Page 34 of Identify

“No way, babe. She’s your girl, your responsibility.”

“Uh, sorrybabe, but this was your plan and yourget. It’s all on you.”

“Agree to disagree.”

“I hate that saying.” He knows that. I grit my teeth and try to figure out a way to fix this. Quinn will have no fucking idea what to do if she’s caught.

“You’ve thrown her to the dogs.”

“Huh?”

“You. With this. She won’t know what to do. You’ve thrown her to the dogs.”

“Wolves.”

I slow to stop at a red light. “What wolves?” I look around but see nothing.

“You throw someone to the wolves, not the dogs.”

I throw my hands up. I hate it when he does this. “You know what I mean.” I confuse words sometimes, especially when I’m upset. And in English, all the words are so confusing, plus it’s my third language. I speak Russian and Polish before English.

He runs his palm over his face. “What do you want to do?”

“We can’t go back and get her. Goddamn it, Mack!”

“Don’t yell at me, Daria. I’m under a bit of pressure here.”

“I’m under a bit of pressure here,” I mimic, then toss him my cell. “Call her, find out where she is and if she’s okay.”

He grumbles, but he does it.

“Put it on speaker.”

“Daria?” Quinn answers.

“No, Mack.”

“Mack?”

“Daria’s here, she’s just driving,” Mack says.

“Why is Mack answering Daria’s phone?” I hear in the background.

“Who’s that?” Mack asks Quinn.

“Uh, that’s Reed,” she responds.

“Why is Reed with you?” Mack asks.

“Reed is with Quinn?” I confirm.

Shit, shit, shit!

For as much as I want to believe in Reed, and his not turning us in, if he finds out like this, let’s just say it will not bode well for any of us. I hit the steering wheel with the palm of my hand and speed up too fast at the green light, taking the next turn a bit too sharply. Mack grabs the headrest of the passenger seat to keep from sliding across the bench seat.

“Do you mind?” he says to me.

“Put your seatbelt on,” I tell him.