Chapter 67: I’ll Be Right Behind You
He was supposed to be the one driving.
Marco turned calmly to Julian. "I’ll be right behind you."
Julian barely spared him a glance. "Suit yourself."
Marco moved toward his own car. He slid into the driver’s seat.
The engine humd to life.
He waited until the car Valentina was in rolled forward. Then he pulled out, falling in behind them, maintaining a asured distance.
Inside the back seat, Valentina’s hands shook as she reached for the seat belt. Her heart was hamring violently. She pressed her back into the seat, forcing herself to breathe through her nose.
Wait for the crash.
The words looped in her head.
Wait for the crash. Wait for the crash. Wait for the crash.
The road stretched ahead, narrow and poorly lit, swallowed by trees on both sides. The woods closed in.
Marco watched the surroundings carefully. This was the stretch he’d morized. His foot eased off the accelerator, letting the distance between his car and Valentina’s widen just enough.
This was the point of no return.
He accelerated.
The engine roared, tearing through the silence. He gripped the steering wheel hard, eyes fixed on the car ahead. One second. Two.
He slamd into the back of the car.
The impact was brutal. tal scread against tal. The car ahead lurched violently, tires shrieking. Valentina was thrown forward, the seat belt biting into her chest as the vehicle spun, skidding wildly across the road before slamming into a tree with a sickening crack.
Her breath was knocked from her lungs.
For a heartbeat, everything went silent.
Then chaos erupted.
Cars screeched to a halt, doors flying open. n poured out onto the road, shouting, swearing, guns drawn in frantic unison.
"What the fuck is he doing?" Julian shouted.
His face was twisted with rage, handso features pulled tight, eyes burning as he scanned the scene. Suspicion flared instantly.
Valentina’s vision blurred, as pain pulsed behind her eyes. Her chest burned where the seat belt had caught her, her ears rang, and the sll of smoke made her stomach churn. But fear cut through everything. If she hesitated now, she would never get another chance.
The n around her were distracted, shouting, drawing guns, fanning out. No one was looking directly at her anymore.
She moved.
Her fingers fumbled once at the seat belt. She shoved the door open, boots hitting the dirt hard, nearly stumbling as she broke into a run. The woods lood ahead, freedom. Thorns ripped at her skin, branches slapped her face as she sprinted, lungs screaming, heart pounding.
Julian saw her first.
"There!" he barked, arm snapping out, finger pointing. "Get her!"
His n reacted instantly, guns raised as they tore after Valentina. Shouts echoed through the trees, footsteps pounding behind her. Panic clawed at her throat, but she ran harder.
Behind her, Marco never took his eyes off her retreating figure.
Then rough hands yanked him backward.
He barely had ti to brace before he was dragged from the vehicle and thrown to the ground. Gravel bit into his cheek, pain exploding across his ribs as boots pressed into his back. A knee slamd between his shoulders, pinning him down. His gun was kicked away, skidding across the road, useless.
"Well, well, well..." Julian crouched beside him, fingers gripping Marco’s jaw and forcing his head up. "...what do we have here?"
Marco t his gaze without flinching, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, eyes cold and unrepentant.
"A traitor," Julian snarled, spitting the word. "You disappoint , Marco. Truly."
*****
Luca sat at his desk in Commissioned, staring hard at his phone.
His fingers were steepled under his chin, jaw tight, blue eyes dark.
He was waiting.
For a text. A call. Anything.
The phone lay face-up on the desk, silent, mocking him. He hadn’t moved in over an hour.
The door opened and Veronica walked in.
Luca had successfully kept his distance from her since the last ti he almost crossed a line—since the night restraint had been a thin, fraying thread. It was safer this way. For both of them. Or so he told himself.
"What are you doing here, Vee?" he asked.
"I thought to check in on you," she said.
It was only half the truth. Veronica stepped further into the room. What she was really there for was Valentina. Luca didn’t bring work ho. That made his office the only place to corner him and get information first hand.
"Why?" he asked.
"I haven’t seen you in days."
She watched his face as she said it.
"You do not co to my place of business without being invited," he said.
"You’re mad at ," Vee said.
"Should I not be?" he replied.
His blue eyes held hers.
"You gave
a choice," she said, "and now you’re pressuring
to make the choice you want."
"I’m not pressuring you," Luca said. "I’m just tired of the back and forth."
"That’s it?" Vee asked. "Is that all you want
for? Sex? If I have sex with you, would it get
out of your system? Will your grip on
loosen?"
Luca had no answer. His jaw locked.
Vee dropped into the chair opposite his desk.
"I’m busy. You have to go, now," Luca said.
"You don’t look busy," Vee shot back, eyes sweeping over the desk.
"Vee!"
"Talk to , Luca! Don’t shut
out," she snapped.
"You’re giving
whiplash," he muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. "Do you want
in or out? Because you keep pulling
back in just to set
on fire."
Before she could answer, his phone buzzed. Luca snatched it up, thumb moving. Vee saw the shift imdiately. His shoulders stiffened. His breathing changed. Whatever was on that screen had just redrawn the map.
It was a ssage from a friend of a friend.
Sothing is wrong. They’re late.
—Reese.
"Fuck," Luca swore under his breath. He was already dialing Marco’s number.
"Is everything alright?" Vee asked.
He didn’t answer. Dialed again. Straight to voicemail. His mouth flattened into a line.
(I think my brain is fried. Lol. I’m going to catch a few hours sleep. Its 3am here)
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