Page 119 of Faded Gray Lines

“Because Estella is his daughter.”

My revelation didn’t seem to register with him—or if it did, he didn’t care. He was too preoccupied with staring into the rearview mirror.

“Oh, fuck!” Jerking the wheel, he made a sharp right turn down a single road.

“Slow down!” I screamed. His erratic driving threw me around like a ragdoll and my head smacked against the window. “You’re driving like a maniac!”

“They’re behind us,” he growled, pointing over his shoulder. “Tahoe.”

Turning around, I saw a tan Tahoe with tinted windows bouncing along the road behind us. Every time we sped up, so did they.

Still, I rationalized his paranoia. “Lots of people drive Tahoes.”

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

As we drove farther away from civilization, I panicked, slapping his shoulders and screaming at the top of my lungs. “Let me out of this car! I have to find my daughter and my grandparents!”

He offered me a quick glance that almost seemed sympathetic. “You don’t have to look for your grandparents. They’re dead.”

“No!” I shook my head, unable to stop. I shook it until I became dizzy. A strangled cry tore from my throat, and I punched any part of him I could. I wanted him to hurt as much as I did.

“Would you fucking stop? I’m trying to drive!”

“You’re lying! It’s not true! You’re—” As the tears rolled, I glanced out the window, seeing nothing but wilderness. There were no houses. No people. Suspicion, pain, and fear swirled in my head.

Then I recognized it.

Matty took me out here once, only to warn me to never come back. He knew I liked to wander and made me promise to stay away because he’d heard stories that there were cartel safe houses in these woods.

At the time, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t a warning.

It was sound advice from one of their own.

When I got in this car earlier, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t a talk.

It was a trap.

I jerked on the door handle, ready to jump out of a moving car if I had to, but it wouldn’t budge. “Let me out of this car!” I screamed.

Alex shook his head, his expression almost sad. “I can’t. I told you, they have her. It’s either you or her, Leighton. I can’t hurt a kid. May God forgive me.”

I stared at him in horror. I’d counted on everything except Alex’s conscience. He was right when he said he’d protect Stella, but the price he’d pay was my life.

May God forgive me too.

Letting out a bloodcurdling scream, I grabbed the wheel with both hands and jerked it hard to the right. The sudden turn caused the car to spin into a ditch.

“Alex?” I coughed, my voice barely a whisper. He didn’t answer. Glancing to my left, I saw him slumped over the wheel. He was unconscious, his face covered in blood.

I need help.

I tried to get out of my seat belt, but it was jammed. I thought I yelled for help, but my mind was so fuzzy, I couldn’t remember if it was out loud or in my head.

That was when I heard the car door slam.

Then the footsteps.

Metal grinded together as my door wrenched open, and I saw something silver and shiny coming toward me. I didn’t have the energy to protest as it dug into my chest and sliced me.