Chapter Five
964 Words
Alice sat on her bed, hugging her pillow close to her chest. Her room was quiet, but her thoughts were loud. She kept thinking of Rodriguez. She had already seen him once in secret, and now she wanted to see him again. The night they had shared was still fresh in her mind. She didn’t feel scared. She felt pulled to him.
She stood up and walked to her closet. She picked out a dark hoodie and jeans. Something simple. Something that would not make her mom ask too many questions. She opened her door slowly and peeked out. The hallway was empty. She walked toward the stairs, but her mom's voice stopped her.
"Alice? Where are you going?"
Alice turned slowly, forcing a smile. "Melanie called. She wants me to come over for a while. Nothing serious. We’re just watching movies."
Her mom looked at her from the kitchen door. "It’s already late. Can't you just talk to her on the phone?"
Alice tried not to show how nervous she was. "She’s kind of upset. I think she needs someone to talk to in person. I won’t stay out long, I promise."
Camille sighed and nodded slowly. "Fine. But keep your phone close."
"I will. Thanks, Mom."
Alice rushed out of the house and got into her car. Her hands trembled a little as she started the engine. She looked at her phone and saw a message from Rodriguez.
"Black car is on the way."
She drove down the street and parked a few blocks away, where the black car waited. She stepped out, locked her car, and climbed in.
The ride was quiet. She looked out the window, wondering what Rodriguez would say. He hadn’t promised to see her, but she had told him she needed to talk.
When the car stopped, she looked up and saw the big gates. The house behind them looked even bigger than last time. The driver let her out, and she walked up the steps.
The door opened before she could knock. Rodriguez stood there in a black shirt, holding a phone to his ear.
"You again," he said with a small smirk.
Alice smiled. "I had to come."
He stepped aside to let her in. The inside of the house was quiet, but the place looked expensive. Big paintings, soft lights, glass and gold everywhere. She followed him into the living room. He ended his call and dropped his phone on the table.
"You're a bad girl, sneaking out like this," he said, sitting on the couch.
Alice sat down beside him. "Maybe. But you like bad girls, don't you?"
He laughed. "You think you know that?"
She leaned closer. "I think I want to."
Before he could answer, his phone rang again. He picked it up, spoke in a different language for a few minutes, then hung up.
Alice watched him. "You’re always talking to someone. Business?"
He nodded. "Always."
"Mafia stuff?"
He looked at her with a small smile. "You should stop asking questions."
She was quiet for a moment. "I heard the police are looking for someone. A man involved in a shady deal. My cousin mentioned it."
Rodriguez got up and walked to the window. "They always look. Sometimes they find something, sometimes they don't."
She stood up and walked over to him. "Is it true? Are they looking for you?"
"Yes."
Alice blinked. "What if my dad is the one handling the case? He's been on a lot of big cases lately."
Rodriguez turned to her. "Then maybe you should be careful. Maybe I should be careful too."
"But you don’t look worried."
"Worry doesn’t change anything."
Alice didn’t know what to say. She touched his arm gently. "I don’t want anything to happen to you."
He looked down at her hand. "Go home, Alice. You shouldn’t be here right now."
She nodded slowly. "Okay."
He called the driver again. "Take her back."
Alice walked out of the house, her heart heavy. She got into the car and looked back at the house as they drove away. The lights were still on.
When she got home, her mother was already in bed. She tiptoed upstairs, changed into her pajamas, and lay down. Sleep didn’t come easily.
The next morning, she woke up late. Her phone buzzed. She looked at the screen. Several missed calls. All from Rodriguez.
She sat up and called back. He answered at once.
"I’m leaving soon," he said.
"Leaving where?"
"Somewhere safe. I can’t stay here anymore. If you want to see me, come now."
Alice jumped out of bed. "I’m coming."
She grabbed a small bag and threw in a few clothes. She left a note on her bed, just in case her mom came looking. Then she got into her car and drove.
But once she hit the road, something started to feel wrong.
A car was behind her. Close. Too close. She tried to ignore it, but every turn she made, it followed.
She drove faster, turned sharply, and tried to lose the car. But it stayed behind her.
Panic grew in her chest. She looked for a busy street, somewhere with people. But before she could reach one, another car blocked her path. She hit the brakes.
Two men stepped out. They looked serious. One of them opened her door.
"Come with us, Alice."
She shook her head. "No. What do you want?"
"Don’t make this hard."
She screamed and tried to fight, but the man pulled her out of the car and dragged her to theirs.
Alice kicked and shouted, but no one came. She was pushed into the b
ack seat. The door shut. The car started.
She didn’t know where they were going. She didn’t know who they were.
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