She shook her head. “Hardly moving mountains for you, Declan. A day off and a short ride isn’t much of a hardship.”

I settled a hand on her thigh, wishing she wasn’t driving so I could kiss her properly. “Feels like mountains to me.”

“It’s a plan, then,” she said, resting her hand briefly on mine. “If we don’t hear from them by the time you get done with the food truck prep, we’ll go to Portland.”

“Thank you,” I said, the tightness in my throat spreading to my chest.

“Of course.” She pulled onto the onramp for I-5.

I settled into my seat, relaxing now that we had at least a vague plan. The car was quiet, and I was full, warm, and content, which meant that pretty soon my eyes were trying to close. Lou put some music on, and I let the motion of the SUV lull me into a half sleep. I kept one hand outstretched and resting on Lou’s thigh. It wasn’t a long drive, but touching Lou was soothing. I let myself drift.

I was almost asleep when Eva’s mind slammed into mine, like an axe through a log. I screamed in pain, my mind whiting out. I couldn’t see. Just pain. Only pain.

Lou. Where was Lou? I couldn’t feel Lou!

I screamed for her, my heart slamming against my ribs. Fear in every thudding beat, my mouth sour from it.

Something struck the back of my neck and my vision snapped back into place. Lou, her hand firm on my nape, shouting my name. Her other hand trying desperately to control the wheel.

We grazed the guardrail on my side, the metal shrieking and sparking. Lou jerked the wheel. We careened to the left, missing cars by inches. Wheels screeched. Horns blared.

I grabbed the back of Lou’s neck, my palm over her piercings, the bond between us flaring back to life and shoving Eva out. The pain in my head receded.

Lou’s face was bloodless, her knuckles tight on the wheel. She tried to control the car one-handed, afraid to let me go. Afraid Eva would come back.

Putting herself in danger to keep me safe.

No. No. I wouldn’t let her.

I yanked her hand off me, shoving it toward the wheel. I could feel her terror through the bond. I was sick with it, my pulse stuttering.

She was so scared. For me.

And all I could think about was her.

The car slid as she pulled us back, trying to keep us in a lane. I wasn’t sure she could actually see where we were going. Her eyes weren’t tracking right.

Traffic was mercifully light at this time of night—but it was still Seattle. There were cars on the road. Too many.

And we were about two seconds away from side-swiping a green Subaru.

Lou wasn’t correcting our path.

I grabbed the wheel, turning us away, changing course. We missed the Subaru, our car going into a spin. We’d lost all control, the world through the windows whirling by.