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Suddenly, the van comes to a screeching halt.
I hear the slice of a bullet through glass and flesh as the man in the front seat slumps over the wheel. A second later, more gunfire erupts all around me.
There must have been more men working with the ski mask guy, I realize.
The van door loudly slides open behind me.
I should be relieved, but I know how badly I fucked up. Whoever my rescuer is isn’t going to be happy that I went off on my own without protection.
I’m pulled up into a sitting position and come face to face with River.
She exhales audibly, happy to see I’m alive and unhurt.
“Follow me,” she says calmly. Holding her gun in front of herself and using her body to shield me, we head out into the rain.
Shots are still whizzing all around us, and I realize just how many more people are here.
“Fuck, Kit. He—”
“He’s okay,” River says, cutting me off curtly. We don’t have time for conversation now.
I spot River and Beckett’s SUV and follow River to one of the rear passenger doors. She flings it open, shoves me inside hard, and closes the door all before whipping around and firing her gun.
She’s such a badass. She never needed a rescuer. She could always protect herself, unlike me.
I sigh as I keep my head down and don’t move, knowing the drill.
A few minutes later, the front doors open, and Beckett and River climb into the front. Beckett steps on the gas, and we peel out without a word.
I open my mouth to speak but bite my tongue. I’m lying in the middle row with my hands still tied behind my back. There are a lot of words I could say, but none that seem right. I settle on, “Thank you.”
River turns and looks at me with a soft smile. “Of course, Rialta. I’m just glad you’re okay. But we need to talk tomorrow after everyone has gotten sleep. I want to understand what happened. Did Lennox kick you out and not offer to send his men to protect you? What happened?”
I shake my head. “No, this isn’t Lennox’s fault. I snuck out. It’s my fault.”
River’s face drops in disappointment, but she quickly recovers. “I’m just glad you’re safe, but you really have to be more careful. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Same,” I say.
I look up and meet Beckett’s gaze in the rearview mirror. He’s silent and stewing. He clearly has something he wants to get off his chest, but he won’t say it in front of River.
The rest of the drive back to Lennox’s apartment is silent. While the car is quiet, my mind is not. It’s whirling with too many thoughts. Thoughts of how stupid I was. How selfish. How I risked so many lives. How Kit could have died because of me. How I should give him up. How I know that I can’t. How I don’t know how to solve any of my problems.
The car eventually stops.
“Wait in the car,” Beckett tells River, gently leaning over and kissing her tenderly on the cheek.
She nods, which isn’t like her. She doesn’t like to be ordered around by Beckett, even for small things.
Beckett opens my door and pulls me out roughly before slamming the door shut behind me.
“I’m sorry,” I say. He needs to hear me apologize, but I’m not exactly sure why.
“You have to grow up, Rialta. You can’t keep doing this. You can’t…” he trails off as the rain flicks down over his eyelashes and then down his face.
“I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry! I never meant to risk Kit’s life. I never meant to make you all worry. I never meant to make you get up in the middle of the night to come to rescue me. I never—”
“You don’t think, Rialta!” His anger is palpable as he grabs onto my bicep, yanking me like he can somehow shake the carelessness out of me. He lets go and runs his hand through his hair.
