Hailey's POV
"Hang on."
Kingsley didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. The word came out of him like an instinct rather than a warning, low and rough, already too late for preparation.
The car lunged forward.
The force slammed me back into the seat, breath punching out of my lungs as the city outside the windows blurred into streaks of light. The engine roared, deep and violent, a sound that vibrated through my bones. My fingers dug into the door handle, knuckles whitening as the sudden acceleration turned fear into something sharp and electric.
The black SUV was still there.
I saw it in the side mirror first—too close, headlights aggressive, eating the distance between us like a predator that had already decided how this would end. It swerved as Kingsley swerved,
