HEART BOUND

DAD?!!

(Season 1)

CHAPTER 40

Kalen dragged Liora away from the burning building , into the maze of the dark alleys. He pushed Liora into a waiting car, jumped in beside her, and barked at the driver.

"Go!" The car screeched off into the night, leaving every body behind thinking that there were already consumed by the fire from the blast.

The car careened through the night streets, weaving past taxis and abandoned lots. Kalen's eyes scanned the mirrors - no tails. He turned to Liora , her eyes wide with fear.

"You okay?" She nodded, trembling. He pulled out a phone, dialed a number.

" It's done. I got her." A pause. "Yeah, we'll lay low. You take care of the rest." He hung up, gaze hardening.

The safehouse was a crumbling loft in Williamsburg, walls tagged with street art and the smell of old coffee lingering. Kalen checked the windows, then turned to Liora , who was huddled on a couch, still shock from everything that just happened. How did they managed to escape?

"You’re safe now."Was she really safe? But the possibility of her safety was drain out of her few hours ago.... So she wasn't sure if she believed she was really safe. He pulled off his jacket, draped it over her shoulders. She looked up, eyes still shaky.

"T... Thank you ?" Kalen’s expression softened for a split second, but it was gone before she could notice it, He glanced at the door and said.

"Rest. Dawn’s hours away." Liora's eyes drifted shut, exhaustion winning out. Kalen watched her breathe, his face a mask once more. He pulled out a burner phone, dialed a familiar number.

"Ryan? Status?" Lucas's voice came through, low and calm.

"safe, What about miss Liora ?" Kalen glanced at her.

"Safe. We'll move at dawn." He hung up, crossed to the window, and stared into the night. The game wasn't over.

A faint hum echoed outside - rotor blades. Kalen's head snapped up and He yanked Liora up, grabbing a bag.

"Time to move." They burst onto the roof, chopper lights flooding the space. Kalen helped Liora in, before he jumped in beside her.

"Go!" he ordered. Liora glanced at him wondering what was going on in his mind..... Where they were going and why he was the only one helping her. Not that she was complaining but it was just that Kalen had never cared about her existence and all of sudden he risked his life to save her?

Kalen pull Liora out of the hello, immediately it lower down, they made their way into the SUV. The vehicle sped off, tires screeching on wet asphalt.

"Where are we going?" Liora asked again, voice steadier now. Kalen handed her a hood.

"Put this on."He said ignoring her question. She hesitated.

"Why?" He leaned in, voice low... Her heart skipped a bit at how close his face was to hers.

"Because where we're going, no one can find us. Not even Zach and the others." The SUV plunged into darkness, city lights blurring. She stare at him surprised and confused, why is he hiding their survival?

The SUV stopped. Liora fumbled with the hood, pulling it off. They were in an underground garage, walls dripping with condensation. Kalen led her to an elevator, no signs or buttons visible. It opened with a hiss. Inside, he swiped a card. The doors closed. Descent. Liora's ears popped. The doors opened to a sterile white corridor. A figure waited - tall, a pair of deep blue eyes, just like hers .

"Welcome, Liora." she frozed in shock..... Staring at the figure that was staring back at her with guilt written all over his face.

"D... Dad?" the word out with a choking sob.... What is going on?

"sweet heart....i am..." she cut him off still not understanding what was really happening.

"Ho... How is he here....." she turned to Kalen who stood silently behind her, her eyes searching for answers, but kalen's eyes were expressionless.

"I know you have a lot of questions but please come in so the doctor can check up on you" Ruben said. He moved closer to help her in, but she moved back like he was a threat her...... Noticing her retreating reaction Kalen wrapped his arms around her and help her in side.

Hours after resting, Liora insisted Ruben tell her why he left all those years, why he didn't come back or call....... She wanted to know why he left her to her cruel step mother.

"I will never leave you..... You are the most important thing in my life sweetheart." Ruben said

"why did you leave then!!!" her hands were shaking, not from the elegant tremble of stage fright, but the violent uncontrollable shake of unanswered questions finally boiling over. Rain strikes the window behind her, but she did not notice. Her eyes were fixed on Ruben.

" Ten years!!" she said, the words came out fractured, thick with tears she refused to let fall.

"Ten years of birthdays, waiting and hoping that you will one day show up. Ten years of repeatedly telling teachers and classmates that 'he's on a business trip' because telling them 'my dad's dead' sounded too pathetic..... So tell me, why did you leave" she demanded, her voice cracking wide open. Years of grief weaponized into one question. Her fist were clenched at her side, nails biting into her palm.......

But Ruben did not flinch, he looked at her like he was memorizing her face after a life time of darkness. His own eyes were wet and haunted.

"I didn't leave Liora" he said, barely above a whisper. His hand goes to the scar hidden beneath his shirt.

"I was made to leave" what he said made the anger boiling inside her falter a little, and was replaced by a vail of confusion.

"What.... Do you mean" she asked in confusion. He exhaled and it sounded like it hurt. Like he had been holding that breath for the ten years he was away.

"I wronged your mother liora...." He puse and took another deep breath filled with guilt "but I decided to make everything right but then she past away........ Ten years ago I found out Dorothy planned everything because she realized I was no longer go on with the plan to take Hannah's money. That day I confronted her and I told I was going to expose her........ But that night I didn't make it back home. "his eyes dropped to the floor with a bitter smile.....

" I was ran off the road...... They dragged me out and they pulled the trigger on me" her breath catched. The fight drained out of her shoulder, like some one cut off her strings. But the fight was replaced by sudden fear, fear from the thought of finding out that her father had died.

"Shot?....." she choked on the word.....

"yes..... But thankfully I was saved by a generous passer by. He helped me, but I fell into coma for six years........ He was actually giving up on me that I wasn't going to survive but I did. I survived but at the cost of my memories" He traced his hand over the scar again, he was trying to remember everything that had happened over the years he left.

"You forgot everything thing?" The tears she was holding finally spill over.

" I forgot everything about my life before....... I was like a new being. But two years ago I came across a brocast where Dorothy was been interviewed...... Her face triggered everything." she stared at him still very confused with everything.... She glanced at Kalen, his face was indifference but there was a flash of something closed to doubt in his eyes but it vanished before she could really understand what it was.

Ruben stepped closer and pulled her into a hug. She break against him, sobbing into his chest..... But she was confused, that warmth and relief she was expecting to feel the moment she hug her father again wasn't there. She did not feel that connection at all.

After catching up with Ruben for a while, Kalen decided to feel them on their next move. His plan was straight forward. He wanted Mrs brown and everyone else to believe they were dead, that way Mrs brown can walk right into his trap........

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PRESENT.....

Mrs brown was so shocked that she stumbled back....

TBC