Main Street, and you’ll drive through to the other end of town to the police station. It’s just a few blocks.”
“Okay.”
Another mile passed. Another. Eight miles to go. A large black SUV came up fast behind me. I waited for it to pass me, but it didn’t. It stayed behind me, slowing down, maybe two car lengths back. I could see a man in the driver’s seat and another in the passenger seat. I couldn’t make out their faces. I got a slick, cold wave of fear.
“There’s a big black SUV behind me now.”
“Are you in the right-hand lane?”
“Yeah.”
“Slow down a little and see if they pass you.”
I did, going down to sixty. The black SUV got closer, right on my bumper, then they pulled into the left-hand lane.
I held my breath as they went around me. The occupants never looked at me. I breathed a sigh of relief. “They passed me.”
“Good.”
My hands ached. I realized I had a death grip on the wheel. I forced my hands to relax. Seven miles. I could do this. Maybe Emmanuel had been bluffing when he’d threatened me. Or maybe they were going to wait until I got back to Temecula. Oh God, my dad.
“Can you have my mom call my dad and warn him?”
“She already did. He’s not at home right now. He’s safe.”
Thank God. Six miles.
“Have you been swimming?” I asked, because I needed to think about something else.
“No.” He laughed darkly. “Haven’t done anything since you left. Except feel sorry for myself. Jack misses you too. He keeps giving me this resentful look, like I took away his favorite treat.”
“I don’t even understand what happened. One day I’m at your place and the next thing I know, Emmanuel is serving me an injunction.”
“I know. It was so fucked up. I’ll tell you everything when you’re—”
Aaron went on, but my ears were ringing with the sound of my own blood. While he was talking, another car had come up behind me. It was a white sedan, like the car that had been on the side of the road earlier. It came up fast behind me and then slowed down and stayed there. It was not even a car length back.
I kept looking in the rearview mirror at it. The driver was a man in a baseball cap and sunglasses. The passenger was a woman with curly dark hair and a yellow dress. Shit.
“Aaron?” I cut him off.
“What is it?”
I swallowed. “That car I saw on the side of the road earlier? It’s behind me now. Right on my tail. The woman I saw is in the car with a guy.” I glanced ahead. “And oh shit, that black SUV that passed me is right ahead of me now.”
Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I didn’t like it. My heart was pounding out of my chest.
“You must be getting close to Lake Elsinore,” Aaron said with a hitch in his voice.
“About four more miles I think.”
What would they do? Would they force me off the road? They’d gotten away with two car accidents already, why not another one? We were still out in the middle of nowhere. And yeah, there were other cars, but there was no way for me to ask them for help. They might call 911 to report an accident, but it would be too late by then.
“Billy? Talk to me.”
“They’re just holding there. Should I try to pass the SUV?” My voice sounded panicky.
“I don’t know. What are you driving?”
“My dad’s Subaru Forester.”
“If you think you’ve got enough time to do it before your exit, and if you can make it look natural. Best not to let them know you suspect anything.”
Oh God, I was gonna be sick. “I’ll just stay here.”
“Okay.”
“I’m scared, Aaron.”
“I know. I’m right here with you.”
Two miles.
“They probably won’t do anything so close to a town,” Aaron said, “and you should be on the outskirts of Lake Elsinore. They’ll wait until you’re past it. It’s going to be okay.”
What he said made sense, but the white sedan had moved closer so that they were tailgating me. And the black SUV in front of me had slowed down until I was riding their tail too. I glanced at my odometer. Fifty-five miles per hour. Were they trying to force me to pass? Or box me in, keeping me from exiting?
Fuck.
One mile. I sat up straighter, my hands at two and ten. It felt like we were crawling.
“I’m with you, Billy,” Aaron said. “Keep calm.