“Stop it, Lynell,” Daniel said. Three years into their relationship and he’d come to know the beginning signs of her panic attacks. He stopped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders, dipping his head so she was forced to look him in the eyes. “Take a breath.”

She stared at him, feeling her heart fill up her throat, threatening to break free. “I can’t do it, Danny.”

He gave her a pained smile. “You can.”

Lynell cautiously sits up, trying to keep the pain an arm’s length away. The movement from the car rhythmically sends bouncing waves of hurt through her body.

“Careful,” Daniel says, handing her a thin blanket. She covers her legs, jaw clenching at the motion. “Try to lie down. Don’t move too much.”

Lynell obeys, keeping her eyes trained on the side of Daniel’s face. “How . . .” she says. Her voice is hot and dry in her throat.

“A rental car,” Daniel says, saving her from having to finish the question. “Zach got it with cash after he called me. Gave me the keys when we met up. I guess in case . . .” he trails off, his voice wavering.

“Where are we going?” she asks.

He shakes his head. “I don’t know. You need a hospital, but they’ll look for us there. They’ll look for us at every hotel and motel within driving distance. They’ll get in contact with everyone we know. I don’t think they have the power to freeze our accounts, but who knows? They’ll definitely be able to trace any activity on our cards. Lynell, I don’t . . . I don’t know what we’re up against.” He speaks so quickly that Lynell has trouble following him.

“Slow down,” she says, sitting up to rest her right hand on his shoulder.

Daniel tilts his head to rest a cheek against her hand. “Yeah . . . sorry. By the way, there’s a change of clothes in the back. I’ll help you get dressed when we stop.”

Lynell nods. “Thanks . . . What about Deandra’s house?” she asks, thinking of Daniel’s older sister. “She’s still here, in Dallas.”

Daniel shakes his head. “I called her yesterday, told her to leave the city. The country, even. As soon as they realize we’re still in touch, they are going after her. I told her to go get dad and take him back to England.”

“One of the girls from book club might—”

“They’ll know everyone in your life, Lyn. Any place that may be a safe haven for us will be watched.”

“What about someone they wouldn’t think of? Someone who’d let us crash at their place without calling the cops?” Lynell asks. She thinks of people he may have known back in his days as a rebel.

Daniel shakes his head. “The last rebel safe house I knew of was raided a few months ago. I’ve lost contact with everyone else. Plus, I don’t know how much of what I told Zach passed on to his father.”