Page 14 of Billionaire’s Promise

Bang. Mack kicked my brand-new Tesla. “Who are you talking to? Get the fuck out of the car now.”

“Okay, okay.” I sounded reluctant and he could probably hear it in my voice. I couldn’t help it though. I got out of the car and held both my hands up.

“Who are you talking to?” Shit. He heard that – I wasn’t as subtle as I thought I was.

“No one. Just a friend…” I stared at the dated abandoned building and was really skeptical about the help Wendy spoke of now.

“I thought we were friends.” My voice came out a little shaky, but I wanted to know what he had in mind. The only way I knew how was to keep him talking – much like when I treated my patients. You don’t want them keeping everything to themselves, because there was no way you could help patients like that.

“Friends don’t run away from each other like that,” he snapped.

“It’s nothing personal, Mack. I have a problem being with people. You know, staying at home for too long will do that to you.” I kind of lied. I knew that this was something that many people suffered from after the pandemic, including my mother.

“Is that so?”

“Of course.” I could feel my teeth knocking together. “Lots of doctors died, you know? It could easily have been me.”

I had to keep the conversation going in hope of keeping Mack relaxed.

“I guess you’re right. I did think of you during the lockdown you know.” I let out a small sigh as Mack showed signs of relaxing as he lowered his gun.

“Who else is here? Is it just you? We should go grab a coffee. I know a place not too far–”

Suddenly, a black car that drove past earlier turned around and sped towards us.

“What the fuck?” Mack’s anger was back. “Get on your knees, now.”

“Please, Mack.”

“Get down or I’ll shoot you.”

I did as I was told.

Two people got out of the car and neither of them were Wendy. I didn’t know the woman, but I recognized the large Asian man. A bodyguard. Did he work for Wendy now? What was he even doing in the country?

“Put down your gun.” I heard Wendy’s voice, from somewhere up high. Glancing up, I saw Wendy standing on the top floor balcony holding a megaphone.

What the actual fuck!

I felt confused. I was scared about being held at gunpoint, but at the same time I was excited about Wendy. She looked like a superhero about to save my ass – overlooking me and my whole situation from above.

How was it possible to be feeling such despair and hope at the same time?

A few seconds ago, I was convinced that I nearly had Mack. Not in a way where I could swing around and disarm him of his gun. But I was certain that he was about to let me go. We could have easily resolved this issue without any violence. Besides, Mack was almost certainly under the influence of something and not thinking clearly. My money was on some kind of drug.

If Mack acted alone, then all I needed to do was give him whatever he wanted. Probably some money. I shook off the thought of Dannie coming for me.

“You’re surrounded, asshole. Surrender now or else…”

Surrender now or else what?

I really wanted to know. Or else what? That line was only ever said on TV. Actually, the whole situation kind of tickled me a little. I had a gun pointed at my head and I felt like laughing – the stress of it all must have gotten to me. I had officially gone mad.

“Mack, listen to me. We can still go get that coffee if you want.” I tried, but he wasn’t listening.

“Surrounded by who exactly?” Two people pointing their guns at him didn’t seem like a big enough threat to Mack.

Those errands that Mack used to run, I knew for sure that it involved physically harming human beings – not animals like Dannie had claimed. Not that it was okay to harm any animal. But Dannie told me back then that Mack was attacked by a stray dog and had to kill it to save his life.