Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
"Your order is ready," he says, his voice squeaky.
I huff a curse and spin to grab everything from him. By the time I turn back to Faith, she's several steps away, examining a movie poster. Her posture is stiff, her arms crossed over her chest. I nearly snarl in frustration at the sight. She's shut me out again, retreated back into the silent, standoffish woman she's been the last few days.
"Más terco que una mula," I mutter, striding forward to meet her. She's as stubborn as a mule.
"What the fuck?" I growl, jolting to a stop as the car in front of me slams on the brakes before we even exit the movie theater parking lot. The Tahoe lurches forward and then grinds to a halt a few scant inches from the car ahead. The SUV behind us plows into the back of us, throwing me forward in the seat.
I throw my arm out in front of Faith to protect her. Her seatbelt catches her and slams her back against the seat hard enough to make her head bounce. She cries out in shock, but I don't think she's hurt.
The sound of scraping and crumbling metal fills the air.
The Tahoe lurches forward again, pushed into the back of the car in front of us.
"Are you all right, angel?" I ask Faith.
"Yeah," she whispers, her eyes wide. "Oh my gosh. Someone hit us."
"Yeah, fuck." I throw the car into park to go check on the occupants of the other vehicles, but an engine roars and the car behind us—a blacked out SUV—takes off, the engine roaring as the driver floors it out of the parking lot. A loud pop sounds from the gray passenger car ahead of us, followed by another and then another.
"Shit. Get down!" I shout at Faith, grabbing her and shoving her toward the floorboard as the sound registers. They're fucking shooting at us.
My heart pounds, adrenaline rushing through me in a tidal wave.
Three more gunshots go off, shattering the driver's side mirror before tires squeal again. Faith whimpers beside me, curling in on herself.
"Are you okay, little bunny?"
"F-fine," she whispers.
"Fuck," I mutter, lifting my head just enough to glance around. There are vehicles parked all over the place, but if anyone is watching us, they're staying out of sight. My hackles rise anyway. I've pissed a lot of people off in my career, but I doubt this was directed at me. They were after Faith.
I reach over her to grab my gun out of the glovebox.
She whimpers when she sees it, her face paling.
"Stay in the car, conejita." I wait for her to nod and then hop out, quickly glancing around. There's no one out here but us. Fucking hell. I glance at the Tahoe, assessing the damage. The driver's side headlight is smashed and there's a small scrape on the fender.
I drag my phone out of my pocket and dial Franklin's number, making a circuit around the SUV to check the rest of the damage. The back is all fucked up. The fender is crumpled, and the cargo hatch is dented in.
"Hernandez," Franklin greets me when he answers the phone.
"Someone just hit my car and then shot at us," I tell him, pitching my voice low so it doesn't carry to Faith. I don't want to scare her any more than necessary. She doesn't need that right now. "It was an ambush. A gray Sonata braked in front of us, and a black SUV rammed us from behind. Both vehicles took off headed eastbound on Ventura. The back of the Sonata will have some damage. The front-end of the SUV should have significant damage."
"Jesus Christ. You okay?" he asks.
"Yeah. Faith and I are fine."
"I'll get someone out there to make the report and will have patrol units keep an eye out for the vehicles involved."
"I'm going to move to another location. We're too exposed out here." I don't want Faith out here any longer than necessary in case whoever it was decides to come back.
"You think it was Tarasova?"
"I'd stake my life on it."
"Do what you have to do. I'll get someone over to check for security footage. Where are you?"
I give him the name of the theater, causing him to go completely silent for a long moment, but he doesn't say whatever he's thinking. He just mutters a curse under his breath.
"I'll get someone out there. Where do they need to meet you?"
"Just have them meet me at the house. It's ten minutes from here."
"Got it. Be careful."
I grunt an agreement and then disconnect before taking photos of the scene. I snap a few of our position in the parking lot as well and then of the parking lot itself.
"Are we leaving?" Faith asks, frowning at me after I climb in beside her, keeping my gun on me just in case.