The tension in the air was thick as Elena buckled Leo and Sophia into their car seats. Her hands were shaking; she could still feel the phantom weight of Arm's influence over the house he had provided. She pulled out of the driveway, the tires crunching on the gravel, and began her escape.
She hadn't driven more than a mile when a familiar, sleek black SUV tore past her in the opposite direction, heading straight for the house she had just abandoned. Through the tinted glass, she caught the sharp, predatory profile of Arm. He looked like a man possessed, his eyes fixed forward.
Elena's heart hammered against her ribs. If she had stayed ten minutes longer, she would have been cornered. She gripped the steering wheel and didn't look back, weaving through side streets until she reached a quiet, leafy suburb on the other side of the city.
