Torn Between Two

Chapter8:Nowhere Left to Hide

Mia’s breath hitched as she glanced over her shoulder. The black SUV stayed dangerously close, its headlights glowing like a predator’s eyes in the dark.

Liam tightened his grip on the wheel, his knuckles white. “Hold on.”

Before she could ask what he meant, he swerved hard, taking a sharp turn down a narrow side street. The tires screeched against the pavement. Mia braced herself against the dashboard, her heart pounding.

The SUV followed.

Liam cursed under his breath. “Adrian’s men aren’t going to back off.”

Mia clenched her fists. “We can’t let them take me back.”

Liam’s eyes flicked toward her, a mixture of determination and fury in his gaze. “They won’t.”

The SUV sped up, closing the gap between them. A second car appeared from a side street—a trap.

“Damn it,” Liam muttered, yanking the wheel again. He cut through an empty parking lot, dodging between lampposts as their pursuers tried to keep up.

Mia’s pulse hammered. “They’re herding us.”

Liam gritted his teeth. “Not if I can help it.”

He floored the gas, sending them shooting forward. The second car tried to block them, but Liam veered left at the last second, barely squeezing through the gap.

The SUV behind them wasn’t as lucky—it clipped the other vehicle, skidding wildly before slamming into a street pole.

Mia gasped. “Holy—”

“Still one more,” Liam reminded her, focusing on the road.

The remaining car was relentless, gaining speed as they raced through the empty streets.

Mia’s mind spun. They needed an escape.

Then she saw it—a construction site up ahead, partially blocked off. A gap in the barriers just big enough for a car.

“There!” she pointed.

Liam followed her gaze, his lips pressing into a firm line. “It’s risky.”

Mia met his eyes. “Do it.”

Without hesitation, Liam swerved toward the opening, crashing through a thin wooden barricade. Gravel and dust kicked up around them as they sped through the site, dodging unfinished scaffolding.

The car behind them hesitated—just for a second. But that second was enough.

Liam took another sharp turn, cutting through a narrow alleyway. The SUV didn’t make it. There was a loud screech of metal as it slammed into a pile of construction debris, stopping it cold.

Silence.

Mia’s chest heaved. They had lost them.

Liam exhaled, gripping the wheel tightly. “You okay?”

Mia nodded, even though her heart was still racing.

Liam didn’t ease up until they were several miles away, pulling into a dimly lit motel parking lot. He turned off the engine and looked at her seriously.

“We can’t keep running, Mia,” he said. “Adrian won’t stop.”

She swallowed hard. “I know.”

Liam’s eyes darkened. “Then it’s time we stop playing defense.”

Mia met his gaze. “You mean—”

“We go after him first.”

Her breath caught.

For years, she had been under Adrian’s control, forced into his twisted version of love. But now, for the first time…

She had the chance to fight back.