“What scares you Dominik?” I ask him grabbing abasket and start throwing balloons of every possible colour inside it.
“I’m not scared. I’m concerned I may break you beyond repair,” he says, and I sigh handing him the basket and putting more things than we need in it.
“I may or may not care,” I whisper, but Dominik heard it, his eyes gleam, sparking back to life. Dominik stays silent until we pay for the things and he grabs the bags all by himself. Nothing is heavy, but there are a lot of bags.
“Kai?” I ask when I see my personal guard in the parking lot.
“Miss. Kane, is everything fine? You’re late,” Kai asks and I nod.
“Sorry, I kind of freaked out with Josh’s words and needed to catch some air,” I respond as honestly as I can.
“In Caltin?” Kai asks and Dominik is the one to reply.
“It’s my fault, Kai. I apologise, I took her skating. I didn’t expect it to take this long. We were just getting home. You’re free to follow my car,” Dominik says like the perfect gentleman. I receive a message, and I let my phone fall when I read it. Not only does my phone fall, but my whole world does.
“We need to get back now,” I scream to Dominik and Kai, entering Dominik’s car and looking at him with urgency. “Drive fast,” I say as soon as Dominik gets out of the parking lot.
He takes the fastest route home. And goes slightly over the speed limit and gets out of the car before I do.
“Your phone,” Dominik says, handing it to me. “Want to tell me what’s happening?” Dominik asks me and Ishake my head. I take my phone and walk inside our house. I thank my father mentally for having a private condominium for us, before I get the hidden gun at the top of the stairs.
“Let go of Maya, Declan,” I whisper, entering my room and unlocking my gun, pointing it straight at his head, but I can’t get a clear shot yet. Maya’s own head is slightly in front of Declan’s.
“Why would I? She’s meaningless. Everything is meaningless,” Declan says and gets a better grip on the dagger straight against Maya’s neck. I calculate if I can shoot him before he stabs Maya, but it’s too risky.
“What do you mean?” I ask him, trying to reason with him. But he looks deeply out of his mind. “Declan, talk to me or I’ll scream,” I threaten and he sighs, he knows I’m not bluffing, good!
“Your father expelled Max and me from the condominium,” Declan says, and my mouth drops open, I close it almost immediately. “I know shocking, right?” Declan asks and someone knocks on my bedroom door. I lock it.
“Everything ok in there girls?” Josh asks, and I say “Everything perfect we’ll be out in ten,” I hear a faint “Ok” and steps down the staircase.
“What did you two do Declan?” I ask painfully aware I’m holding Maya’s and Sammy’s lives in my hands. Sammy’s brown eyes red from crying. Maya is trying to get loose from time to time but Declan is stronger than her.
“Max betrayed your father. I stood by him,” Declan says and I point at my door.
“Go away, Declan, before I blow your head off,” I say andhe lets go of Maya now holding the knife to his own throat while moving towards me, towards the door. I keep my gun pointed at him at all times, but he still chooses to lunge my way. I shoot him in the shoulder, he grunts in pain and holds me against him, with the knife now to my throat. I almost faint from the blood dripping on my shoulders and back.
“Declan let go of me, we can sort this out before it’s too late-”
“It’s already too late,” Declan says and I feel a striking pain in my head. For a moment, I think he stabbed me there. He wouldn’t, would he? How did he betray my father? It doesn’t matter. As everything gets dark, I fear it’s too late for me too.
Chapter 4
Love
Metallic taste gets in my mouth, down my throat and seems to be coming from my forehead. I can’t stop it from pouring down. I don’t know where I am. It’s dark, and I hear a car’s engine. Not hell, I guess.
The last thing I remember was what I thought was a knife through my head. But it wasn’t. I wouldn’t be here. I try to get a sense of the smells. I’m on Declan’s car, on his car’s trunk to be specific. I inspect my clothes and the whole space. I have no phone as I already expected. And the trunk is empty of anything but a screwdriver. I grab it and hide it on my belt under my clothes. It can come in handy.
My father will find me. I’m sure he will. Yet I need to make sure I stay alive until he does. And for Rian’s sake, I have to be in one piece. Rian isn’t responsible for Declan’s actions, but my father won’t see it that way.
Before I scream, “Declan, you creep, let me out!” I decide to play unconscious, I made no sounds until now, let’skeep it that way. I close my eyes and try to lie there as when I woke up, but there’s too much blood entering my mouth that way. I lean my head slightly backwards, and the blood runs across my forehead falling to my hair and partially rolling down my neck.
I stay in that position for only god knows how long. When the trunk is finally opened I fight my eyes from opening with the sudden light, it’s too bright. I’d say he’s pointing some kind of flashlight at me.
When he’s almost touching me, I change strategy. He’ll feel my hidden weapon if he picks me up. I pretend I’m now slowly regaining consciousness. “Where are we?” I ask Declan, blinking my eyes several times.
“Somewhere safe,” Declan says and I immediately know where we are. Declan helps me up and I get out of the car. We’re surrounded by woods. Thick woods. He went to the mountains.
