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“Once I learned about the American way of engagement, I wanted to gift you the same experience,” he said. “If you wish, I can get on my knee again.”
“I prefer to be proposed to in the safety of your embrace.” I snuggled closer to him.
He chuckled. “We can stay like this for as long as you want.”
I turned around to witness the picturesque view while Gabriel kept his arms interlaced around me. For the longest time, we didn’t speak. There wasn’t the need for it. We simply basked in each other’s presence while surrounded by exquisite scenery. The low temperatures didn’t bother me as Gabriel’s body warmed me up like a blanket. We could’ve enjoyed this moment in time forever, but my stomach growled at the most inopportune times like it usually did.
“Do not tell me you are hungry again?” he said, trying to hide a smile.
“You try experiencing the mix between a near-death experience and an engagement proposal and not get hungry.”
“Then we must squash Milady’s hunger monster as soon as possible.” He lifted me into his arms and did another supersonic number till we reached the food stalls. Again, no one was there, but the freshly-prepared food waiting for its customers.
As I nibbled at my ham sandwich, Gabriel went to the side to take a phone call. The surrounding atmosphere felt eerie when people were removed from the scene. I realized he did it for our privacy, more so for his, but I never expected to miss the tourist clamor I usually despised. It felt like something was missing. Before I finished my sandwich, Gabriel came to me after his phone conversation and said, “we have some unexpected guests. We must leave.”
“Why? Are we being followed?” I almost choked on the last bite.
“Not yet, but I would prefer not to involve you in this encounter,” he said as I followed him to the car.
Once inside the car, he strapped my seat belt with the speed of sound, omitting his.
“Aren’t you going to put on your seat belt?” I asked, almost forgetting he was immortal. Thankfully he didn’t dismiss my question.
“For those who cannot die, seat belts represent a higher risk of entrapment. A fraction of a second makes a massive difference in my world.”
The now familiar sound of the engine roar resounded, and we were back on the serpentine road in no time. At first, I remained somewhat calm as Gabriel’s driving maneuvers were smooth, but then he sped up and began cutting corners, sometimes inches from the cliff. Only when I turned around and saw two black SUV’s chasing us, I realized the threat was much closer than expected.
“The cars look government-like. Why are they chasing us?”
“Because of me,” he said, always focused on the road.
“Why would the local FBI want to arrest you?”
“They’re not an FBI type of organization, and they’re definitely not local,” he said, and he made another steep turn. “Please hold tight, Milady.”
If it weren’t for the adrenaline flooding my body, I would’ve long ago graced Gabriel’s car with the remnants of my ham sandwich. I already considered that an achievement. But the proud moment ended when I turned again and saw the black cars drive mere inches away from us. If we were on a straight road, this monster of a car would’ve been long gone. But the steep turns forced Gabriel to slow down at every curvature. The people behind knew exactly when to follow us.
“They’re getting close, and we’re not even halfway through the curves,” I said.
“I wished to avoid this, but I see no other way,” he said and pressed the gas pedal and jumped off the road and into the open ravine. What in the British spy movie was this? While still in the air, Gabriel placed his hand on my lap and pressed hard while the other held the wheel in one place. The landing was as rough as I expected, but Gabriel’s strong arm held me on the spot, and the straightened wheels simply continued to move as if we didn’t just jump off a massive cliff. For a moment, it felt like he had already done this before. Suddenly, his villainous-looking car became an offroad king and began to conquer uneven terrain at crazy speed.
I looked at Gabriel’s aloof demeanor and realized that maybe there was something more to him than I assumed at the beginning. He chose to leave out some parts of his life, or he didn’t have time to tell me all. Still, I was sure the story didn’t end with him just being the king of vampires living in the depths of Romanian forests.
His phone rang. Gabriel answered it and pressed the speaker button. “Yes, Troy,” Gabriel said.
“The two black vehicles in active pursuit are at a good distance from your car. But there are two more on a stake out at the foot of the mountain near the helicopter,” Troy said.
“What do you recommend?”
“Continue with the current position. Once you pass the helicopter, return to the main road, and drive to the nearest airport.”
“Understood,” Gabriel said and hung up.
“Airport?” I asked.
“It is the only safe way to get out of this mess. Plus, I always wanted to meet your parents,” he said.
“Wait, what? We’re flying to the US?”
