REWRITTEN AS A VILLAIN.

PINNED MEMORY II

Gianne

"He can't be in there, right?" I screamed, slamming my hands weakly against the seat as I stared into the distance. The hotel was no longer in sight.

"The boss will be fine, ma'am. Just sit down." He held me in place, trying to calm me down, but I didn't believe him, even if I wanted to.

I clutched the seat harder. I don't like getting to know people and losing them. I already lost my father, and I still feel tortured every day by the thought that I can never see him again.

"Let's go to the airport," the bodyguard ordered, glancing at his cellular device. No, I'm not going anywhere with people I don't know. Not without Lucian.

I grabbed my phone and called his line. It was switched off. He never switches his devices off. Unless it was blown up.

"Go to the airport only if Mr. Blackwood is there. Otherwise, go to wherever he is," I barked at the chauffeur. He looked at us through the rearview mirror, trying to decide who to obey.

"To the airport, please," the bodyguard repeated, this time facing me.

I'm not leaving without an answer. We reached a sidewalk. "Pull over," I said, my breathing struggling to stay normal. The chauffeur kept driving.

"Pull the f*****g car over, or I'm causing trouble in here," I shouted, banging against the divider. He slowed the car before finally pulling over.

I got out, slamming the door shut. My heels were in my hands, my hair had already become a mess, and I probably looked half dead already. Good.

I sat on a bench beneath a tree. They could do their worst. I'm not moving an inch from this place until I see him. I turned on my phone and checked the news about the hotel.

Three people had died in the hotel explosion. The area had been reserved for a private event. Why do they always have to deal with things like this? He's in security, not some kind of mafia boss.

Who should I call now? I bit my fingernails hard and ran a hand through my hair. Orion. He would know, unless Lucian never told him.

"I'm going crazy from overthinking," I muttered.

I called Orion Kade. He didn't answer immediately. When he did, the network was too horrible to understand anything, so I sent him a voice note instead.

"When you get this, we came to inspect the departmental store in Miami, and he went into a hotel. Everything blew up." That was all I managed to say, no details. Unlike me.

"I'm not feeling good. I need alcohol."

I stood up and walked into the supermarket across the street. People glanced at me and moved aside as I walked past them. I must look terrible. It felt strangely familiar.

I pushed open the door and entered the supermarket. My eyes scanned the place lazily. My body was gradually losing stability.

"Ma'am, what do you want?" a cashier asked.

She gave me that look. The one people reserve for someone they think is about to cause trouble.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked. "I didn't assault your favorite celebrity."

My lips curled into a bitter smile as more tears streamed down my face. The panic kept returning in waves.

"Well, if you have no business here, you can leave," she said, attempting to push me out of the supermarket.

I pushed her hand away and took cash out of my purse. "You can shut up and move." I pressed the money into her hand and walked past her.

I reached the alcohol section and took a bottle of strong liquor from the refrigerator. I sat on the floor and drank. The cold hit first, then the burn. I finished the bottle and closed my eyes, replaying everything that had happened today. The shoulder. The smile. The hotel. The gunshots.

When I opened my eyes, I checked the bottle for another sip. Empty. I dropped it. The bottle rolled across the floor. My breathing had slowed. The noise in my head had stopped fighting itself.

Good, i need to think. My phone lit up, orion. Stay where you are, I've already taken action. I turned off the screen. It didn't help.

I stood up. This time, my legs obeyed me. I dusted my skirt, fixed my shirt, and walked back outside.

The car had already been moved to a parking space near the supermarket. The bodyguard and chauffeur stood beside it. I pulled out my phone and lifted it casually. I took one photo, then another, then several more. I sent them to Orion and then to my coded folder in case anything happened. I archived my chats with Orion too.

Either I go back to the scene and find a way to trace Lucian, or I rot in Miami. My phone buzzed again, there was one message. From the man who believes he is always in control.

Long time, Gianne, he wrote, adding a laughing emoji. Thor. Asshole.