Page 85 of Defending You

“We should go,” he said reluctantly.

“We should.” But she didn’t want to. She wanted to stay in this moment, in this bubble where they were just Asher and Cici, where the world held promise instead of danger.

But the sound of an engine turning over in the distance reminded her that they weren’t safe yet. They returned to the motorcycle, donned their ponchos and helmets, and climbed on. She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him a little tighter than necessary.

The road stretched dark ahead of them as they pulled away from Millerville’s glowing lights. Asher kept their speed steady, navigating the winding curves with ease.

Cici pressed her cheek against his back, feeling the steady rhythm of his breathing. Less than two hours to Shadow Cove. Less than two hours until this nightmare was over and they could figure out what came next.

Peace, Cici realized, was a luxury they couldn’t afford.

The twenty-minute pitstop had stretched into an hour, but now the motorcycle’s engine hummed beneath them as they wound through the Maine countryside. The headlight carved a narrow tunnel through the darkness ahead, illuminating rain-slicked asphalt that gleamed like obsidian.

Cici pressed closer against Asher, the conversation at the restaurant replaying in her mind. For the first time in years, maybe ever, she felt truly seen. Not as the overlooked middle child or the Wright sister who never quite measured up, but as herself. Special. Chosen.

The thought filled her with warmth, but fear twisted in her stomach. They’d been stationary too long. Every minute they’d spent talking had been another minute for their enemies to close the distance. Asher was certain they were safe, that nobody knew where they were. But Gagnon and his goons had caught up with them before when they’d thought they were invisible.

She’d already had so much to lose. Now there was this new hope for her future, maybe even a future with this amazing man. The thought that she might not get to see where their feelings took them raised fresh terror inside her.

The road stretched ahead, flanked by dense forest that no longer felt safe but pressed in like walls. No streetlights, no other vehicles, just the two of them racing through a void toward Shadow Cove and safety.

“How much farther, do you think?” she called over the engine noise.

“An hour, maybe less.” Asher’s voice was steady, calming her worries.

He knew what he was doing. He’d proved that over and over. She needn’t worry.

She settled in for the final stretch, deciding to enjoy the closeness. The miles passed in a hypnotic blur of darkness and engine vibration. Cici let herself imagine what it would be like tosee her family again, to sleep in her childhood bed without fear. To wake up tomorrow and plan a future with Asher instead of just trying to survive.

The daydream shattered when twin beams shone in the rearview mirror. Probably nothing. There were towns around here, homes and farms. Surely that was just a local.

It caught up fast and then hovered a dozen yards behind them.

Even as she told herself she was fine, worry churned in her stomach. “Asher.”

“I see them. Hang on.”

She tightened her grip as the motorcycle shot forward.

She expected the car to shrink behind them, but it didn’t. It kept pace. No matter how fast Asher drove—too fast for the wet roads—it stayed on their tail.

Cici’s stomach dropped as they accelerated into a sharp curve, the bike leaning at an angle that made her squeeze her eyes shut.

Their pursuers didn’t drop back at all.

“We’re going to have to lose them,” Asher shouted. “Look at the map, find us a narrow road, better yet, a trail.”

She fumbled for the phone she’d shoved in her pocket, gripping Asher’s shirt in her other hand. When the app was open, she searched for someplace where this glorified dirt bike could be an advantage over the sedan behind them.

Terror had her hands shaking so hard she feared she’d drop the phone. If she didn’t find a trail, they were sunk.

Somehow, impossibly, they’d been tracked down again.

“There’s a narrow road up ahead. Not a trail, but maybe?—”

“Warn me when we’re close.” As frightened as she was, Asher sounded calm and in control, as if he dealt with this kind of thing every single day. She thanked God for his skills. If anybody could get them out of this, Asher could.

The car behind them suddenly accelerated, its engine roaring as it pulled alongside them on the narrow road.