“Bulletproof glass. You good,” I reassured her.
Her breathing was too fast. Her eyes were big and angry and scared all at once.
“They’re shooting at us!”
“Obviously,” I said dryly.
Her mouth tightened into a line. “Don’t ‘obviously’ me, Targen!”
Another shot cracked, then three more. Juvie laughed, crazy little nigga. “Okay, then! They didn’t come to play.”
“Can you lose them?” I asked.
“Maybe. But they ready to work.”
The second SUV surged up on the passenger side. Mikhail dropped his window a few inches, lifted his weapon, and fired twice. His shooting was like everything else about him—controlled, precise. The SUV swerved, then corrected itself and kept coming.
Okay, then. They were trained. A different kind of fury slid over me as I thought about the risk to my wife. Speaking of whom…
“Who the fuck are these people?” Theory snapped.
I didn’t answer because I didn’t know yet. My mind was running through possibilities. Chauncey’s people wouldn’t move like this. Most small, local crews wouldn’t either. This was too organized and disciplined.
Suddenly, the first SUV rammed us from behind.
Theory cried out as the Yukon lurched. She almost slammed into the seat in front of her. I grabbed her waist with one hand automatically, bracing her.
“Juvie,” I warned.
“I know, I know!”
The road narrowed ahead, bordered by ditch on one side and trees on the other. The second SUV jumped beside us again. A man leaned halfway out the rear window with a rifle.
Shots exploded. Mikhail fired. Reaching over Theory, I eased my gun out, steadied myself, and fired. What was left of the suddenly bloody hand yanked back, dropping the rifle to the road. I smiled grimly, then cursed as another impact rocked us. The first SUV clipped our rear panel just right. The Yukon fishtailed.
“Hold on!” Juvie shouted.
Everything happened fast as hell after that.
The sound and feel of tires on gravel. A scream from Theory. For one sick second, I felt weightless. Then the truck slammed through the shallow ditch and crashed into a cluster of trees. The airbags burst as I listened to the high-pitched sound of twisting metal. For a moment, it was silent except for the ticking of the still-hot engine.
I turned instantly. “Theory!”
She coughed, blinking hard. “I’m okay. I’m okay.”
Blood trickled from a tiny cut near her hairline. My vision turned red. Doors slammed outside.
“Let’s go kill some bitches,” Juvie said coldly, the playful demeanor gone.
I shoved the airbag aside and grabbed Theory’s face quickly, making her meet my eyes. “Listen to me. You stay down. You do not move unless I come get you. Understand?”
“Targen—”
“Understand?”
She swallowed, then nodded. “Yes.”
I kissed my fingertips, pressed them to her forehead, then kicked my door open and came out shooting. The first man was already advancing on us. I buried two rounds in his chest before his weapon fully came up. He dropped.
