Serfina:
Oh, girl, I plan to! X
I needed coffee.
Knocking on Caspian’s office, I entered, and he smiled, looking up.
“I was just going to get a coffee. Can I get you one?”
“That would be lovely,” he said.
I left the office and made my way through to the staff room. As soon as I arrived, I could smell freshly cooked croissants, and my stomach started rumbling. I really needed to start eating in the mornings, but I just felt so sick all the time. Making my way over, I grabbed one and took a bite. They were still warm and a little doughy, and it was so good.
Finishing up eating, I walked over to the coffee machine and started making Caspian’s coffee. My stomach churned, and I placed my hand over my mouth.
Oh God, not now.
Rushing through the main office, I reached the bathroom, locked myself in a cubicle, and bent over the toilet. The croissant came straight back up.
I flushed the toilet and sat on the floor for a minute, wiping the tears that had fallen from my eyes as I tried to steady my breathing.
Slowly, I stood from the floor and opened the door. Standing at the sink, I washed my hands and looked in the mirror. I actually did look pale. A mess.
After finishing up making the coffees, I headed back up to Caspian’s office. As I entered, that sharp pain suddenly returned in my lower stomach. I hunched over and clutched at it, dropping the coffees in the process. I sucked in a breath to try and steady the pain.
“Aria? Are you ok?” Caspian rushed over, placing his arms on mine to try to help me stand, but the pain was too much.
My head started to spin. I felt faint. My heart was struggling to pump the oxygen around my body as my knees hit the floor. Caspian crouched next to me, trying to help me back up.
“Aria? Can you hear me?”
His voice was muffled as that sharp pain became more intense, causing me to grab at my stomach harder.
Then there was nothing.
51
Sebastian
Istepped out of the car. Hassan stood on the port, outside one of his warehouses. The sweet smell of fizzy cherry hit me as he exhaled a cloud of his vape smoke. The air was cool as the sea gently knocked against the harbour’s concrete walls. Ships lined up as containers sat around, waiting to be loaded.
“Sebastian.” He took my hand, pulling me in to greet me. “How was the journey?”
“Pretty quick, thanks to you.”
Hassan had set everything up in Mauritius to get through passport control quickly, and the car he’d hired was marked with a special number plate to let the traffic police know to let it straight through.
“Good, that’s what I like to hear about my country.”
“Where’s Sami?”
“In the warehouse, chained up.” He gestured with his head to follow.
Once my flight had been confirmed, I’d had Hassan keep him at the docks, sorting the shipments, and then chain him up forme when I arrived. Of course, the guy didn’t have a clue, because Hassan was good at staying in the shadows without being seen.
He’d bleed slowly for what he’d done to Hayden.
Inside the warehouse, Sami was dangling from a chain attached to the ceiling, his feet inches from the floor. Dried blood mixed with dirt and sweat stuck to his face. His head slumped to the side, his eyes closed.
