Novels by OluchiHelen

Chapter Twenty-Two“What're you talking about ma?” “Don't lie to me child. Sarah went up to your room and found a used pregnancy test kit,” Mindy said, her tone warning. “That isn't mine,” Abby replied. Shit, she couldn't believe she'd forgotten to dispose that. She'd been so swamped up in leaving that it had slipped her mind.“So whose is it? A ghost?” Mindy was slowly losing it. She hadn't expected anything like this from Abby.“I don't know ma, ask Sarah,” she countered.“You and I both know the hate relationship your sister has for men, so I'll ask you one more time and you better tell me the truth,” Mindy warned, her voice a little shaky. “Are you pregnant Abby Winston.”Anthony sat, his eyes trained on her. He couldn't hear a single word Mindy was saying but he had a good idea. “I'm not pregnant ma, jeez! Why'd you have to talk to me like I'm some sixteen year old?” Abby snapped. She hated the series of questions her mother was throwing at her.“Don't you raise your voice at

Chapter Twenty-OneThe constant wave of morning sick— coupled with the fact that they were on the run— was really starting to take a toll on Abby. Anthony stirred slowly in the next room, ruffling the sheets as he moved about. As early as sunrise Abby was up, in front of the bathroom mirror— her face covered with a thin layer of sweat. Splashing some water on her face and brushing her teeth, Abby moved to the kitchen. The cabinets were empty, nothing edible in them. “Are you alright?” Startled, she spun around and found Anthony standing, watching her. “You got out of bed early.”“Yeah, I was just….sick, nothing else.” Abby pulled open the fridge. It was empty— dirty and empty. “We're out of food,” she told him. “We're going to need groceries and a couple other things if we're planning on staying here any longer.”As much as Anthony appreciated the idea of having some place to stay, this wasn't the place for him.“We can't stay here,” he replied and Abby frowned. “We're not staying

“Anthony would never hurt anyone— he wouldn't even hurt a fly,” Mrs.Wells argued, growing weary of the conversation. She took her glasses off. “Look, you're looking for the wrong person. There were tons of people at the gala that night. Ask them.”“We've spoken to at least ninety-five percent of the people who were present at the occasion, including the workers and they all gave an alibi. Most importantly, they were all present,” Detective Von said. “But somehow, your son is the only person who vanished into thin air.”Mrs.Wells opened her mouth to defend Anthony but Von cut her off. “Be honest, when was the last time you heard from him?”Something dimmed in her eyes. She was worried —concerned and it was growing. “All I'm asking for is a chance to talk to him,” Von said, latching onto the grief in her eyes. “That's all. I promise but we can't do that if we don't know where he is.”Mrs.Wells exhaled loudly, clearly worn to a frazzle. “Sincerely, I have no idea where Anthony ran off

Chapter NineteenThere were no signs of the cops yet or any suspicious looking vehicle but Anthony was still tensed. He glanced over his shoulder and yelled for Abby. “Hurry up! C'mon!” Abby, out of the toilet, dried her wet hands against her pants and hurried towards Anthony. “Did you see anything?” She asked. “No, we've got to start moving.”Abby's eyes shifted to their luggage. On this part of town, cabs weren't exactly a thing. Taking the bus was an option but it wasn't the best. “We need a car Anthony. We can't carry all things by hand down to the bus station,” she said. Shit, she was right. He peeked through the blinds again and spotted a car parked out front the motel. It was empty and there was no one else in the lot. “Gather the suitcases towards the door and hold on, okay?” He didn't wait for Abby to respond, instead, he hurried outside towards the car.Abby frowned, her eyes glued to him. What was he thinking? Anthony checked the front doors— they were both opened. H

For the third time that morning, Abby emptied her stomach into the toilet bowl. Exhausted and drained, she collapsed back onto the cool tiled floor, as she evened her breathing. Once she had flushed, brushed her teeth and splashed some water on her face, she strolled back into the hotel room. For the past two days the room had been painfully silent and everytime the sun disappeared behind the night sky, she felt herself missing him.Every attempt to reach out, as usual, had been futile. Anthony never returned any of her calls or texts. Soon anger simmered quickly in her chest. She dialed his number again and to her surprise, the call connected this time. “Anthony…” her voice nearly crackled. She calmed her nerves, maintaining the strength in her voice. “Where are you? I've been calling you for two days!”“I'm at a motel. Is there a problem?” Her brows quickly drew into a frown. “What'd you mean is there a problem?” She couldn't believe her ears. “Where are you? We need to talk.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.Chris could hear his heart hammering in his ears as he sat still, his hands cuffed together. Detective Klein stood across the room, quietly speaking into his walkie, relaxed and unaware of the storm building up inside Chris.Rhodes had stepped out for a bathroom break. That left Chris alone with the detective—and one shot.Klein looked like he could hold his own. Broad shoulders, lean build, dressed in a tailored suit that hinted at a gym habit. But even the strongest man could be taken down if he didn’t see it coming.Chris’s gaze dropped to the pen on the table.It wasn’t a weapon. Not really. But it was the only thing he could use.Chris shifted in his seat carefully, his muscles tense as he gingerly rose to his feet, without managing to to scrape the floor with his chair. Slowly, he reached for the pen and neared Detective Klein. In one swift move, he'd lunged at him and with a force he didn't know he had, slammed Klein's head into the wall. The sound was sicke

Chapter Nineteen— Chains and Chaos.The ropes bit into his wrists again but he barely felt it now. It was a dull throb compared to the chaos in his head.He'd been beaten, dragged and assaulted by the one person he once trusted, Viktor. But none of that had burned as much as the moment Elena came bursting through those doors—kicking and ready for a fight. Something he considered stupidly brave.Why the hell did she come back? For him? Matteo sat slouched in the cold metal chair, his face expressionless, eyes trained on the wall across from him. Not on the blood drying on the floor. Not on the door she’d just been dragged through, not on her weak frame passed out on the floor.The problem was Viktor had seen it.That flicker in his eyes when he first saw her.It was a mistake—showing even that much emotion.He couldn’t afford another one.The metal door groaned open. Viktor stepped in with two other men trailed behind, neither of whom Matteo recognized. One carried a black tablet, the

Chapter Eighteen—Ashes and Ruin.Elena ran. Her lungs burned as she followed Gen through the narrow underground passage that fanned out across the estate. As tired as she was, Zoey clutched Elena's arm, dragging her weight, her steps clumsy. The girl still hadn't said much since they'd left. Just wide eyes and trembling fingers. “Can we stop?” Rosa asked, slowing down to catch her breath. Gen slowed. “We can't stop here. If they find this tunnel, we're all dead.”As they pushed deeper into the tunnel, the darkness swallowed them. The smell of mold, earth and murky water enveloped them. Water dripped from somewhere above, and each step echoed around them like a dull scream.Elena’s mind spun. She kept seeing the nurse again—her glassy eyes, the blood. Then the shadow in the hallway. Then… Viktor.He shot them. He shot Matteo’s men—his men.Too many questions swirled around her head. Why would he?Matteo trusted him.Elena clutched her fists, her heart thudded against her ribs like

Chapter Seventeen— The bait/Return to Ruin.The warehouse was empty. Too empty. Like no one was supposed to be there. The wet asphalt road outside indicated that no one had driven by recently.Matteo sat in his car, next to Viktor, his coat still damp from the light drizzle outside. The sound of dripping water drummed against the windows. There were no men, no crates, no deals. “Try calling the burner phone again,” he instructed. Viktor dialed the number and waited. It kept ringing. No answer.He pushed out a breath of air slowly, gradually losing it. His eyes shifted to his wrist watch. Whoever he was supposed to meet with was twenty minutes late. Tardiness was something he couldn't condone but this time, something wasn't adding up.Mind reeling, eyes calculating, he pieced everything together. What were the odds that this was a set up?It was slowly starting to make sense. There was no deal and this was just a trick, a way to get him out of his house. Out of safety.“Something's

Chapter Sixteen—Traps.“Are you sure you’re okay?” Elena nodded, her eyes distant. Gen wasn't buying it. She’d seen Elena sneaking into Matteo's room, which was quite unusual. It was easy to spot the blush in her cheeks and the distant look in her eyes. The way she played with her necklace absentmindedly.“I saw you heading into Matteo's room,” she finally stated. Elena snapped out of her haze. “Does it have anything to do with him?”She shook her head. “No, of course not. I'm fine Gen,” Elena responded. “I’d stay away from him if I were you,” she warned. “Don't let yourself get trapped like the most of the girls in here.”A frown formed across Elena’s face. “What’d you mean?”“You wouldn't be the first to fall for Matteo, neither would you—”“I don't have a crush Matteo,” Elena quickly cut in. “Yeah, and I never slept with Matteo's father,” Gen retorted and rolled her eyes. “Take it from me. I paid for it. If it wasn't for Raven I would've left this shit hole as soon as I could b

Chapter Fifteen- Scowls and Scorns.Elena stared at the young girl pitifully. She looked tired and frail.“Where are your parents?” She asked. The girls eyes dimmed at the question. Zoey didn't have to respond. Elena understood. “What did he do to you?” Elena said, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at the girls battered body. Whip marks fanned out across her back and a small side of her neck. The bruises had eventually grown and the skin ripped open, exposing raw flesh. The sight was horrific. “Who did this to you?”Rosa shook her head. “Why don't we leave her alone. She's had a rough one.”Zoey stared at both ladies. She wanted to talk, wanted to see if they could help her escape but she wasn't sure she could trust them. Surely, anyone working for that horrid man but be a friend of his. “I'll be back to check on you, okay?” Elena promised the child, squeezed Rosa's hand and left. Her mind reeled. Was Matteo responsible for that? Her blood boiled. How dare he do th

Chapter Fourteen— New allies Elena couldn't think. Two days had passed since the downtown explosion, and the weight of it still pressed on her chest like a boulder she couldn't move.She was innocent.She’d never hurt anyone—but the police didn’t know that, neither did the civilians waiting on her arrest. She thought about her father. Had he also watched the news? Would he believe her? The afternoon heat pressed down on her like a punishment. She sat on a fallen slab of concrete, watching the others spar—herself, distant and detached.A few feet away, Viktor observed her in silence. For the first time, she was broken—and this time, Matteo was to thank. That should have pleased Viktor.And yet watching her like this—vacant, unraveling—made something in him uneasy.“Elena, you're up next,” he called out.She blinked, slow and hollow, the fire in her eyes extinguished. Still, she stood and moved to the center of the room like a puppet on strings.“Rosa, you're with Elena.”Rosa stepped