Page 182 of Stolen Voices

“He was nothing compared to you. I thought I knew what love was, but I didn’t. What I feel for you can’t be explained. It’s all consuming. I miss you when you’re not around. For the longest time, I thought it was a crush, but it was so much more than that. I love you, with every particle in my body, Eli.”

“If we weren’t late to my parents’ house, I’d pull the car over and show you just how much I love you right back.”

Callie chuckles. “So dirty.”

“What can I say? You do it for me.” I blow her a kiss and watch the color in her cheeks darken. We drive for another mile or two before I ask about her day. “How was your visit with your mom?”

While I was at the office this afternoon, she went to visit her mother at the group home with Boone, whom I owe big time. When I reached out to him for a security hook-up, he offered to do the job instead. I hired him on the spot. I’ve known Boone for years, and I trust him. He refuses to let me pay him, so I’ve made some calls to get him some more stunt work. My friend has shown up for me these last couple of weeks, and I want to repay his loyalty.

Glancing in my rearview mirror, I catch a black SUV swerving into the oncoming traffic lane and cutting someone off. Fuck, people are crazy. This is a two-lane highway.

I shake off the scene behind me and keep driving, listening to Callie.

“It was good. I felt like she was close to saying something again,” she says with a noticeably happy lilt in her voice.

I wonder if getting rid of Silla might help Diana.

“Did you tell her about what’s going on?”

She sighs. “No. She’s making slow progress, and I don’t want her going backward.”

Raising Callie’s hand to my mouth, I kiss the back of it. “I understand.”

A horn blares behind me, drawing my attention. I see the same SUV speed up, swerve, and cut off another car, which brings it two cars behind me. Thankfully, the turn for the highway through the canyon approaches, so I merge right to go east.

My stomach lurches as the SUV, with a steel reinforced bumper, merges onto the highway right behind me and speeds up.

Is the car following me?

Pressing down on the accelerator, I speed up, heading for the turnout just ahead so I can let this person behind me pass. I grip the steering wheel tight as a sheen of sweat breaks out across my forehead.

I glance over to ensure Callie is buckled in, then press down harder as the SUV catches up and nudges my bumper.

Callie yelps at the bump. “Oh my gosh, what was that?”

Keeping my voice as calm as I can, so as not to scare her, I say, “The car behind us hit our bumper. I’m going to pull over at the turnout. Don’t look back. Just stay facing forward.”

She nods in agreement, and I let out a breath, grateful that she doesn’t argue with me. My gut says this car is targeting us. I speed up, and as I suspected, so does the SUV.

Fuck.

What do I do? The glare of the sun makes it impossible for me to see the driver. I speed up again and hope I can see some of the license plate details before we slow for the curve about half a mile ahead.

I hit the hands-free button. “Call Mason.”

“Hey.”

“Mason, don’t talk, just listen. I’m in the car with Callie. We are in the canyon, and an SUV is following behind us. It’s already tapped us. I need you to call the police, tell them where I’m at, and write this license plate for me.”

“On it.”

“4BSV.”

The car speeds up and hits us again, harder, pitching us forward with a jerk. Callie screams. The sound pierces my ears and makes my heart rate spike.

“Eli,” Mason shouts.

I ignore him. I need to calm my girl down and get the rest of the license plate.