Snippet #2608594

Ryan laughed. "Just rest up," he said, stroking a stray hair that fell around her face. Only this morning, he had left the plane with no expectations, only a single hope. And as the sun set, he was engaged to the love of his life. Yet as wonderful as he felt, the nagging worry over Peter and whoever was following Peter couldn't be ignored. He had to get Merian out of the state, and Emily too. Peter would be on his own.

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Peter turned to Emily. His brow scrunched together as he considered her words. "What the hell are you talking about?" He had only met her that day and yet he couldn't seem to get rid of her. "Look, you're... nice or whatever but I've got a girl..." even as he said it, he realized how insane he sounded. Ryan was at Merian's side, not Peter. She had been shot because of him. Everything Peter touched seemed to fall apart. "I need to focus on getting free," he said. He avoided her gaze. She had the look of the suburbs all over her. With her expensive haircut and clean make-up, she was like a foreigner in his world.

Before he could say another world, he caught sight of a familiar face in the rearview mirror. It was one of the men that shot at them in the woods. How the hell did they find him? "Get down!" he shouted, revving the engine and slamming on the gas in reverse. The tires squealed before a loud thud hit the back. A scream followed before the wheels rose and fell. "Speed bump," Peter said, hoping Emily would believe him. Not that it mattered, he told himself, he didn't care what she thought. They roared out of the parking lot. The other shooter was nowhere to be found but if they found him at the hospital, they'd find him anywhere.