Page 30 of Traitorous Lies (Prey Security: Charlie Team #6)
With the aches and pains from the accident still present in her body, and the memories of her terror as the car flipped and twisted as it rushed down the embankment still fresh, Monique slowed a little. The last thing she wanted was to crash the car because if she did, it would all be over.
There were more of them than there were of her and Jax, so that was a whole lot more weapons that would be firing on a wrecked car than Jax could fire back at.
They’d either be killed or kidnapped again, and neither of those options was at all appealing.
Kidnapping was only prolonging the inevitable anyway.
They were loose ends, and whoever was behind these attacks on Jax’s family was determined to have them all snipped off.
While the tires squealed as she took the corner a little faster than she should have, Monique was able to keep the car on the road.
“Good girl,” Jax murmured as he pulled back inside the car.
“Did you get them?”
“Some of them maybe, I doubt all.”
“So they’re going to follow us.” It was what she’d expected, but she would love for there to be a quick fix and a happy ending to this little drama.
Especially now that she knew for sure that she and Cassandra were sisters and she’d decided to forgive Jax and see if they could salvage the relationship they’d started building in the French forest.
“They will. You want me to take over driving?”
“No.” That would be taking the coward’s way out. This was something she could do, and it left Jax free to take out the men after them. It wouldn't be fair to put all the pressure on him while she did nothing but cower and hide.
“You sure?”
Since there was no judgment in his tone, Monique didn't feel like he was implying that she was incapable of contributing, more just that he was every bit as scared as she was, but he had the training and experience to hide it better.
“Positive. Besides, they’re going to start shooting again any—” She broke off as bullets once again began to fly.
“Second,” Jax finished for her as he once again shifted in his seat so he was balancing precariously out the window so he could return fire.
A glance in the rearview mirror told her that a vehicle was rapidly approaching them from behind.
Déjà vu filled her senses.
This was exactly what it had been like in France, only Jax had been the one driving. Still the small road, the trees all around them, the isolation, it was all too familiar, and her hands, which had been gripping the steering wheel with a death grip, began to tremble.
As though sensing her growing panic, even though he wasn't looking at her, his attention focused on picking off the threat, Jax’s soothing voice rumbled through the vehicle.
“You got this, Monique. You're okay, and you're doing a great job.
All I need you to do is keep doing what you're doing. Can you do that for me?”
“Y-yes.” The word came out more as a squeak, but the shaking in her hands decreased, and her panic receded to a more manageable level.
Even though she’d been abducted last time they were in this scenario, they’d survived only because of Jax, and she believed he could get them out of this alive again.
The sound of the gunfire was so loud, and she wished she could lift her hands to cover her ears and scrunch her eyes closed so she could pretend this wasn't happening.
But she didn't do that. Instead, she kept her grip on the wheel and drove as fast as she could while still maintaining control so they didn't go skidding off the road and into the trees.
It seemed to be working until …
“Uh, Jax?”
“Yeah, princess? ”
“There’s another car in front of us on the road,” she said. That fear she’d been doing such a great job of containing now suddenly burst free, erupting inside her and spewing almost paralyzing waves that had her entire body stiffening while her heart rate went haywire.
A curse fell from his lips as he looked over his shoulder to see that they were about to be sandwiched between two vehicles, both of which were firing on them.
There was no way out.
The road wasn't wide enough for her to go around them, and even if it was, the car in front could just move to block her. There were no turn-offs any time soon, it would be another ten miles before they’d reach another road.
Her animal rescue was secluded, she’d chosen it for just that very reason.
With all the animals she had there, it could get loud, and she didn't want to bother neighbors, plus she’d always liked the peace and quiet. It was calming and soothing.
Well, it used to be.
Now she wished there was help somewhere close.
“I'm going to have to stop,” she said, already easing her foot off the accelerator. What other choice did she have? Ram the other vehicle and hope that she and Jax miraculously survived?
“No!”
Jax’s shout startled her, but it had the desired result as her foot slammed automatically down onto the pedal again.
“Keep driving,” Jax ordered.
“But we’re going to hit them,” she protested, even though she was sure he must understand that already.
“Not if we time this right.”
“What do you mean?” Did Jax suddenly think he was there with one of his former SEAL teammates, or one of his brothers?
Maybe there was something they could do to avoid the inevitable crash, but she was just plain old Monique Kerr.
Sure, she was good with calming traumatized animals, but that skill wasn't going to help them now.
“If we get this right, we can eliminate both vehicles,” Jax told her.
“Time this right?”
“They assume we’re going to stop. Why wouldn't they? It would be crazy not to. ”
“And we’re crazy?”
Jax laughed. “Yeah, princess. We’re crazy. I want you to keep going, fast, don’t stop, and don’t let your fear get the better of you. I know I messed up, and I know I blew what trust you once had in me, but I need you to trust me now. Can you do that?”
Could she?
If this was about just freely handing her heart over once again, she was sure the answer would be no.
But this was their lives they were talking about, and she trusted Jax to know how to get them out of this alive.
“I can do that,” she assured him.
“Thank you. You're going to keep driving, don’t let up on the speed, then when I tell you to, you're going to take a hard right.”
“Into the trees?”
“Do your best to avoid hitting them, but as soon as you turn off the road you're going to let up on the gas and go for the brake. We should lose speed fairly quickly given the terrain, and even if we hit, the slower speed means we shouldn’t be banged up too badly.”
“We hope.”
“We hope,” Jax echoed. “But with perfect timing those two vehicles are going to hit head on at full speed.”
“Which will eliminate our problem.” It was a risky plan but the best they had.
“Okay, I can do this,” she assured him. At least she hoped she could.
For some reason the slowing down and avoiding trees once they turned seemed like the easier thing to do.
Because driving at a high speed, toward an oncoming vehicle, was really putting her desire to trust Jax to the test.
Still, she held firm.
Didn't slow down.
Tried not to flinch as they bared down on the approaching vehicle which was zooming toward them on the quiet country road.
Her grip on the wheel tightened as they got closer and Jax didn't order her to turn.
They were going to hit.
They were too close.
It was unavoidable .
Right when she was about to break her promise to trust Jax and slam on the brakes he yelled the word she’d been waiting to hear.
“Turn!”
Not hesitating to do as he ordered, Monique yanked the wheel to the right, and they swerved off the road a mere couple of seconds before she heard the deafening boom of the two vehicles colliding.
Thankfully, the trees weren't as tightly packed together as she’d feared, and while she narrowly avoided the first few as the car slowed, it was easier to navigate, and soon they came to a stop.
They'd done it.
They were both alive.
And she hadn't even crashed the car.
Breathing heavily, she turned to watch as Jax pulled his torso back through the window and sat in his seat.
“I did it,” she whispered, shocked that she managed what had seemed like an impossible feat.
“Yeah, you did. If you don’t tell me not to, I'm going to kiss you, princess.”
His hopeful eyes watched her, and she respected that he’d given her an option and that he didn't move a muscle until she gave a small nod of assent.
Then his hands were gripping her hips, and he hauled her over the center console and onto his lap. She didn't even have time to think before his mouth crashed down onto hers.
Melting into the kiss seemed like the easiest thing in the world, and she prayed she wasn't making a huge mistake in giving this man another chance. Because Jax Holloway absolutely held the power to crush her in his hands.