Chapter 13: Almost Free (II)
979 Words
Aria's POV
I turned my head for a split second and saw him standing at the hospital entrance.
Ignoring him, I clutched Mila's arm toward a taxi that happened to pass by.
I blocked the car, giving the driver a deadly look.
"Mila, get in!"
She climbed into the back seat.
The driver hesitated as he saw the guards running towards us. "I can't…"
"Drive!" I commanded, slamming the door and locking it just as a guard’s hand hit against the glass.
I pulled a wad of cash from my pocket and threw it at the dashboard.
‘Now!”
The engine roared as we moved away, the tyres screeching against the asphalt.
I turned back looking through the glass window to see if they were following us, but there was no sign of pursuit.
I slumped against the seat, staring at my hands.
They were shaking uncontrollably, the skin on my knuckles split and bleeding.
Mila ripped her face mask off, her breathing ragged. "Aria... are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I breathed, removing my mask as well to draw in fresh air. “What about you?”
“I’m good but… when did you learn to fight like that? You moved like a professional."
"I... I honestly don't know," I admitted.
"I just have that desperation to leave this country at all costs."
Mila nodded, understanding the situation.
“But still… I hate it, Mila.”
My hatred for Alexander flared inside my chest. He had forced me into a version of myself I can't even recognise.
Fortunately, that will be the last time I will see his face. I pray I never come across him in the future.
A gunshot shattered the silence of the lonely road.
The taxi swerved violently while the driver cried out as he jerked the wheel.
The car skidded across the road and crashed into a tall tree with bone-rattling force.
My head hit sideways; pains exploded behind my eyes. Before I could understand what had happened, six men surrounded the vehicle before I could gather my bearings.
I forced my gaze upward through the haze to see a man in a dark suit, stepped forward with a silenced pistol in his hand and fired.
The windscreen shattered, and the driver slumped over the wheel.
Mila screamed while my breath stopped.
The suited man reached for my passenger door handle, but it was locked.
He offered a slow, wide smile through the glass that sent ice flooding straight through my veins.
Then, with a brutal force, he smashed the side window with the butt of his weapon, showering the interior with glass. He unlocked the door from the inside and pulled it open.
The cool night air mixed with the smell of blood and gunpowder hit my nose.
“Hello, Isabella. "Welcome back,” his voice was smooth, devoid of emotions.
These are not Alexander's men. My instinct told me as I studied the men, covering their faces with black masks.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my fingers holding Mila's hand.
She was shivering behind me, and the entire seat seemed to vibrate.
His eyes locked with mine with a patient, calm expression, as if this were just a simple meeting.
"Isabella, why don't you come out first? Then we can start with the introductions."
"Answer me!”
Something clicked in my head.
Wait… I recognised this outfit. It was the same outfit those men wore when they attacked Alexander's house, holding Mila as hostage?
How did they know I would follow this road to the airport by this time?
Who are they really? And why are they after Isabella? Is she really a criminal?
The man reached out his gloved hand, offering it to me like a dark invitation.
"Come on. Let’s go. We can’t keep the boss waiting.”
The boss?
I stared at his open palm, then glanced at Mila. I knew I couldn't fight six armed men, not with Mila’s life on the line.
My hand moved forward, ready to be placed on his palm.
BANG!
A body dropped on the floor, lying lifeless.
I moved back into the taxi, curling into myself while pulling Mila, our trembling bodies leaning on each other.
Outside, the sound of gunshots was ringing in my ear, loud and endless, making my heart pound heavily.
After what felt like an eternity, the noise died down as I heard the sound of tyres speeding away into the night.
"Aria."
That voice?
My head snapped back towards the scattered door, where Alexander stood in the moonlight; his hair was dishevelled, his chest rose and fell heavily and his eyes were wild with a desperation that bordered on madness.
At that moment, the anger I felt for him, the resentment… it all vanished. I was just a woman who had been staring at death for the third time.
"You... you came," I managed to say. Tears blurred my vision.
I came out of the car, my face buried on his chest.
He didn't say a word.
"Are you hurt?” His voice was rough, demanding an answer.
Realising what I was doing, I quickly pulled away from his embrace.
“Answer me! Are you hurt?” He asked again.
“I'm fine.”
The moment the words left my lips, he wrapped his arms around me, holding me so closely to his chest that I could feel the rhythm of his heartbeat.
“Don't you dare try this next time.” He warned.
“We were able to track the taxi’s GPS coordinates the exact millisecond you left the hospital.”
One of his men approached urgently. “Sir, we need to leave. The police will arrive soon.”
"Get the car ready," Alexander ordered, letting me go.
“Aria, get inside the car.”
"I'm not going anywhere with you," I snapped.
- Writer
