Sam smirks with pride at that one. ‘Don’t forget my brothers and father.’ That they mentioned the mother first tells you how unhinged that woman can be.

‘Fine!’ Dan yells. He shrugs out of Eric’s loosening arms and gives me the evil eye. Eric goes straight for Mick and checks him over. I hold back my concern as they lift him up and drag him to the Dodge. He’s a massive man, and they struggle to get him in the back seat. Rhi, Sam and I stay frozen in place, watching.

They pile into the car, Eric behind the wheel, and chuck a U-turn. As they drive past Dan’s eyes never leave mine.

We watch the Dodge bounce along that excuse for a track. As it crests a rise and disappears, a sigh goes around the clearing. Then we’re sprinting as one for the car, jumping in and taking off.

‘Slow down, Sam, we don’t want to catch up to em.’

He eases off the accelerator. We stay tense and watchful. There are a few tracks along here that they could’ve veered onto, a few places they could be waiting. We bounce and watch. Sam’s knuckles stand out bright white against his brown skin.

Only after the tyres hit pavement, only after we find our way onto the highway again, does it hit. Rhi’s quiet sobs from the back cut me. Sam squeezes the wheel harder, like he’s trying to crush it. My hands start shaking, the tremors spread up my arms and through my whole body. I double over my knees and force myself to take slow even breaths.

‘You okay?’ Sam’s question comes out through clenched teeth.

I nod my head with no clue if he saw it. ‘You?’

‘Yeah.’

I snort. And the award for biggest liar goes to …

I take a final deep breath and count it out before forcing myself to sit up.

‘We need to get cleaned up. Head to the river.’ He nods and I turn to check on Rhi. Her sobs have stopped but she’s still shaking. ‘You okay, cuz?’ Her tear-bright eyes look at me blankly. Her teeth are chattering.

‘I thought you’d left me,’ she whispers. I reach over the back and grab her hand in mine, looking her dead in the eye.

‘Never! You hear me Rhiannon Louise Thomson, not ever!’ My answer is absolute and unshakeable. She sobs again but a laugh is mixed in with it. She squeezes my hand and lets go. We head to the safest place any of us could think of – our river.

Day 4, Twilight

Day 4, Twilight