I hear the police car brake frantically behind us. I turn to see a calm Breaker grinning at me. Then he slams his foot down on the accelerator, and the car screeches forward as Breaker spins the car around, shooting us off in the opposite direction and leaving the police cars behind.
“Cops, dumb as pigshit,” Breaker says as we turn the corner into the main road, the car roars as Breaker pushes it to its limits. Weaving in and out of traffic, I close my eyes as Breaker flicks the steering wheel and spins the car onto another side road.
The roar of the engine subsides as we return to normal speed. A beast recovering after battle, the car and I breathing a tandem sigh of relief as we take a few quiet back roads and make our way out of town.
"Why are they after us? Who the fuck are you, really? What have you dragged me into?" I demand, gripping the edge of my seat as Breaker swerves around a tight bend.
"Look, Ava," he says, his voice strained from the effort of driving at breakneck speed. "I promise you, I'm going to keep you safe. But right now, we can't trust the police. We can't trust anyone but my pack."
A shiver runs down my spine at the mention of his pack. What kind of people are they? And why would they help me, a stranger who knows nothing about their world?
"Breaker, please," I plead, desperate for answers. "You have to tell me what's going on. Why are we being chased? Why are they shooting at us?"
"Okay, listen," he begins, glancing over at me with a pained expression before returning his attention to the road. "Aside from the fact that I killed your fucking handler, I just broke out of Supermax prison, so I'm sure that's pissed them off."
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. My heart pounds in my chest, and I struggle to catch my breath.
"Supermax prison?" I echo, my voice breaking. "You're a murderer and an escaped convict? Jesus Christ, Breaker! How am I supposed to trust you now?"
"Trust isn't something you can just hand out," he replies, his eyes flicking between me and the road. "It has to be earned. And I swear, Ava, I'll do everything in my power to earn yours. But right now, we don't have time for this. We need to focus on getting out of here."
I clench my jaw and glare at him, feeling the adrenaline coursing through me.
"Just," I snap, swallowing hard as I watch the world fly outside the window. "Just get us out of this mess, and maybe – maybe – I'll consider trusting you."
Breaker nods, his jaw set, “I will.”
The dense forest looms around us, swallowing the last remnants of daylight as we speed down the two-lane road. The sirens that once filled the air are gone, a distant echo I don’t want to remember.
"Where are we going?" I ask, gripping the edge of my seat as Breaker takes another sharp turn.
"Somewhere safe," he replies, his voice strained. "I need to meet up with my pack. They'll know what to do."
"This pack of ours, what the hell is it?" It sounds like something out of a horror story, and here I am, caught right in the middle of it.
"It’s okay, Ava," Breaker says, his eyes locked on the road ahead. "They will help us."
Before I can respond, our headlights catch the silhouette of a car blocking the road ahead and a man standing beside it. He does not move, and by the rifle in his hands, it’s clear he is expecting us. Panic surges through me, and my breath catches in my throat.
“Leave this to me,” Breaker says as he brings the car slowly to a stop.
