Page 81 of Madness & Mayhem
I can feel Reign nod his head above me, and his arms drop to my hips as he pushes me toward Archer’s vehicle. We all pile in the back seat, squeezing into too little seats with too many people, and Archer peels off, making his way out of the parking lot.
Sirens alarm outside the jail, and we all turn around and watch the inmates flood out the front door moments before we turn around the corner and go out of sight.
“Shit, hurry. Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Kyler cackles, slapping the dashboard. I watch it with wide eyes, waiting for the air bags to engage.
Archer takes the side streets before pulling out onto the main drag, making his way toward the highway.
“Where the hell are we even going?” Posie shouts from the back seat, her breath shooting from her chest in quick breaths. Her eyes are a little crazed, but I suppose everyone’s are from the adrenaline.
“Getting out of Hellcrest Heights is our first fucking goal. Once we get out, head north,” Archer clips, jerking the car as he whips down different streets.
I hold on to the headrest in front of me as I feel arms wrap around me. Glancing to my side, I see Reign staring at me with a heavy gaze. I relax back into his arms, giving him a small smile.
“Hey,” I breathe.
His brow quirks, and his tongue swipes gently along his bottom lip. “You are a fool, Lakyn, but I’m glad you came.”
I shake my head. “You think I would’ve left you in there?”
His arms tighten around my waist and he squeezes me against his warmth. “It would’ve been the smartest option. If shit went south and you would’ve gotten caught, we both would’ve been behind bars forever.”
My head tilts to the side. “You’re worth the risk, Reign.”
His fingers release my waist and he brings his hand to my chin, pulling me close until our lips touch. Everyone talks, shouting wildly around us while my lips mold to his. I exhale at the same moment he inhales, and we breathe each other in as we become trapped in our own bubble.
“I love that you came for me,” he mumbles against my lips.
“Shit!” Archer shouts. The brakes slam, and I’m ripped out of Reign’s arms and thrown against the front seat. Scrambling up, I glance over the front seat and see police officers blocking the street in front of us. The main road out of Hellcrest Heights. “Fucking shit,” he growls, reversing onto another side street.
“What are we going to do now?” I ask, fear clutching my throat.
“Take the woods. Your truck can take it,” Reign says from behind me. “It’ll be bumpy, but it’ll make it through. There’s a ton of ATV trails. You can head east around the coast and through the woods once you make it past town.”
Archer slows to a stop, and I watch in the rearview mirror as his eyes narrow, contemplating this plan.
“We have to try, Archer,” I whisper to him. “Please.”
He glances over his shoulder, his eyes spearing mine. His hand reaches out, and his finger grazes across a fallen tear I hadn’t known had shed. “Lakyn, have I ever given up when it comes to you?”
I shake my head, his fingers still attached to my cheek.
His eyes narrow, and he pulls his hand back. “Exactly. Sit the hell back, because this ride is not going to be an easy one.”
He turns around, heading toward the coast, and enters the woods near the abandoned ship.
The truck rocks back and forth as Archer turns left and right through the trees. We pass our treehouse, which is covered in a light coating of snow. Everyone falls silent as the headlights illuminate the small flakes of snow as they flutter to the ground. We’re all tense, constantly on the lookout in case there are police watching us, waiting for us.
There is no one.
“They all must be near the highway, waiting for us to make our move,” Kyler chuckles. “Fucking idiots.”
“It is the only way out of Hellcrest Heights. This isn’t really an exit for a vehicle.” Posie’s voice jumps with every bounce of the truck.
“They’re probably on the south end where the trees and less dense,” Archer grits between his teeth.
We nod, falling back into a silence as the trees get thicker. As the sides of the truck brushes against them, the snow blanketing the branches shakes off, falling across the truck. We’re in some winter wonderland of snow, and this moment suddenly feels life-changing.
The moment in our lives we’ll never come back from.