Page 2 of Rear View

“I gotta handle things here first. You go, I’ll catch up.” I wouldn’t, and even if I tried, sure as hell, my old man would rat me to the cops. My fate was sealed, but hers… I needed her to move, and the lie was the only way she would.

She reached for me, palm settling over my wrist. “I can’t ask you to do this, Xavier.”

“You didn’t.” I shook my head. “He killed Fallon, Ma. I won’t let him kill you too.” My father tried to break free, papers crinkling as he struggled. I planted my foot on his chest and drove him back.

He cursed. “Your brother made his own choice.”

Sirens rang in the distance.

“Nah,” I said. “You made it for him.”

Mom bit her lip and those tears spilled over.

“You gotta go, Ma. Please.”

Dad spit and thrashed. “Don’t you fucking dare, Lorelei!”

The same words he used every time he wanted to shut her up. Remind her that when the cops left, he’d still be there, and she’d pay.

A sob broke from her as she threw her arms around my neck. I crushed her in my hold ’cause Christ only knew when I’d see her again—or if . Pulling back, I tipped my head outside. “You got the keys?”

“They’re still in the ignition,” she said.

“Good.” I gave her a peck on the cheek. “Run.” I turned back toward Dad. “I got this.”

“LORELEI!” Dad roared.

She sniffed and there was a brief silence, like she was hesitating, before the click of her heels echoed through the open door as she fled. The sound of the SUV’s engine fading away eased some of the pressure on my chest. But not all, ’cause I wasn’t done. Not yet.

Dad lifted his head, glaring at me through his brows. “Some mother, just leaving her kid like that.” His front tooth was broken. Blood leaked from his mouth and the gash I’d put across his forehead.

It looked good on him.

“It ain’t me she’s leavin’, old man.”

“I’ll find her,” he said, the threat heavy.

“No.” My stare locked with his when I vowed, “You won’t.”

“You piece of shit! You have no idea what you’ve started. You’ll regret this, boy!”

Fallon’s dead and bloodied body flashed across my mind. I shook my head. “Nah. I’m good.” There were a lotta things I regretted. Dealing with my old man wasn’t about to be one of them.

The sirens got closer.

Ma just needed a minute. Just one minute to get ahead. “You’re fucked now, Peter .”

His laugh was pissed off and wet. “I’m not the only one.”

The crank of the garage door ground out and my father’s eyes narrowed at the sound.

Dammit! He couldn’t know anyone else was there. “You’ve been had, old man.” I tapped the documents on his chest to distract him. Ones showing the funds his dumb accountant ass had stolen and funneled into his own bank account, ’cause he was predictable like that.

He spit blood to the side when he eyed them. His breath burst from him, and his jaw clenched hard. “Where the fuck did you get these?”

I smiled. “Doubt your clients’ll be good with it.”

His nostrils flared again, panic exploding deep in his eyes. “What’s the endgame here, Xavier?”

My smile morphed to a shit-eating grin. “Gettin’ rid of you.”

“You think you’re smart? You’re nothing. The cops will never believe you.”

“They don’t need to. You screwed yourself on this one.” I edged back and headed for the front door. Pausing in the entrance, I gave him a salute. “Good luck in prison, Pops.” Then I bolted, exploding out into the night as I made for his car.

“Xavier!” he bellowed, but anything else he said was cut off when I dived into the driver’s seat of that Chevelle and turned its loud, rumbling engine over.

“It’s done?” Alec asked, ducked low on the passenger side while Sean crouched in the back, their balaclavas on to keep their asses from being seen.

Red and blue lights tracked across the houses outside, those sirens wailing loud. They were close. Real goddamn close.

My split knuckles ached as I shifted into reverse, but it was worth the pain.

“It’s done.” I punched it outta there and careened down the driveway.

I hit the road, then the brakes. When I cut the wheel, the car drifted, front end swinging around.

Popping the clutch, I slammed the car into first and hit the gas.

One of the cop cars whipped into the driveway, and the other came after me.

Fuck! Not optimal, but I’d anticipated it. Just in case. Almost two years I’d planned that route. Knew it better than I knew the scars on my father’s fist. Had driven it with Alec a thousand times. Only obstacle I couldn’t account for was traffic, but that’s where he came in.

“Three pedestrians, crosswalk to your right,” Alec called.

I veered left to give ’em room.

Weaving us through the city, I pulled ahead of the cop that trailed us. But it didn’t take long before he called in reinforcements and more joined in.

“How many?” I asked.

Alec eyed his side-view mirror. “Six that I can count.” His attention darted forward. “Truck blocking the right lane three intersections up.”

Ten minutes later, the whop, whop sound of a helicopter carried. My stare flicked up just as they beamed that megawatt spotlight at the car. I’d gained a lead over the cruisers on our tail, the gap between us getting wider and wider. But it didn’t matter, the chopper had me pegged.

“Pull the vehicle over. Stop. Pull the vehicle over,” a cop said over the loudspeaker on repeat.

There was a creak from the back seat before Sean said, “Holy shit.”

Cutting a hard right, I aimed for the bar district and laid on the horn. People screamed as they scrambled outta the way.

“You’re clear,” Alec said.

I exhaled to steady my breathing before I hit the gas. Every head was fixed on me, phones lifting as I careened through. The underground lot came into view.

“Two hundred meters,” Alec said. “One hundred… Fifty.”

I snapped the wheel, steering us inside, then followed it down, tires shrieking from the speed as I went deeper. I didn’t panic. I knew the car’s limits—had lived for the rush when I’d tested them with Alec a shit ton before.

Sean pulled his balaclava tighter. “They’ve got cameras down here, man!”

“X took them out,” Alec said when he twisted to look through the back window.

The stairs to street level sat thirty feet ahead.

“The cops’ll block the exits,” Sean said. “We’re fucking trapped.”

My hard stare met Alec’s. “Not we.” I dropped my foot down, locking the brakes up. Their hands shot out, bracing themselves against the hard stop.

I unclipped Alec’s seat belt. “Get movin’.”

His nod was tight. “I’ll see you on the other side.” He whipped his door open and launched out. Sean cursed and followed tight behind. They kept low as they ran and ducked behind a car, tearing their balaclavas off and stuffing them away before they bolted for the stairs and outta sight.

Thank Christ. I could handle my life being blown apart, but not Alec’s. Never fuckin’ Alec’s.

Red and blue lights dusted the concrete walls, gaining on me.

I punched the gas again, circling down, down, down, until I hit the dead end at the bottom of the lot and stopped, cornering myself.

The cops caught up, parking at forty-fives to block me in, then flew from their vehicles, yelling instructions to each other on positioning, guns drawn.

“GET OUT OF THE CAR AND PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM,” a female cop yelled.

So, I did, ’cause it was the only way.