Vow In Blood

Chapter Two

Defiant

Never in her wildest imagination would Zoey have believed that her planned trip to Miami for a cruise adventure would turn into her desperately trying to resurrect a dying man in an abandoned inn.

"No, no!" she kept yelling, her palms pressing rhythmically against his chest to her timed sequence. Nothing seemed to work as the man was slipping away. She wished she had a makeshift defibrillator to administer shock therapy.

As she frantically tried to revive the stranger, Zoey couldn't help but reflect on the day's events that led her to that moment.

She'd been preparing for a wild adventure that she and a couple of her friends had put together. One of the key events was the cruise in Miami; she was dying to be a part of it. At the Olson family mansion, Zoey felt as though the fun—and the essence of life itself—was constantly sucked out of her.

She wanted to get away from the troubles and control. She tried to get away from her father.

Like her father, Lina, her sister, didn't find her desire sensible.

"We'll be leaving in the next few hours, Zoey," Lina said, joining her in the living room. She stopped, her brows furrowing in dismay when she saw that Zoey wasn't dressed yet. "You're not ready? The event is in a few hours, and we have other important things to do before we get there!"

Zoey rolled her eyes. "I told you I won't attend this function, Lina. I'm going away with a group of friends this weekend."

Lina sniffed the air—her unique way of hiding her annoyance. "Father made it clear that you must be at the business party, Zoey. It's not something you call a rain check on."

"Business party or a war zone?"

"Excuse me?"

Zoey sat up, dropping her phone. "Lina, you know I'm uncomfortable with these things. Business dinners, charity events, casinos… drugs."

Lina's glare warned her to drop that thought, but Zoey had always been defiant. "We are living in a dangerous situation, and I have to constantly look over my shoulder to ensure that no one is trying to get to or that there won't be a shoot-out at a public function."

Being the daughter of one of Florida's notorious mafia bosses didn't make her life any easier. Every day, danger hung like a thick cloud, ready to rain. In the last two years, there'd been an attempt on their lives three times and an attempted kidnap on her almost four times—the last time didn't happen because it was busted before they got to it.

Zoey wanted to leave the crime world and navigate the world as an ordinary woman without the burdens of her childhood. She wanted to be free of the scars of seeing her family s*******r rivals and play the power games.

At that business party, she'd only get closer to that kind of life.

Lina sneered. "You think you can avoid it all by walking away? You can't, sweetie. You're an Olson, and it will remain that way."

"I'll be an Olson on low key."

Tired of arguing, Lina sighed, lowering her head. "Make sure you call Father and tell him that yourself. I won't take lashes for you."

"Thanks, Lina!" she jumped to her feet and embraced her sister, who stood there like a stone statue. Zoey let her go and smoothed her dress before she rushed to her room and threw a few things into her box.

She'd already packed but had been waiting for the evening. Now that the party was becoming an issue, she figured she had to leave the house earlier.

She was good to go with a few clothes, moisturizer, sunscreen, and snacks, which she packed in her trunk. Of course, she didn't forget her first aid kit.

Zoey was meticulous, and most times, she overthought things. What if one of them got into an accident while on the adventure? She had to be ready to apply for first aid.

When she settled in the car, she called her friend Stephanie. "Hey, Steph, I'm on my way out now. I'll meet you guys at the hotel by evening."

"Alright, Zo," Stephanie said, mirroring her excitement. Gael is already getting everything ready, but you must ensure you're here on time. We can't hold the cruiser for you, you know?"

"I got it. I'll be there before… 6:30."

After ending that call, she hesitantly dialed her father. When the call was answered, her stomach sank when her father's gruff voice came through. "Tell me you're on your way here with Lina."

"I…er, wasn't at home—"

"—Zoey!"

"I'm sorry, father," she said. "I had other things."

"Other things more important than this event? Get yourself over here, or there'll be consequences. I've had enough of your defiance and intolerable attitude!"

"I love you, father!" she hung up, and off she went. She knew her father would be mad, so she turned on airplane mode and increased the volume of the hip-hop music she had on.

After stopping at a gas station to refuel, she realized the journey would not go well. It was almost 5, and she had to be in Miami by 6:30 to join the cruiser. A few miles after the gas station, her tire picked a nail, and she had a flat and was stranded.

She had a spare tire, but she couldn't replace it. An attempt to contact a garage didn't work, and the only one available said it would probably take two hours to reach her, and she had a cruiser to catch.

As if that wasn't bad luck enough, the clouds gathered, becoming windy with frequent lightning strikes. Shortly after, a heavy downpour followed.

Before the storm got too heavy, Zoey decided to get to the inn ahead. Hopefully, she'd find someone to help her fix her tire once the storm ended. She had already given up on the cruiser. Maybe she could join her friends for the other fun activities they'd planned out.

However, the bleeding stranger awaited her when she opened the inn's door.