"Leave me alone," she hissed. “Last night was a moment of weakness, but if you touch me again, I’ll break your fucking wrist."
Pulling away, she jumped in the Fiat that she had the keys for and started the engine, nearly running over my foot as she pulled out, spraying me with crushed gravel. Patting my pockets, I was glad that my college habit of grabbing my keys and wallet were paying off, and I ran to my car, jumping in and following her.
I realized, too late, that I'd left my cellphone in my room, and cursed. Still, I couldn’t just let her go off on her own, so I followed her, making sure she didn't do anything too stupid. I didn't want to cause a scene, so I just stayed behind her, making sure she stayed in sight, and let her cool down. Maybe after she'd cooled down, I'd be able to talk to her, and maybe it was time for some honesty between us.
As I drove, I thought about how I should have done things differently the night before. I wanted to tell her the truth, that I was interested in her beyond just my want to fuck her. Sure, she was bitchy, and she had pride that came from a family heritage and her own hard work, but there was another side to her, one that spoke to me in a way that a woman hadn't in a very long time. It was in the way she challenged me—she was a strong woman, and it drew me to her. I wanted to say it, but fear overtook me, and I took the easy way out. For that, I branded myself a coward and a total shit.
Distracted, I didn't notice the black Tahoe that pulled up alongside until it was already next to me. I looked over and saw the driver looking at me like he knew me for a moment before stepping down on his accelerator, surging ahead. I watched as he pulled up next to Luisa's Fiat, paralleling it for a while. I wondered. That face caught in my mind for some reason—until it came to me.
The driver's face had a scar. It was the man we’d been looking for.
I stepped on my accelerator when suddenly, the Tahoe jerked to the right, clipping Luisa's car. Jammed to the side, she kept her wits about her, not losing control as she went with the attack and curved into the bike lane. Her tires skidded along the curb, her car getting crunched until she came to a smaller curb, where her right two wheels went up on the sidewalk. It was a temporary reprieve at best, as I could see ahead street-side parking and trees that were planted in gaps of the sidewalk. I had to act fast.
I didn't have a gun, and I didn't even have a phone. What I had was a sports car and a powerful engine. Not caring about my safety, I plowed my car into the back of the Tahoe, hoping that my tiny little sports coupe had enough mass to do something to the much larger SUV.
Thankfully, physics were not totally against me. The Alfa-Romeo is a small car, but it’s also built low to the ground, with a hood that starts low and curves upward. The Tahoe's back bumper was taller, and I saw as the back end lifted even as the shock of impact jolted through me and the air bag exploded in my face. I felt the painful jerk of my seatbelt pulling tight, a flare of pain in my left shoulder, and then the world went hazy.
I don't know how long I was out. It couldn't have been more than ten or fifteen minutes. The first thing I was aware of was a very bright redness in my vision. The second was a screeching sound. I slowly opened my eyes to find that the screeching sound was the fire department rescue team using the Jaws of Life to cut the support struts on the roof of my car. There was a firefighter next to me, holding a blanket to prevent sparks or metal falling on me. Looking out the front, I saw that the front of my car was crunched, and my left ankle felt numb. "What?"
I had to give the firefighter credit. He didn't get startled at all. Instead, he looked at me, then back to the cutting. "We're getting your car open. Next time you try to rear-end someone, pick a car bigger than a roller skate."
I mumbled, the effort of speaking overcoming me. My vision went swimmy again, and darkness followed afterward. In it, I only had one thought. Was Luisa okay?
"He's waking up."
My eyes fluttered again, and I saw that I was in a hospital now, which I didn't like. Being in a hospital meant that I had been taken in by ambulance. And ambulances have a disturbing tendency to be in the proximity of the police.
Still, the people in the room reassured me as I saw Dom Petruzelli, my father, and a doctor. "Yeah, I'm awake.”
Dad chuckled and looked at the doctor. "He sounds fine to me."
The doctor shrugged and looked at some machines above my head. “His pulse is steady, but that ankle's not going anywhere for a while. He’s probably got a concussion too. Hold on."