BRIDE OF MY ENEMY

A CHANCE TO FLEE THE PACK

Chapter 4 - A Chance to Flee the Pack

Anya's POV

I awoke to sunshine coming in through the tall windows of the room. I was peering at the calendar on the wall. Seven days. Seven miserable stuffy days spent in the mansion of Luca.

I had not been out of the world that night. Food was brought over, clothes too. I had not seen Luca at all since I had turned him down. He had had me prisoner in this room since that time, like some object not a human.

I wiped my eyes, and sighed, and got irritated in my chest. The isolation was maddening. I looked in the direction of the bathroom. It was time. As I was going to get up, the door opened. I had expected a maid, as usual--some one to bring my clothes and my breakfast.

But this time... it wasn't a maid.

It was Luca.

I stood still . He stood in the doorway, and was serene, composed, his black shirt and pants as clean as ever. He held a tray with food and a well folded set of clothes in his hands.

"What... what are you doing here?" I insisted, and my voice shook with a greater shock than with fear.

He smiled slightly, and totally disregarding my question. “Good morning,” he said, a smile on his face and I could have sworn I saw dimples on his cheeks.

"Don't ignore me!" I jumped, stood up and made a step toward him. "Why are you here? Why did you bring... this?" My voice had gone up, as I pointed at the food and the clothes.

“I was out on a business mission,” he said casually. “I came back fifteen minutes ago, I missed you... I wanted to see you.”

My jaw dropped. "Missed me?!" I said incredulously, and was boiling with anger. “Need I remind you, that you killed my mate a few days ago, took me here and now you miss me?”

He chuckled, low, and was not deterred by my anger. “Get ready,” he said, putting the tray aside. “In a couple of hours the will reading of your late mate takes place. You will have to come and sign some documents. I will accompany you, and you will be safe. And do not even think of escaping.”

I froze. I felt like screaming, throwing the tray and running. And yet there was another side of me--smaller, desperate--and saw the opportunity. The will. My opportunity to at last receive what Viktor owed me, and then... get away.

I nodded lazily, acting sad and submissive, and my stomach was in knots. Luca stood and stared at me, as I bathed, dressed and prepared to attend the court session. Every second seemed a year, but I was well aware that when we got out of this house, I would be nearly free.

My phone had been retrieved from the house of Viktor, days before. I was now able to reach out to someone who was able to assist me in securing fake documents, a well thought-out escape plan that I had been quietly developing. And now... now here was the time at last.

Luca made no further comment as we drove out of the mansion, the car taking us through the streets to the court of law. The road was silent, and the only sound was the engine and the convoy of cars filled with armed men behind us and the sunlight flashing through the windows. My hands were gripping in my lap, and tightening around the material of my dress.

The courtroom session was short-lived. I wrote my name on several documents, and my signature was very specific, well-regulated. I was legally the owner of all the assets of Viktor.

When we walked out of the building, chaos ensued. Guns fired. Screams echoed. Panic spread like wildfire. I knew at once what this was, an attack. Definitely from those who wanted a slice of the hot cake. And through the confusion I saw my opportunity.

I bolted. My heart throbbing, my legs pumping, I made my way to the street, pushing through the screaming people, cowering behind the cars. The guards of Luca were fast, on my heels, I turned down one alley, then another one, till at last till I lost them.

I used my shaky hands to draw out my phone and sent a brief message to the individual I had set up as my escape driver. “ I escaped, come soon.”

A few minutes after that, a car screeched into sight and I leaped in without uttering a single word. The driver, a woman whom I had full confidence in, drove at breakneck speed out of the city, and through the streets until the skyscrapers and the mess were in our rear. I felt my chest aching and my legs felt like they would fall off any second soon, but I did not mind. Freedom was finally in sight.

The car drove me way out of town, to the one place that I had always considered home, the old house of my parents. A home of memories of better days, of laughter and of love, now the only refuge I could call my own. I had remained here with my elder brother, and that was the only motive I had in marrying Viktor at all. My brother had been sick, desperate, and when no one had been able to assist him, I had gone to Viktor who had assured me of wealth, care, everything--but had given me nothing but misery.

My brother had not come out of the surgery. Viktor had only been true to his words and played on my desperation, then left me in a life I had never desired.

At last the car came to a halt before the well-known gates. I breathed a sigh of relief, which combined with weariness and a certain amount of fear.

“Here we are, safe and away from everyone.” She said with a small smile. “Rest up.” She said.

But deep down I knew, there was no rest.