Free Evade (The Ever Trilogy) by Jessa Russo

if knowing I needed saving at that exact moment, or maybe just because we were so close to the states that the cellular service was suddenly ten times better, Toby’s phone rang. I sucked in a breath as his hands dropped from my face. His closeness, combined with his words, had been way too intense for me.
    “It’s Greg,” he said, as he looked at the phone. Then, to the caller he said, “Finally! Have you gotten our texts?”
    I heard Jessie’s screeching on the other side of the line, even though it was Greg who was on the phone with Toby. Toby cringed, and I smiled. Even hearing her freak out was better than nothing.
    “Yes. She’s with me. Yes. She’s fine. Scared, but not hurt.” He reached out and squeezed my knee. I looked at his hand, eyes wide, waiting for it to remove itself from my leg. It didn’t. I continued staring as if an alien sat perched there instead of my ex-boyfriend’s fingers.
    “No. Yeah, we’re here now. I pulled over to try to come up with”—long pause—“oh shit man, I owe you.” Another pause, then that familiar smirk inched its way up Toby’s face. “Yeah, I think you know where you can shove that favor, Greg. Alright, what hotel?”
    I heard more screeching through the phone, and Toby had to pull it away from his ear a few inches.
    I cringed and mouthed, “Sorry.”
    “Yeah, hey Jessie, here she is.”
    The string of rants began before I’d even put the phone to my ear.
    “Ever Van Ruysdael! I have been worried sick! How could you just leave me like that? I was scared to death! What is wrong with you? Oh my God, I thought you were kidnapped! I—”
    “I was.”
    “—don’t get smart with me Ever! I was scared to death ! I can’t even tell you what today has been like for me! Don’t ever do that again! Oh my God, are you okay? Are you hurt? What is Toby doing here? Oh my God, people want to hurt you, Ever! Hurt you ! Can you believe it? I can’t! I’m freaking out! Where are you guys anyway? I just got off a private plane! Can you believe it? I mean, I always knew I’d ride in style someday, but I hoped it would be because I was rich or something, not this. And there were these creepy guys in suits that never said more than two words to me, and—”
    “Jess.” I took a deep breath, feeling as though I was the one who had just been ranting in one long run-on sentence. “We’re near the border to California, I think. Close to a city called Mexicali. I just don’t know how we’re going to get across .”
    “Oh, Ever. That’s easy-peasy.” Rambling, chaotic Jessie was gone, and sassy Jessie was back. I heard the smile in her voice. “We’ve got your passport, silly. And your toothbrush. Have you even brushed your teeth today? Gross.”
    Leave it to Jessie to be more worried about my personal hygiene than the fact that I was running from people who wanted to kill me.
    Shit. That was something I never thought I’d have to say. I wondered when I would be curling up in a ball. Obviously, shock was the only thing keeping me moving forward and holding me together. But when the shock finally faded…well, that would be a different story; I was sure of it.
    “Okay, Ev, Greg’s telling me to hang up. Apparently we’re close by. I’ll see you soon! I love you!”
    “I love you, too.”
    The phone screen flickered back to the black home screen, and I closed my eyes. Not in time to keep the tears from falling, though.
    Toby cleared his throat and started the car again. “They won’t be long. We’ll see her in under an hour, and then we’ll figure out what to do next. I have to charge my phone, but when we get to the hotel room…you can call Frankie if you want.”
    Frankie.
    What would Frankie say about all of this? What about him , and his soul?
    “Is Frankie in danger too, Toby?” I didn’t open my eyes. Just waited with my head back on the headrest and my eyes closed. Waiting for the worst.
    “No, Ev. Just you.”
    There was more to it. His pause