Natalia heard it—the faint, unmistakable growl of another car's engine revving behind her. A fresh jolt of panic surged through her veins, electrifying every nerve ending. Her breath hitched, her pulse hammering in her ears like a war drum. Without thinking, she lunged for the gear shift, her hands shaking so violently that she fumbled, slamming it into reverse instead of drive.
The car jerked backward with a vicious lurch, throwing her hard against the seat. Pain shot up her spine, but she barely registered it. Her mind was a whirlwind of chaos, drowning out everything else. The headlights behind her flared brighter, burning into her retinas, momentarily blinding her. When her vision cleared, the car was moving closer. Too close.
Oh God. Oh God.
Her thoughts spiraled as terror clawed at her chest. She had to move, had to escape, but her fingers felt numb against the wheel. She overcorrected, twisting it too hard, and the tires screamed in protest. The vehicle fishtailed wildly across the cracked pavement, completely out of control.
Tears welled in her eyes, blurring the dark road ahead. She tried desperately to steady the car, but it was useless—she had lost control. The panic was suffocating, pressing against her ribs, her breathing shallow and ragged.
Then—bang.
The world erupted around her. Metal screamed against metal as her car slammed into something hard, the impact sending a violent shudder through her body. Her head snapped forward, her seatbelt digging into her collarbone. The taste of copper filled her mouth, sharp and metallic.
The headlights behind her didn't disappear.
A shadow moved beyond the shattered glass of her side mirror. Footsteps. Steady. Measured. Coming closer.
Natalia's breath hitched as a dark figure emerged from the glare, his presence cutting through the thick night air like a blade.
Her stomach twisted, dread sinking into her bones. She wasn't sure which was worse—the crash or the fact that he had caught up to her.