FOUR | The Devil in the Passenger Seat

When Nataly stops at a remote gas station to count a life-changing sum of cash, her worst nightmare begins—not from a robbery, but from a man who wants more than money. A masked stranger presses a gun to her neck, forces her into the driver’s seat, and demands she drive west. With her four-year-old sister Nova asleep in the back, Nataly is trapped, paralyzed by fear and the promise that one wrong move could cost them everything.

The man, who calls himself Brandon, is as unpredictable as he is dangerous—alternately menacing and disarmingly playful, calling her “princess” and “buttercup” while hiding a gun beneath his grease-stained auto shop jacket. But when Nova wakes, Nataly makes a desperate plea: don’t scare her. To her shock, Brandon agrees—transforming into “Uncle Brandon,” singing Disney tunes and playing the doting boyfriend on a magical trip to Disneyland.

Yet beneath the charm lies a chilling truth. A stolen glance confirms Nataly’s dread: this is Brandon Donato, Utah’s most wanted fugitive, leader of the violent Mayhem Six gang—seen on the news just hours before. With blood on his hands and enemies on his tail, he’s using her car to vanish. As they near a McDonald’s exit, Nataly sees her only chance: escape. But how do you outsmart a criminal who’s always one step ahead—especially when part of you is dangerously drawn to him?