AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t want to go.
But if he doesn’t want to work this out, I can’t force him to. So I gather my things and step out of the car. I’m barely standing on the pavement when Alexander throws the car into reverse and roars out of the parking garage. The sudden lurching of the vehicle throws me off balance, and I nearly land on my ass.
I’m left there, watching the car disappear into the darkness that’s fallen on the estate.
TWENTY-ONE
ALEXANDER
I’m losing my mind.
The car groans beneath me, lurching forward as I lay my foot on the gas pedal. I don’t know where I’m driving to, only that I need to put as much distance between Alize and me as possible.
My thoughts are spiralling out of control. One moment, I feel like I have all the answers, like I know my next move—and the next, nothing is making sense. I’ve never had to deal with anything this confusing before.
Every problem I’ve had, the answer has always been clear. Even when it was a hard decision to make, I made it. The details have never mattered to me, only the outcome.
But this…this.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, twisting it harshly to negotiate an approaching corner. The car’s wheels scream their protest as the car hurtles around the bend, skidding and squealing. I narrowly miss an oncoming vehicle, a wild rush of adrenaline snaking up my spine.
Fuck, I forgot what this felt like.
I find myself laughing as the familiar feeling rushes back to me. I used to drive for hours on end in my teenage years, to clear my head. It’s an incomparable feeling—listening to the car’s engine roaring down the straight, pure, unadulterated power at your fingertips. It's a dangerous power trip.
And exactly what I need.
The speedometer climbs closer to 400. The oncoming headlights look like little blips as I speed past them, the shadows of the trees and fences on either side of the road blurring into one tangled mess.
A sharp peal interrupts my reverie.
The bluetooth interface flashes. I’m getting a call. It’s probably Alize, which has my finger hovering over the button on the steering wheel to decline. But Ichance a glance at the caller ID before I do.
It’s an unlisted number.
What the fuck else could Lev want to tell me?I accept the call.
“Alexander?”
Graham’s voice fills the cabin.
If I had known it was him, I wouldn’t have answered. He was the second person I thought of after Lev’s news settled. I’m supposed to be helping him find the person who killed our mum.
Even though Graham weaselled me into his plan by claiming it was for Cinny, my niece, it’s clear that it’s as much for us as it is for his daughter. So how the fuck am I supposed to tell him I’m engaged to the motherfucker’s daughter?
I swing the car around another corner, but don’t answer.
“What the fuck, man?” Graham says. “Are you driving? Why does it sound like you’re doing donuts in a parking lot like some dumbass kid?”
“I’m not in a parking lot.”
“Where are you, then?”
“Did you call me to grill me about my whereabouts, or do you actually have something you want to talk about?” I snap, tightening my grip on the steering wheel.
My whole body feels tight, tense with pent-up emotions and anxiety. I feel like I’m losing my edge, my je ne sais quoi. I hate feeling like my life is outside of my control, and this whole thing is shaping up to be much more complicated than I thought it would be.
Alize and I were doomed from the moment I kissed her by the lake.
