ALPHAS CONUNDRUM

ANABELLA The roar of the engine surged through my chest as I gripped the armrest, my heart hammering against my ribs. The headlights of the car behind us sliced through the darkness, bouncing erratically as it sped after us. I glanced over my shoulder, my pulse quickening when I saw the glint of metal in the driver’s hand. “They’re shooting at us!” I shouted, panic thick in my voice. “Stay down!” The driver barked, his hands steady on the wheel as he swerved hard to the right. The voice was eerily familiar but with the car speeding and my stomach queasing it was the last thing on my mind. I ducked instinctively as a shot rang out, the sharp crack echoing over the roar of the tires. The bullet struck the rear bumper with a metallic clang, sending a jolt through the car. My breath came in shallow gasps, and I clutched the seatbelt across my chest like it was the only thing tethering me to reality. “God—” I started, my voice trembling. “I’ve got this, just listen,” he interrupted, his tone calm but firm. “Trust me.” I wanted to argue, to scream that trusting him wouldn’t stop bullets, but the determination in his eyes silenced me. He leaned forward slightly, his jaw clenched as he took a hard left, the tires screeching against the asphalt. My head slammed against the window, and I winced, biting back a curse. “Hold on,” he warned, his voice low and focused. I barely had time to brace myself before he yanked the wheel to the right, cutting through a narrow alley. The walls on either side of us blurred into a dizzying streak of brick and graffiti. The pursuing car’s headlights flared as they followed us into the alley, the sound of their engine roaring closer. “Why are they after us?” I asked, my voice breaking. “Later,” He replied tersely. Another shot rang out, and I flinched as the side mirror shattered, shards of glass raining onto the pavement. The man whose face I couldn't see, only his calming eyes that didn’t so much as blink. His hands moved with an almost eerie precision, guiding the car as if he’d done this a thousand times before. “Belle, breathe,” he said, glancing at me for the briefest moment. “We’ll get out of this.” Belle. The name…. I nodded, though I didn’t believe him. My heart was in my throat, and every nerve in my body screamed at me to jump out of the car and run—though I knew that would be suicide. The driver suddenly slammed the brakes, and I lurched forward, the seatbelt biting into my collarbone. The car skidded to a halt, spinning just enough to face the opening of the alley. The pursuing car screeched to a stop a few yards away, their headlights glaring like angry eyes. “They’re getting out,” I whispered, watching as two men emerged, guns glinting in their hands. If I could see his face, his lips would be pressed into a thin line. “Time to move.”