“Kind of.”

“Do not stay on back roads. Get on a main drag. You want options to put other cars between you and them.”

“Okay. Alright,” I agreed, mentally mapping the area, then taking a right turn to get back toward a more populated area.

“I’m coming, okay? We’re all coming. But you need to—”

His sentence was cut off by my yelp and Lainey’s cry as the car rammed into us again, harder.

The trunk flew open, blocking my view out of my back window.