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When I’d made it down to the end of the driveway, crawling at a snail’s pace, I hit the brakes for a second, just so I could wipe my sweaty palms on my joggers. There was so much power in this car, thrumming beneath my fingers every time I gripped the steering wheel, and all I could do was take it slow and hope that I managed to keep this beast in check.
“Turn right. We’ll go out onto the country roads, where it’ll be much quieter. There won’t be many drivers around now. It’s a Sunday morning.”
I nodded mutely, flipping on the indicator and inching out into the road. As we turned, I thought I glimpsed the mansion’s front door opening behind us, but my eyes were probably playing tricks on me.
When we’d been travelling at twenty miles per hour for a few minutes, I dared to press the accelerator a little harder. The needle inched up, first to thirty and then forty as we hit the open road.
“Good. You’re doing well, Elena. Now we’re on a straight stretch, let’s see if we can get her up to fifty now. Nice and steady.”
Anthony’s praise warmed me inside, but it was tempered by the guilt that was overwhelming me. I increased the speed in tiny increments, forcing everything else to the back of my mind so I could give this car my full concentration.
“Careful up here. There’s a bit of a sharp bend in about half a mile. Just ease off the accelerator a bit; the car will do most of the work. She handles beautifully.”
“Okay.” My fingers were aching from the death grip I had on the steering wheel, even though the road had been mostly straight so far. I swallowed hard, easing up little by little until the car slowed back down to thirty.
Slowly and carefully, I navigated around the bend, and Anthony tapped the dashboard as the road straightened up again. “Great work. There’s a petrol station up ahead. Do you want to pull in and take a breather?”
“Please.”
We came to a stop, and I closed my eyes, gulping air into my lungs. I heard Anthony’s amused chuckle next to me. “Was it really that scary driving my car?”
“Yes,” I said emphatically, and he laughed again before his face turned thoughtful.
“I was going to suggest turning back, but there are a few more sharp bends farther up this road. One of them can be a little tricky to navigate. Instead of heading back, how about I take over so you can see how I handle them?”
I couldn’t agree fast enough. “Please. Thank you.”
He climbed out of the car while I slid across to the passenger seat, and then he started up the engine. For the first time since I’d climbed inside the SUV, I began to relax the tiniest bit.
He indicated to turn back onto the road. “You know, I couldn’t help noticing that you were looking a little peaky after driving. I think you could do with some sustenance, so I’m making the call. You’re coming to the club with me.” His words were innocent, but when I turned my head, I caught his smirk. “I’ll phone Knox now to tell him that—”
His words were cut off instantly as everything erupted.
The zigzag sign warning of a sharp bend came up ahead, and at the same time I saw it, there was a loud crunch and a jarring impact. We were both jolted forwards, the SUV skidding across the road, out of control. The car began making a loud beeping sound, and warning lights started flashing up on the dashboard.
“Fuck!”
I’d never heard Anthony swear before, and his tone…it was ice through my veins, freezing me. He spun the wheel, desperately trying to compensate for the slide, but it was too late. We hit the corner barrier of the road, and then we were weightless for a moment, flying through the air.
Then we came back down to earth, over five thousand pounds of weight smashing into the ground with a screeching impact, spinning over and over like we were on a corkscrew, the world twisting and blurring around us.
After that, there was silence.
40
KNOX
The first thing I saw when I reached the gates outside my house was Letitia Greenwood—no,Blackwood—running down the driveway barefoot, her arms windmilling and an expression of panicked horror twisting across her features.
What the fuck?
I brought the car to a stop and wound down the window. “Letitia. What are you doing?”
She skidded to a stop, her head turning in my direction, but her eyes were looking straight through me. “Where’s Elena?”
Elena? What? “What do you mean, where’s Elena? Explain now,” I barked. If Elena was in trouble—
“Thought…I saw her…driving Mr. Ashcroft’s…car,” she gasped out between breaths. “She can’t! She can’t! She’s my baby! She’s all I have left in the world…”
