Chapter 56
[ 491 words ]
Chapter 56:
“I’m so sorry,” Caroline said, her voice rushing out. “That was my mother. She’s sick. It’s an emergency. I have to go home right now.”
Brenna’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, do you need me to come with you?”
Julian took a step forward. “Let me drive you, Caroline. My car is parked right around the corner.”
Caroline’s stomach twisted. “No!” she said, a little too sharply. She quickly waved her hands. “I mean, no, thank you. A cab will be faster. I don’t want to ruin your night.”
She didn’t give Julian a chance to argue.
Caroline turned and practically sprinted down the pavement. Her borrowed heels—a pair Brenna had lent her after the locker room disaster—slapped sharply against the concrete.
“Caroline!” Julian called out.
She waved over her shoulder without stopping. She didn’t slow down until she rounded the corner, completely vanishing from their line of sight.
The moment she was alone on the dark street, she kicked off the heels. She grabbed them in her left hand and hit the ground running. Her bare feet slapped against the freezing, damp pavement. The autumn wind sliced across her cheeks like tiny blades.
She spotted the alley entrance ahead and veered into it, her breath coming in sharp, burning gasps. The narrow passage reeked of wet asphalt and dumpster grease. It was pitch black save for a single sliver of moonlight cutting through the gap between buildings.
𝘙о𝘮𝘢𝗻𝘤𝖾 a𝘯𝖽 p𝘢s𝘴i𝗼𝗻 𝗈n 𝗴𝖺𝘭n𝗼𝘃𝖾𝗹s.с𝘰𝗺
And there, idling in the dark like a beast waiting to devour her, was the blacked-out Escalade.
The rear door swung open from the inside.
Caroline didn’t break stride. She sprinted the last few yards, her bare feet splashing through a shallow puddle, and threw herself into the cavernous back seat.
She landed hard on the leather upholstery, gasping for air, her chest heaving violently. The heels clattered to the floor mat. Her hair was a wild mess, her cheeks flushed crimson from the cold and the exertion.
The heavy door slammed shut beside her with a solid, final thud.
She was sealed inside.
Caroline handed the driver a crumpled twenty-dollar bill. She pushed the door open and stepped out.
Her bare feet hit the damp, freezing asphalt.
The yellow cab sped away, its taillights disappearing into the night. Caroline was left standing completely alone on the dark corner.
K.C. Bell was leaning against the rear fender of the SUV. The glowing cherry of his cigarette illuminated his hard features.
When he saw her, he dropped the cigarette and crushed it beneath his combat boot. He reached out and pulled the heavy, armored rear door open.
The interior of the SUV was pitch black. Caroline could only make out the broad, massive silhouette of the man sitting in the back seat.
She took a deep, shaky breath. She bent down and climbed into the vehicle.
Bell slammed the door shut behind her.
The heavy thud sealed the cabin. The silence was absolute. The air inside the car was thick, heavy, and completely saturated with the aggressive scent of cedarwood and faint gunpowder.
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