Series: Sean Moriarty
Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 113805 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113805 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
So I push on the brake.
We squeal and burn rubber, nearly fishtailing off the curb and down the bank as I overcorrect my mistake.
“You don’t know how to fucking drive!” James roars as I get the car back under control. Barely. “Where the fuck did you get your license? Clown Car University?!”
“Fine! I lied!” I screech, reaching my fucking breaking point. “I don’t have a license! But you’re fucking freaking me out! If you want to backseat drive, get in the fucking backseat!”
James gapes stupidly at me.
A straight path ahead of me now, I ignore his look and push on the gas, bursting forward.
We don’t have time for this shit, and it’s too late to go back.
He’s only making my anxiety worse with all his anxiety.
I can do this if he’ll just leave me be….
The car is silent for a few seconds, then Gabriel starts to laugh a great bit booming laugh. “Yeah, James, if you’re going to act like a pussy bitch, get in the backseat.”
James snaps his jaw shut and shoots a glare between our seats. “I’m not a pussy bitch.”
“Could have fooled me!” Gabriel snickers.
James leans back in his seat with a huff, but his hand grips the handle on the door, his knuckles white.
The trees around the road gradually begin to thin, revealing more and more signs of civilization.
Houses seemingly pop up out of the grass with winding driveways and large yards between them.
When I spot a four-way intersection up ahead, I ask, “Which way?”
“Straight,” James grumbles.
Gripping the steering wheel tight, I focus on the light at the intersection. My first true test.
It’s green, but as I get closer it suddenly shifts to yellow.
Feeling like I’m going too fast to come to a stop, I decide to hit the gas.
“What are you doing?!” James yells at me. “Slow down, it’s going to turn red!”
The last time he told me to slow down, we nearly skidded off the road.
So I push the car faster.
“Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck,” James groans as the light switches to red before I reach it.
And unfortunately, there are other cars waiting to go in the opposite direction.
Already committed, I grit my teeth and hope for the best.
We reach the intersection just as a white pickup to the left moves forward.
Slightly jerking the wheel to the right, I manage to scrape through just ahead of them.
Tires squeal and horns blast angrily behind us, but I made it.
I fucking made it.
Grinning from my success, I ask, “When’s the next turn?”
“Straight, just stay straight.” Hunched over, panting like he’s going to be sick, James groans. “If I survive this, I’m never complaining about Sophia’s driving again.”
I follow the road, grass starting to give way to dirt and gravel. The intersection behind us was a bit busy, but this way is empty.
Buildings begin to appear. Industrial buildings and warehouses. Some have signs and show life, but most seem to be empty or abandoned.
The street itself becomes bumpier, full of potholes. Large sections of the asphalt are worn down in patches. I try my best to avoid the biggest holes, but I’m going too fast to miss all of them.
“How close do you need to be, James?” Gabriel asks from the back.
Lifting his head, James squints out the window. “Maybe another quarter mile.”
A dark colored car peels out of a lot to the right, kicking up gravel as it races to get behind us.
“Fuck!” James shouts.
A second later, I hear what sounds like several pings and the back window on the passenger side shatters.
“They’re fucking shooting at us!” James growls.
“Fucking floor it, Eden!” Gabriel orders.
I press down hard on the gas, my adrenaline shooting through the fucking roof.
James grabs the gun I left in the center console. Jamming the button to slide his window down, he leans out and begins to return fire.
“Should have fucking known they’d have lookouts,” Gabriel says.
“If it’s only the one, we’ll be fine,” James says then pulls the trigger. “He’s by himself.”
“You almost done, Doc?” Gabriel asks impatiently.
“Yes, just finishing up now…” Nathaniel murmurs, not sounding the least bit concerned about anything going on. Like he’s living in a different world.
Peeking at the rearview mirror, I see the car following behind us swerving back and forth, working to avoid James’s shots.
“It’s only a matter of time, fucker,” James says. “Come back over here to the right and I’ve got you.”
Relieved that James is keeping our pursuer busy, I do my best to keep the car steady. Not wanting to mess with his aim.
His voice growing even deeper and huskier, James growls, “Yes… that’s it… come to Daddy…”
James fires off a shot and the car squeals off the road to the left, crashing into a building.
Leaning back in, he checks something on the gun.
“Daddy?” Gabriel laughs.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see James open his mouth to say something back.