Page 129 of Emerald Vices
“We had a disagreement,” I admit. “It’ll blow over. I just needed a little space.”
Misha nods, but I can see him chewing his bottom lip to bits. His brow is creased with worry.
“Misha, nothing has changed,” I assure him. “We’re still a family. We still love each other. But that’s the other thing about families: they fight.”
“But they don’t leave.”
Guilt twists inside me, but I ignore it. “I’m not leaving forever. This is just a temporary timeout.”
“For you or for Andrey?”
“Both of us.”
“Nothing changes?” he checks again after a long silence.
I smile, catching his face again in the mirror. “Nothing changes.”
Apart from seeing his relieved smile, I notice something else in the reflection: a black car swerving around in the background.
Come to think of it, I saw that same car ten minutes ago.
Something in my stomach churns.
“Hey, Misha? Call Olaf for me, please.” I’m too nervous to take my hands off the wheel. As I predicted, both babies are sleeping soundly, and I don’t want to jostle the car and wake them.
Misha fumbles with my cell phone and then puts the call on speaker, holding it next to my head so I can talk hands-free.
“Natalia, now isn’t a good?—”
“Have you noticed the black car?” I interrupt. “I feel like it’s tailing us.”
Misha immediately spins around, and I hate that he has to be aware of this at all.
Olaf sighs. “Yes. We noticed. Just keep driving. We’ll stay between?—”
A thundering crash drowns out whatever Olaf was saying. I hear it from the road behind me and through the speaker, the sheer volume making my phone crackle.
“Prygat!” someone yells from inside Olaf’s jeep as I watch it veer violently to the side in my rearview mirror.
“Oh my God!” Misha yelps, almost dropping my phone. “They just rammed into Olaf’s—holy hell—they just did it again!”
The sound of crunching metal is deafening. I want to plug my ears, close my eyes, but I keep a firm grip on the steering wheel.
My babies are in this car.
“Keep driving, Natalia!” Olaf bellows. “Try to catch up with Leif. He shouldn’t be that far ahead of you!”
Then the line goes dead.
“Hold on!” With my heart pounding like a jackhammer, I mash the accelerator. We rip forward, but I’ve completely lost sight of Leif.
This can’t be happening… This can’t be happening…
The babies are crying and Misha is trying to comfort them, but he keeps turning around the same way I keep checking the rearview mirror.
Olaf is doing his best to block the car from overtaking him, but for all his heft, the smaller, sleeker car is just plain fast. Engines scream as they vie for position.
“It’s okay, babies!” I croak, swerving through the narrowing roads. “We’re gonna be okay.”