Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83818 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“It is,” he says softly, opening the door for me. “Something worth protecting. And something worth fighting for.”
The door shuts with a click.
He slides into the driver’s seat, and the engine roars to life with a low, rumbling growl. Something has me on edge, but I can’t quite place it. Maybe I’m not used to being protected and safe. I’ve spent too long fighting for survival to trust when things are good.
Are they good?
This is no joy ride; I know that. Ollie’s testing to see if Carlos has discovered us.
“Can I drive?” I ask before we leave.
He growls and gives me a sidelong glance.
“I know, I know. You like to be in the driver’s seat. You like to be in control. Well, maybe I do too.”
He frowns as he thinks this over, fingering his keys before he finally blows out a breath and hands them to me.
“Go on. Be careful, Renata. This engine’s powerful.” I stroke his thigh and wink at him. “I think I know how to handle powerful things, don’t you agree?”
We drive in quiet, my eyes focused on the road. As I round a bend, the headlights catch something in the distance—a dark figure standing in the middle of the road. I gasp and slow.
“Ollie—”
“I see it,” he says quietly, his voice low, something in it sending a chill down my spine.
“Keep driving straight at it, Renata,” he says in a quiet command.
I accelerate. My heart pounds. I stifle a whimper as we approach, the figure looming closer. I whisper a strangled prayer as I drive closer. “¡Ay, Dios mío, protégeme de todos mis enemigos!”
“Should I—Oh God—what am I—”
“Don’t swerve. Drive straight at it,” he orders, his voice a dark promise of danger, pulling me deeper into his world. His grip on my thigh tightens.
I feel like I’m going to be sick. Bile burns the back of my throat.
“When I tell you to swerve, do it.” The little hairs at the back of my neck stand up. I’m not sure if I’m more afraid of him or whatever’s in front of us.
Just as I’m about to crash right into whatever it is, he shouts, “Move!”
I yank the wheel, swerving sharply, tires screeching as we narrowly avoid the shadowy form.
“Park!”
I slam on the brakes, and he opens the door and vaults into the dark night. My heart pounds, adrenaline coursing through me as I look back.
I’m alright. We’re alive. I didn’t hit anything, and… no one’s there.
He runs into the night, but it’s only him. Whoever or whatever was there left as quickly as it came.
“What the hell was that?” I ask when he comes back to the car. “I saw someone there!”
“Someone or something,” he says with a nod. “Yeah. Have you ever used a gun?”
I gawk at him. I’m still panting, still trying to slow the rapid beating of my heart and remember how to breathe again.
“Your silence is answer enough for me. You keep driving. I’ll keep watch.”
It feels oddly symbolic. Will our whole life together be like this?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ollie
We sat alone in the garden. I had managed to convince Mikhail to give us a little space. The air was cool, the scent of blooming flowers fragrant in the air. We walked in silence as if each lost in our own thoughts.
"Tell me about you, Ollie. You've asked me about me, and I feel like you already know me. But I don't know much about you."
No one ever asked me that before.
I never wanted to tell anyone. I didn’t think anyone would ever care enough to ask.
My family knew, all my brothers, of course, but it wasn’t something we ever talked about.
I looked at her, and for some reason, felt I could trust her. I shrugged. "There's not much to tell."
"I find that hard to believe," Renata said sweetly. "I know you've been through a lot, and I think a part of you is actually really good."
I laughed, not sure how to take that. "Uh, thanks?"
"You know what I mean," she said quietly.
I did know.
"All right, I'll tell you about me if you really want to hear it." I ran a hand through my hair. How was it that I could face an enemy or a whole room full of enemies and not feel as nervous as I did now? I hated this. But there was something about her…
I took a deep breath, my eyes focusing on the distance as I began to talk. "When I was a kid, my father was involved in a bunch of shady shit. I wasn't aware yet. I was just a kid, and I didn’t realize who my father was or what he was doing. My parents would always fight at night, and I didn't know about what until that day his enemies came."
She listened intently, her eyes reflecting her emotions. She didn't move, sitting as still as a statue as I continued.