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ⁿᵒʷ ᵖˡᵃʸⁱⁿᵍ
𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 & 𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 , 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫
The SUV tore through the night, tires screeching as the driver pushed it to its limits. Maya clutched Leo so tight her arms ached, his little cries muffled against her chest. Every gunshot, every flash of light behind them, had her flinching.
The guard in the passenger seat barked into a walkie, “We movin’. East side, safe house. Repeat—”
Static crackled. No answer.
“𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐧,” he muttered. His face was tight, his knuckles white around the gun in his lap.
𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐚 felt the walls closing in. “Where’s Jax?” she demanded, voice breaking.
No one answered.
𝐋𝐞𝐨 whimpered louder, sensing her fear. She rocked him gently, whispering against his tiny ear, “It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s got you. Mommy’s got you.”
But inside, she was unraveling. She had left him. Left Jax behind in that firestorm.
Her last glimpse replayed in her head: his figure in the window, gun blazing, his jaw set like he was already making peace with dying.
She pressed her lips to Leo’s head, tasting salt from her tears. Please… let him be alive.
The SUV swerved hard, nearly tossing her against the door. “What are you doing?” Maya shouted.
“They on us!” the driver snapped, eyes wide in the rearview. “Two cars trailin’, tinted. It ain’t no coincidence.”
Maya twisted in her seat, and sure enough, two black sedans were tailing, headlights cutting through the darkness like knives.
Her stomach dropped. “𝐎𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐝…”
The guard cocked his gun, rolling down the window. “Get down and keep the baby low!”
The roar of gunfire exploded again, bullets smashing into the SUV’s rear window. Maya ducked, covering Leo with her whole body, heart pounding so hard it hurt. Glass rained down like ice, stinging her skin.
The guard leaned out and fired back, sparks flying in the night. The SUV fishtailed, the driver cursing, “We can’t outrun ’em like this!”
“Then make ’em crash!” the guard barked.
Maya couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. All she could do was whisper to Leo, over and over, like a prayer: “I got you. I got you. I got you.”
Finally, with a screech, the driver jerked the wheel, slamming the SUV into a narrow alley. The chasing cars overshot the turn, tires screaming as they tried to follow.
The SUV roared through the alley, sparks flying as the mirrors scraped brick walls. Maya squeezed her eyes shut, clutching Leo like he was the only thing tethering her to earth.
At last, the engine cut. Silence.
The guard turned, face pale. “We gotta move on foot.”
Maya’s eyes widened. “With the baby? In the middle of the night?”
“You wanna sit here and wait for ’em to light the car up?” he shot back.
They piled out, the smell of burnt rubber still hanging heavy in the air. Maya’s legs trembled, but she forced herself forward, Leo’s weight both a burden and her lifeline.
The city felt different now — every shadow, every corner whispered danger.
The guard led them through backstreets, his gun steady, eyes sharp. “Safe house ain’t far,” he muttered, though his voice didn’t sound convinced.
Maya followed, her mind racing. She couldn’t stop thinking about Jax. Had he made it out? Or was he already gone, a ghost haunting her heart?
As they slipped into an abandoned building, Maya finally broke. She pressed her back against the wall, sliding down to the floor, Leo cradled in her lap. Her sobs shook through her whole body, silent but sharp.
The guard looked away, giving her space. But before he turned, she caught the flicker of pity in his eyes.
She hated it.
Because pity meant they didn’t expect Jax to survive.
𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐚 rocked Leo in the dark, whispering broken promises she wasn’t sure she could keep.
“𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲. 𝐖𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐈 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐭.”
But deep down, a terrible question clawed at her:
What if there was no Jax left to find?
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