“That’s…unfortunate,” he says in a low voice, eerily calm.
Goddammit. Is she actually trying to help me? I’m not in danger from him. All of my friends know I’m here. I’ll be missed if I disappear into an unmarked grave, and my uncle is the best attorney in the state. I’m not in any real trouble.
What will he do to her?
“Hawke, you can go,” he says again.
No.
He calls her over. “Come here, girl.”
I hear her breath shake, but slowly, she passes me, lifting her chin.
My mind races. Something’s not right. He’s not taking her in, and even if he does, he’ll have time to do anything he wants to her first. No one believes kids like her.
Like my dad when he was her age.
I walk past him, away from the pond, leaving her behind, and knowing there’s nothing I can do. I can call more police. Make sure she’s not alone with him.
But then he has her in jail. With full access.
And if she’s released, she’s a target.
It happens. Shit happens every day, all over the planet, and you know there will be more. More people like her who make all the wrong decisions and get used. It’s just life.
It’s her fault anyway. She robbed us and stole her boss’s car. She got herself here. She’s a mess.
And she took the blame for me. Stupid girl.
I walk past his car, and I’m moving before I think too hard. I yank open his car door and climb in, pushing away all the panic of what I’m about to do. I shift into gear, look ahead, and see them, his hand caressing her face just before it slips up her ski cap and fists her hair.
She winces, and I flip on the headlights.
Reeves twists his head, seeing me in his car, and I hit the gas. I’m not letting some rat punk from Weston take the fall for me, even if everything else tonight is her fault. But even more, I’m not letting him use kids to make money.
“Hawke!” he shouts.
I ram the Mercedes, hitting the gas until it tilts, falls, and rolls down the incline to the pond. It crashes below, all of his fucking money in the trunk, and he releases her, ru
I stop, push open the door, and step out. “Run!” I tell her over the hood.
Her dark eyes stare at me as she breathes hard.
“And that’s the last time I help you,” I growl at her. “Get out of here!”
I’ll get out of this, but she won’t.
She sidesteps like she hasn’t found her legs yet, but then she runs, her hair flying against her back as she disappears into the night.
You’re welcome! But I don’t say it out loud. No idea if she has a chance, but at least she has tonight.
Reeves starts to go after her, but I swing around the back of his car and shove him to the ground.
“You little shit!” he spits out.
I put my hands up, surrendering, but he climbs to his feet and grabs my head, pulling me to the ground.
We tumble, rolling over the side of the incline, falling over the rocks, and I separate myself, scrambling backward to get away from him.
“Just like your fucking father,” he says, advancing on me. “Always in the way.”