Page 93 of Stand: Part One

As I switched lanes, I noticed a car coming up behind us a little too quickly for my liking. Once the car got close enough to where I could see the four passengers inside, the car slowed down behind another vehicle one lane over. It looked like a large black SUV.

Deciding to test my theory, I sped up, flying between cars to see if they would speed up to avoid losing us. And they didn’t disappoint.

“I think we’ve got a tail,” I said after turning down the radio.

Darren’s jaw clenched. “You’re just now noticing that?”

I frowned. Was that why he wanted us to start heading back already?

“Excuse me for paying attention to the road in front of me.”

“You know better than that. Roll up the windows,” he scolded, taking out his phone and pressing it to his ear.

I grumbled under my breath and pressed the button to close the windows.

“Got eyes?” Darren asked into the phone. I couldn’t hear a thing the other person on the line was saying, but I imagined it was probably Scott.

My gaze couldn’t stop flying back to the rearview mirror to see if the car was still behind us. My hands gripped the steering wheel harder than they should, worried I might have to make some precise evasive maneuvers very soon.

Once Darren hung up the phone, he sighed heavily as he removed his seat belt and turned his body to reach behind our seats.

“What are you doing?” I asked as my eyes jumped back and forth between him, the road, and our tail. From what I could tell, he pushed a switch somewhere that opened up some kind of hidden compartment, revealing a shit ton of guns, knives, and explosives.

I rolled my eyes. Of course Darren would have an entire arsenal in his own car.

“Princess,” he called gently as he pulled out a very large Desert Eagle from the hidden compartment. “You have my permission to very carefully go nuts.”

With my heart now pulsing with adrenaline, I pressed the paddles to shift the car into sixth gear and surged forward like a damn rocket.

“Holy fuck,” I whispered to myself, glancing at Darren to make sure he didn’t hear that. This car was stupid fast.

Switching lanes, I zipped by several cars to get ahead, the SUV behind us getting smaller by the second. I swore the faster I drove the faster my heart beat, the adrenaline in my veins making it difficult to keep my breathing even.

“When they start shooting at us,” Darren began, his voice way too casual as he pulled the slide back to ensure a bullet slid into the chamber, “it will be very loud, so try not to panic and stay focused on the road. Remember that the car is bulletproof. Among other things.”

Wait, when?

Among other things?

“Then why are you pulling out the guns?” I asked as I maneuvered between vehicles.

Darren gave me that quick shark-like grin of his and winked. “Because their cars aren’t.”

Cool. My first time driving in years and it comes with a car chase and a shoot-out. Just the kind of outing I was hoping for.

“Listen to me carefully, Jaden,” Darren said calmly as he shifted in his seat. “You’re going to get off at the fifth exit and then make a right, and another immediate right. It’ll take you down a long private road. Do not stop until I tell you to. Understand?”

It was difficult trying to focus on not killing us while I drove almost a hundred miles an hour between cars and listened to the instructions he was giving me. But I nodded anyway.

“Big girl words, princess,” he growled.

“Yes. Fifth exit. Right, and another right. No stopping.”

Fuck, I hope I said that right.

“Good girl,” he praised, then rolled down his passenger window.

Keeping my eyes glued to the road was nearly impossible once Darren turned his body and stuck his arm out the window, resting it flush with the car.