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“What?” Panic begins to set in.
“A black town car from the road on Almeida broke off and made a turn earlier. Now, it’s back. Five cars behind in the right lane,” he says.
“Hey, I know the first thing about paranoia. You just got the call, of course you’re going to be on high alert—”
“Don’t be a fool, Alessia. I know the signs,” he says.
My toes tingle with fear. “Okay… What are you going to do?”
“Any sudden turns and he’ll know I’m onto him. So we’ll go toward town.” He looks over at me, sending heat wherever his gaze touches.
This deep dive into the inner workings of his mind has shined new light on just what kind of man he is. And knowing he views me – me, not a lookalike Marissa – as something beautiful and desirable, makes my thoughts wander. I have to clamp them down.
“I’ll need you to cooperate,” he says.
I nod quickly.
“There’s two men, one is lanky with a fedora. The other has a silver streak of hair on the left side. I’ve never seen either of them before.”
“Do you think it was that guy who warned you—Donny?” I ask.
He shifts his jaw. “I don’t. Out of all the bosses, he’s one of the only ones who hasn’t tried.” He shakes his head. “I’m not ruling anything out yet. I have no other explanation as to how they found me.”
“You think he’d warn you just to cover his own ass?” I ask. “In case the hit didn’t go in his favor, he’d have an alibi in your eyes.”
“That’d be pretty devious,” he considers my words. “One thing about having many enemies over the years… you learn how to deal with them.”
His confidence is enticing. I just hope I don’t wind up as some kind of meat shield in a shootout.
“You know, meeting those girls, and finding my own bed down in your basement… I was hoping for some semblance of peace for a while,” I sigh.
“You invite chaos.”
“Like I caused any of this?”
“You followed Anabel up the stairs, and helped her with that lock.”
I sigh again. Guess he’s got me there.
My nerves tangle the closer we get to the strip mall. Once we pull into the lot, I notice it’s pretty crowded. A shred of hope floods my chest. There wouldn’t be a shootout in broad daylight.
He pulls into a spot between a gigantic pick-up truck and a van. It’s particularly tight, which I imagine he did on purpose.
“Listen. The windows are tinted. Roll your seat all the way back and don’t move. I’ll be right back,” he says, and my body immediately trembles.
“No. No.” I grab for his arm. “Don’t leave me here.”
“I have to. I’m supposed to be alone. Once they have eyes on me, I’ll keep note of their movements. Trust me, Alessia.”
His pupils are dilated, like a wolf hungry for blood. My heart pounds so hard that my vision is shaking. If I’m alone now, in a box, they can look inside and open fire. I’m defenseless. As I’m about to open my mouth and protest again, he reaches for my hand.
I’m awestruck.
His touch is warm, eerily calm, and explodes with electricity between us.
Now I’m petrified and turned on. What the hell is this life?
He unzips the duffel bag in the back seat – where metal clanks as he rustles through items – and shoves two silenced pistols inside his leather jacket.
