Chapter 6: Rearview Terror
1095 Words
Evangeline
“I do not like to repeat myself.” Dane murmured. Voice low. Dangerous.
My heart pounded hard and my palm gathered moisture as those dark eyes stayed locked on me, as if it could silently intimidate me into doing its bidding.
“How charming that you're suddenly interested in catching up after your father's death. Who would have thought you gave two flying f***s about your little stepsister?”
“I do not take kindly to sly manipulators, Evangeline. Get in the car.” He murmured, voice softer but no less dangerous. “Don't make me make you.”
Dane's threatening tone was getting through to me. But there was nowhere in hell I was going to show him that.
“I do not owe you a trip through town or a quick coffee at Starbucks. We never interacted when your father was alive, I don't see why we should now.”
I began to move away, my shoulder trembling with an emotion that I couldn't quite name. Anger? Shame? Pain?
How did he know about the affair with Gavin? Had the old man somehow told him before he died?
“Get rid of Gavin's only legitimate offspring and you will never be able to walk through town like a normal human again.”
Dane's words stopped me cold in my tracks. My shoulders tensed up and my eyes misted.
“How did you know?” I turned my head a fraction, allowing the winds to carry my words to him.
“I have my ways. Now, get in the car, Evangeline. I do not have all day.”
I shut my eyes, refusing to let the tears that brimmed in my eyes fall. I had done the right thing all my life. The kind, devoted daughter. The quiet stepsister. But I was done allowing myself to get tugged and pulled.
I had gotten revenge on my mother, and even though that single act of revenge had come back to bite me in the ass, I wasn't willing to live with the consequences of that vengeful act.
And not even Gavin's stepson was going to convince me otherwise.
“I will not get in your car, even if you hold a gun to my head. You can tell the whole world that I f****d your daddy. I really do not care, Dane.”
“Walk away, and I'll find you.”
I chuckled. “Good luck with that, champ.”
I resumed walking, half expecting Dane to fling my body against the sidewalk and drag me by the hair to his car. But nothing of the sort happened.
I breathed a sigh of relief and flagged down a taxi. As I pulled the taxi door open and slipped into the warm car, my nose wrinkled at the stale smell of cigarettes that hit my nostrils.
I was really going to miss being chauffeured in Gavin's luxurious limousine.
“Where to, ma'am?” The taxi driver met my gaze through the rearview mirror.
I looked down at my phone and rattled off the clinic's address I had found to go to.
With a nod, he eased his vehicle into traffic, and I tried not to turn back to check whether Dane was still standing there, with his back against his spotless car and that look of disdain on his face.
I sighed and closed my eyes, swallowing a mouthful of spit as a fresh wave of nausea hit. I leaned my head back against the headrest and tried to take in deep breaths.
“You okay, ma'am?” The driver's voice reached my ears, momentarily distracting my desperate urge to puke.
I nodded, afraid I'd retch in the driver's car if I opened my mouth.
“You look green.” The driver observed. “Car sickness? Do you need me to pull over?”
I nodded, fully aware that I'd ruin his car seat if he didn't.
The driver quickly parked, and I pulled the car door open, allowing the contents of my stomach to spill on the coal tar.
I pulled myself back and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. As I settled back in the seat, the driver stretched an unopened bottle of water towards me.
I shook my head, touched by his sudden show of kindness.
“You're so kind, but thank you.”
“Take it. My wife gets car sick too. I always make sure to have a bottle just in case. Also, your mouth must really taste bad right now. So, go ahead.”
The driver was right. I grabbed the water bottle from him and thanked him gratefully as I rinsed off and took several sips after.
We restarted our journey again. This time, I caught the driver glancing several times into the rearview mirror. I smiled to myself, glad to be at the receiving end of another's kindness.
“I'm fine. You don't have to babysit me the entire car ride.” I forced a reassuring smile.
The driver shook his head. “That's not what this is.” The driver's voice was gravely, causing warning alarms to go off in my head.
I sat up quickly. “What?”
“There's a car behind us.” He explained. “I think it's following us.”
My stomach dropped at his words. I turned swiftly, catching sight of a dark USV, tinted on all sides. The only thing that reflected off of the car's windshield was the blue Florida sky.
I watched, observing that the SUV remained in our lane, refusing to overtake even though the taxi driver was giving it ample chances to.
My heart began to pound fast and hard. Was this Dane's doing? Was he really following up on his threat? Panic climbed up my throat, and my hands shook with crippling fear.
But Dane had driven a white Audi.
“What are we going to do?” I turned to the driver, voice trembling, stomach roiling again.
“Call 911.” The taxi driver urgently said as he began to speed up. I twisted around and watched. The SUV had begun to speed up too.
“Oh my god.”
“What's going on?” The taxi driver asked as he began to speed faster. “Who the hell are these people?”
“I don't know who they are!” I cried as I quickly dialed the emergency number.
“911, what's your emergency?”
“My name is Evangeline Thatcher, and I think I'm being followed.”
- Writer
