Page 35 of Shadowed Sins: Nitro

Vertical?

He yanks the wheel hard right, jumping the curb into a parking garage. We spiral up, tires shrieking on concrete. The SUVs follow, their heavier frames struggling with the tight turns.

"When we hit the top, hold on."

"What are you—"

We explode onto the roof level. Dead end. Concrete wall ahead. The SUVs are right behind us.

Jax floors it toward the wall.

"Jax!"

At the last second, he yanks the e-brake, spinning us 180 degrees. We're facing the SUVs head-on now, and I can see the drivers' eyes widen.

"Down!"

He grabs my head, pushes it below the dashboard as he accelerates straight at them. The lead SUV tries to swerve. Too late. We clip their front quarter panel, sending them spinning into a concrete pillar.

The crash is tremendous. Metal shrieking, glass exploding.

We're already past them, diving back down the spiral ramp. My body presses against the door from the g-force.

"Two left," I report, checking the mirrors.

"Not for long."

We burst from the garage onto Wilshire. He takes a hard left, then an immediate right into an alley. It's too narrow for the SUVs. They overshoot, have to reverse.

"Ghost, I need an intercept." His voice stays level despite the blood now soaking his collar. "Westwood and Ohio."

More murmured response.

"Understood."

He cuts through a loading dock, jumps another curb, slides between two buildings barely wide enough for the Mercedes. Metal scrapes both sides, but we're through.

The SUVs have to go around again. We've gained thirty seconds.

"You're bleeding pretty bad."

"It's just surface cuts."

"Your face is covered in—"

"I'm fine until you're safe."

The words hit harder than they should.This is what protection feels like.

My hands are steady as I reach over, wiping blood running towards his eyes so he can see. He doesn't pull away.

"Left here," I say, spotting a route. "The underpass."

He takes it without question. Perfect synchronization. No hesitation.

We shoot through the underpass doing ninety. One SUV appears in the mirrors, gaining.

"Where's the other—"