Page 9

What did I just witness, a fucking murder?

My heart raced faster than a galloping horse, my chest rising and falling as I sprinted down the stairs, footsteps pounding against the steps.

I wiped my tears, the sound of the gunshot echoing in my head. All I wanted was to get as far away from this monster as my legs could carry me. At the entrance, I grabbed the door handle and yanked the damn thing open.

With lightning speed, I bolted out of the building, the giant stone gargoyle's eyes watching me as I descended the long steps at the entrance. These heels were killing me, slowing me down, and I almost tripped over after missing a step. However, I was quick to get a hold of myself.

I pushed the unlock button on my car key holder, and the vehicle chimed, its dashboard navigators flashing momentarily under the moon's ethereal glow.

My heels clicked against the pavement as I ran toward the car parked by the circular fountain. I could hear his cold voice behind me, calling out my name, but I wasn't going to slow down. Once I got to the car, I opened the door and slid behind the wheel with a sense of urgency.

With shaky hands, I jammed the key into the ignition and twisted. The engine coughed, spluttered, but refused to roar to life. “What the hell?” I muttered, my heart sinking in my chest as I turned the key again.

The same thing happened.

“You gotta be kidding me!” I slammed against the steering wheel, cold sweat dampening my forehead. “Come on, please,” I pleaded with the car, turning the key over and over with nervous glances out the window.

Lev stepped out of the building, his imposing frame shrouded in the shadows cast by stone gargoyles. His hollow eyes seemed to glow in the dark, or was it just my imagination?

Whatever the case, I couldn't let him get a hold of me. I’d just witnessed him kill a man in cold blood, and with the little I knew about the mafia, I was certain that this wasn't good for me at all. Those men never left loose ends; they eliminated eyewitnesses without second thoughts.

There was no telling what Lev was capable of doing to me in this state, and the fury in his cold, dark eyes was a clear indication that he was dangerous.

The best thing was to get the hell away from here as soon as possible. But for some inexplicable reason, my stupid car wouldn't start, and Lev was already closing in.

“Come on!” I turned the key one last time, and the engine roared to life. A wind of relief blew across my face in a fleeting moment as I hit the gas and slammed the door shut in the process.

My car's tires screeched loudly as I peeled out of the parking spot just before he could grab the door handle. I glanced at the rearview mirror, my heart pounding in my heaving chest as I traveled through the serpentine driveway at high speed.

There he was, standing in the moonlight by the fountain, his eyes fixed on my speeding vehicle. This was a narrow escape, and I considered myself lucky to have made it out of that dark mansion alive.

Dad had confirmed that he was a member of a Russian crime syndicate, which gave me an idea of the type of man he was. But watching him in action was entirely different; nothing would have prepared me for this.

He'd shot that guy in cold blood and didn't even flinch. The man I saw back in the mansion was not the man that I'd been hanging out with. Or maybe he was, but I was so busy cooking up excuses that I knew would keep me away from the truth.

I'd created a version of him in my head simply because I was attracted and didn't want to ruin whatever thing we had going on.

Tessa was right, and I should have listened to her. I should have just stayed the hell away from him that night, as she had warned. Now, I'd gotten myself into a mess that I couldn't get out of.

Maybe it would have been easier if I wasn't carrying his child or if Dad didn't hate him so much. But that wasn't the case—I was pregnant, and Dad loathed his guts.

“What have I done?” I muttered, wiping my tears as I accelerated onward, the headlights shining in the dark as I drove on.

Towering trees lined both sides of the road as I traveled at top speed. I was still in his territory, on the outskirts of the city, and so I didn't have the luxury of relaxation, at least not until I knew that I was safe.

Thousands of thoughts overlapped in my mind, and I felt like I was starting to lose my sanity. I couldn't fathom the extent of my troubles because I couldn't control myself in a moment of weakness.

What was I going to do now? Where would I even begin? Dad would kill me if he found out that I was with Lev's child. Lev may or may not let me go if I got caught. It was like I was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.

I'd worry about that later. For now, I just had to survive the night.

The sound of screeching car tires rounding a corner behind me pierced through my thoughts. Through the rearview mirror, I caught the reflection of a sleek back Ferrari tailing me at a high speed.

My breath ceased for a moment, and my eyes widened in shock. It was him—Lev Tarasov—and he was catching up really fast.

With a jolt of adrenaline, I floored it, slamming my foot on the accelerator. My back was glued to the seat as I felt the car surge forward, the speedometer needle climbing up to triple digits.

The road snaked through the woods, our cars’ engines roaring as we traveled at high speed. The fear of getting caught fueled my determination, and at the moment, nothing else mattered other than escaping that monster.

His Ferrari was gaining on me, its sleek nose inches from my bumper. His horn blared, signaling me to pull over, but I wouldn't give in.

Again, I floored it, the car treacherously speeding down the rolling hills, the cabin filled with the noise of its loud hum. His Ferrari's nose slammed against my bumper, the impact jerking me forward, but the seatbelt held me in place. I glanced at the side mirror and swerved the car down a bustling road, the loud honk of a truck fading as it sped past me.

That was a reckless move, and that truck would have crushed me if my car had landed on the road a second earlier. However, I got lucky; that's all that mattered.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I weaved through traffic, fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. I dodged cars with mere inches to spare, a skill I never knew I had until now. Ignoring the curses of vexed drivers, I streaked through the line of vehicles with dangerous precision.

My moves were surprising to me, but I guess that was the adrenaline coursing through my veins. However, Lev was a master driver as well, and he wasn't giving up. The good thing was, I knew these streets like the back of my hand.

Lev was just as determined to catch me as I was to escape, which made my journey frustrating. His Ferrari matched my every turn, closing the gap between us with unnerving precision.

I took an abrupt swerve down an empty street, hoping to ditch him through that path, but he followed behind me.

A thread of cold sweat trickled down my temple when I realized I couldn't shake this man off. He was relentless. His car was now driving side by side with mine, and our eyes locked in a fleeting moment.

I felt my pulse quicken, and my breath lodged in my throat as he overtook my vehicle. His tires squeaked to a sideways halt in the middle of the road.

I slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop, inches from his Ferrari. The sound of my own heart beating like a drum filled the car's cabin, and I felt a sudden dryness in my throat.

He stepped out of his vehicle and slammed his door shut as he approached me, eyes blazing with fury.

My hands trembled around the wheel, misted eyes watching him wrench my car door with an alarming strength.

“Get out,” he growled, his voice dripping with authority.

I stared at him, my chest heaving slowly in an attempt to mask my fear, a glint of defiance flashing in my eyes.

“I said…get out,” he repeated, holding my gaze, his jaw clenched.

Going against this simple instruction could get me in deeper trouble, so I deliberately slowed down and did as I was told without breaking eye contact with him.

“I didn't see anything,” I said quietly, wearing the closest thing to a stoic expression I could muster.

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a deadline whisper, “Then why did you run?”

I swallowed hard, gritting my teeth, trying to appear composed as I resisted the urge to shed tears.

His hand snapped out to hold my neck, his grip firm but not cruel. My heart raced in my chest, and I flinched at his quick move, wondering what he was up to. I stood frozen in place by the scary look in his eyes that nearly caused me to pee my pants.

He edged closer, his breath warm against my skin. “You’re a witness to a crime I committed,” he began, his voice calm but menacing. “Which means that I could end you right now and do away with your body.”

My legs could no longer support my weight, and my heart had sunk into my stomach. At this time of night, we were on an empty street, and nothing was stopping him from doing what he said.

His eyes roamed my body, his expression unreadable no matter how hard I tried to read him. “Let's get something straight,” he added, whispering in my ear. “Whether you live or die is entirely up to me. Meaning that from now on, you belong to me.”

His venomous words sent shivers down my spine, and my throat wobbled as I swallowed hard. Tears stung my eyes, but I wouldn't let them flow—I couldn't let him see my fear. So, I clenched my jaw, blinking rapidly as I fought back the tears that welled my eyes.

His grip around my neck loosened, and my body shuddered as his fingers traveled down my chest. In a heartbeat, he claimed my lips, locking them to his with a kiss so harsh and bittersweet that I couldn't resist.

Our tongues danced in our mouths for a fleeting moment of breathlessness until he pulled away, leaving me to the flame his touch had ignited with me.

I should’ve hated him and been super afraid, but his hold over me was too powerful, and his kiss made my mind go blank.

This was more messed up than I thought.