DangerousEncounter
1847 Words
My heart slammed against my ribs as I ran down the pitch-black alley, the chilly night air biting at my skin. Marcus was after me, so even if my legs ached and my breath came in frantic gasps, I couldn't stop. The heavy footsteps of his troops reverberated off the brick walls as they followed closely behind.
"Find her!" Marcus's piercing voice pierced the darkness. "She doesn’t leave this city alive!"
I covered my lips to stop my breathing and ducked behind a dumpster. My whole body shuddered. How could things have gone so badly? I was once attempting to learn about Marcus's covert activities. I was battling for my life the next day.
A man approached, his shadow extending over the sidewalk. In the hopes that he wouldn't turn toward me, I held my breath.
A few seconds went by.
Then there was a shout.
"She went that way!"
The sound of footsteps roared off into the distance. My knees nearly buckled with the weight of relief.
I needed to leave this place.
I pushed myself to stand and headed for Jerry's estate, the only location I knew was secure.
My strength failed me before I had even passed the huge gates. I saw the Earth tilt dangerously, and my vision swam. When the guards saw me, they hurried forward, their faces hardening.
"Miss Anita?" My arm was seized by one of them. "You’re hurt."
I swallowed, "—I need to see Jerry,"
The doors of the mansion sprang open before he could reply. Jerry was standing there looking at me from head to toe with his sharp eyes. But there was something more in his eyes, something dark, rather than the worry I anticipated.
Calmly, "Bring her inside," he said.
I was pulled inside by two soldiers. I shivered, my garments soaked with perspiration, and the warmth of the mansion hardly registered.
Jerry folded his arms. "Where were you?"
I took a deep breath. "Marcus, he tried to"
"Save it." He spoke in an icy tone.
I grimaced. "What?"
Jerry stepped nearer slowly, his massive bulk weakening my knees for another reason. "Did you think I wouldn’t find out?"
"Find out what?" My stomach turned over.
A sardonic smile curved his lips. "That you’ve been working for Marcus all along."
I felt shocked, it struck me like a blow. "That’s not true!"
He raised a tablet and turned the screen in my direction. My blood froze. It was a photo from earlier today of Marcus and I in the café. We appeared to be talking about something... private because of the perspective.
"You betrayed me, Anita," Jerry whispered to her. "And I don’t take betrayal lightly."
My throat constricted. "Jerry, I swear, it’s not what it looks like."
He tightened his jaw. "Then start talking, because right now, it looks like you just made the biggest mistake of your life."
My chest was rising and falling quickly as I stood motionless. Jerry's unreadable but scary eyes were fixed on mine.
I must make this right.
"I met Marcus today, yes," I responded, trying to sustain my composure. However, I wasn't collaborating with him. Jerry, he set me up!"
At his sides, his fingers twitched. "And why should I believe you?"
I moved in closer. "Because I have nothing to gain from betraying you."
His words were not as loud as his silence.
Then he chuckled. A shiver went down my spine as I heard a low, humorless laugh.
"You expect me to believe that after everything?" His look grew gloomy. "You disappeared for hours, and the first thing I see is a picture of you smiling with the man who tried to kill me last year."
My heart fell. "Wait, what?"
"You think I don't know what Marcus is capable of?" His breath was warm against my face as he drew closer. "Tell me, Anita, how deep are you in this?"
I grabbed his arm. "Jerry, please"
As if my contact had burned him, he withdrew.
It hurt to be rejected.
"I trusted you," he shook his head and mumbled. "And now I have to decide whether you walk out of this alive."
My throat tightened with fear. "You don’t mean that."
"Don’t I?" He grinned, but his smile was devoid of humor. "Anita, you forget who I am. Snakes are not allowed in my home.
My eyes were burning with tears. "I didn’t do anything!"
Jerry brushed a hand over his hair and turned aside. He was thinking. Making a choice.
Marcus was lying, and I couldn't let him believe it.
I needed evidence.
Behind him, my eyes strayed to the study door.
I knew just where to begin.
Before I moved, I waited until there was an unsettling silence in the house. Jerry was the only one allowed to participate in the study, but I was stuck. I needed to uncover something—anything—that connected Marcus to this arrangement if I wanted to prove my innocence.
As I slipped down the hall, my heart was racing. My nerves were jangled by every floorboard squeak and every shadow that seemed menacing.
I walked over to the huge wooden doors and touched them. Locked.
Naturally.
I bit my lip and looked around, my thoughts racing. Then I realized that Jerry always had an extra key in the hall cabinet drawer. I had previously seen him grabbing it.
I carefully opened the drawer and rummaged through the contents until my fingers met cold metal.
I understand.
I cautiously turned the lock after inserting the key. I felt a wave of relief as the door unlocked with a gentle click.
The scent of leather and high-end cologne filled the study. Eerie shadows were formed across the desk and bookcases by the moonlight streaming through the enormous windows. I rushed over to the folders, looking for something of value.
Then I noticed it.
A letter.
Hidden between the pages of a book was a slightly yellowed piece of paper. Pulling it out made my fingers shake.
My throat tightened with each breath.
The recipient was Jerry's late fiancée.
*My dear,
How long I can hide this from you is a mystery to me. They are observing us and me. Know that it was never an accident if I ever get hurt. Never put your trust in anyone.
Marcus appears to be someone else.
- J*
My heart was beating as I swallowed hard. Everything altered as a result.
Marcus had contributed to her demise.
I got a lump in my throat. Is Jerry going to believe me?
Abruptly, the door behind me crashed.
I whirled around, gasping.
Jerry's eyes were burning with rage as he stood there.
"You don’t know when to stop, do you?" His voice was low and menacing.
I held the letter close to my heart. "Jerry, I"
Before I could react, he had pushed me against the desk with his hands grasping the wood on either side of me as he strode forward.
He whispered, "You keep testing me, Anita," as his breath pressed hot on my skin.
I took a deep breath. There was a lot of tension in the air between us; it was dark and electrifying.
"You think I wouldn’t notice you sneaking around?" A trail of heat was left behind as his fingers moved down my arm.
I looked into his eyes, inhaling heavily. Whispering, "I found something,"
His look briefly shifted to the paper in my grasp before returning to me.
I saw the struggle within him—doubt, fury, something more profound.
His lips slammed into mine before I could react or before either of us could stop it.
It wasn't suitable. It wasn't kind.
It was a desperate situation.
An emotional conflict that neither of us wanted to acknowledge.
As he kissed me more deeply and put his hand around my waist, drawing me in, I melted into him and held onto his shirt.
The world became blurry for a time.
But Jerry pulled away, his breath ragged, as fast as it had begun.
He tightened his hold on me, and his look clouded.
He whispered, "Why do you keep making me crazy, Anita?"
I was unable to respond.
Because he was lost, and so was I.
My lips were tingling from the power of the kiss, and my breath was still erratic. Jerry's eyes pierced mine, and he held on tight as though he was worried I would stray.
However, his words pierced the fog.
"Anita, you never stop lying. Do you want me to remind you how I deal with liars?
I felt cold.
His hands seemed like iron shackles to me after they had just been so warm against my skin.
I made myself look into his eyes. "I’m not lying, Jerry," I said in a whisper. "The actual traitor is Marcus. And I can demonstrate it."
He tightened his jaw. "Prove it?"
I slowly raised the letter that was still in my grip without averting my look. "This was found in your research. Your fiancée sent it.
His whole body froze.
The instant he recognized the handwriting, I saw it.
His breath caught for a moment before he tore the letter out of my grasp while glancing over the text. I couldn't tell if his trembling fingers were from pain or anger.
"Where did you get this?" He spoke in a raspy voice that was hardly audible.
"In your study," I said, taking a deep breath. "I wasn’t looking for it, but—I had to find something to clear my name."
Jerry crumpled the edges of the letter as his fingers tightened. His face contorted into something unintelligible.
Then he burst out laughing.
It wasn't a joyful chuckle, though. It was frigid. Bitter.
"You expect me to believe this?" He threw the letter onto the desk. "These changes mean nothing, Anita. You still went behind my back. You still lied to me."
I stepped forward, my heart hammering. "I never lied, Jerry. I was attempting to protect you!"
"Protect me?" He raked a hand through his hair and scoffed. "Don’t act like you care."
I sucked in a nervous breath. "I do care."
With something unreadable flickering in his eyes, he suddenly looked at me.
I briefly believed that he would entice me to kiss him again. Our emotions were entangled in a whirlwind of grief, longing, and rage as the air between us crackled.
But instead, he stepped aside.
"Get out," he said quietly, his voice taut.
My stomach turned over. "Jerry"
"Get. Out."
My eyes were burning with tears, but I fought the need to cry. With a beating heart, I turned and headed for the door.
However, I froze when I heard an engine roar as soon as I stepped outside.
A car raced quickly in my direction. Too quickly.
My intuition took over.
The car swerved, and I sprang to the ground, narrowly avoiding it.
I looked up and felt my pulse thunder.
I saw him at that point.
The chauffeur.
Marcus.
My blood froze.
- Writer
