Chapter 7- Escape

Chapter 7

ALLESIA

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A rough tap woke me up. My eyes shot open with a force that surprised even Renzo, who was still holding his hand up midair, ready to tap me again. I shot him a hard glare, rubbed at my eyes, and sat up.

"What do you want?" I asked irritably.

He rolled his eyes. "You asked me to remind you to pay Elletra a visit by 12pm. It's almost 1pm, and you are still sleeping."

I exhaled sharply and shook my head several times. "I guess I was too tired."

"And why didn't you just sleep in your room? I mean, I wouldn't have bothered waking you if you did not sleep in the parlor."

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you. I'll go prepare."

He shuffled off toward the kitchen, still moving a little stiffly from the wound at his side, though he'd insisted for the last three days that he was fine and didn't need me hovering over him like a nurse. I let him have the lie, mostly because arguing with Renzo about his own pain tolerance was a fight I never won.

I stood up from the couch and walked towards my room.

Three hours later, I was hurrying down the streets.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Miss," the man apologized for the fifth time in the two minutes of our unfortunate meeting.

I took one long glance at my bleeding arm and bit my lower lip to stop the small scream that was threatening to escape my throat.

"I'm really sorry, Miss," the man apologized again. He took out a white kerchief and wiped the blood trailing down my bare arm, and I cringed. "I really didn't mean to."

I sighed and pushed his hand away. "It's fine. You really should watch where you're going next time," I hissed, and walked away.

The cut wasn't deep, more a scrape than anything, but it stung enough that I pressed two fingers over it the rest of the way down the block, annoyed at myself for not carrying a bandage in my bag like Elletra always nagged me to.

I had just come back from Elletra's house and was on my way home when that dude bumped into me. Weirdly enough, he'd been holding something sharp, though whatever it was, I didn't bother finding out. All I knew was that the minute he bumped into me, my arm started bleeding.

"Sorry once again, Miss!" His voice echoed behind me, but I didn't bother looking back.

I stood there, waiting to flag down a taxi, when my phone rang. As I fidgeted with my bag, I suddenly heard the loud honking of a car in front of me, and when I looked up, my eyes widened in their sockets.

"Hey!"

I looked around to be sure he was really calling me, and my mouth literally dropped when he pointed at me, that same silver tooth flashing even from across the street.

"Come on, kitten! You think I'd forget a face like yours?"

I opened my mouth and closed it again, because for some reason I didn't know, people were staring at us.

"Hey, uhm–" My words were coming out in stutters, and I didn't know why. "Good afternoon."

"Hop in," Nikolai commanded, and I gulped.

"Huh?"

"Come on, Allesia." He motioned to the car with a slight tilt of his neck. "Get in."

Oh, he even remembers my name.

Of course he did. Men like Nikolai Gianni didn't forget anything useful, and apparently I'd been filed under useful the moment he decided to play hero outside a crime scene.

"It's not a big deal, really. I can walk."

"Don't be like that," he persisted. "People are watching. Just pretend to be nice."

I glanced at my phone screen. It was just a few minutes past 4pm. I glanced around again, and true to his words, so many eyes were on us. Not enjoying the attention at all, I quickly entered the car.

We drove in silence for several minutes until he pulled up in front of a very fancy restaurant, the kind with a doorman and a name I recognized from magazines Elletra liked to flip through on slow shifts. I gulped down hard and stared at my bleeding arm, not knowing what to do.

"Let's go in," Nikolai offered sweetly. "Lunch sounds better than dinner."

"Actually, I don't like crowded places."

Nikolai looked at me like I had suddenly grown horns. "What? I mean, if I remember correctly, you work in a bar. Right?"

I swallowed. The problem was, with everything happening with Russel, I was finding it really hard to accept Nikolai's advances. It felt like a curse, suddenly having these two hot, intimidating, rich guys interested in me, like I'd been marked somehow and every dangerous man in the city could smell it on me.

Nikolai wasn't unattractive. If anything, he was the kind of handsome that photographed well and aged even better, the sort of man mothers pointed out to their daughters at weddings, the kind you'd bring home to meet your mum without flinching. But every time he smiled, I found myself comparing it to a different smile, one with more teeth in it and a great deal less patience, and Nikolai kept coming up short in a comparison he didn't even know he was losing.

I quickly texted Elletra: "Emergency exit in 20 minutes. Call me."

It was a system we had perfected over the years for uncomfortable situations like this one.

I glanced at my watch discreetly. Any minute now...

"I mean..."

My phone buzzed with a text. I quickly snatched it up, using it as an excuse to shift away from him.

Elletra: "Calling now. You owe me coffee tomorrow."

I suppressed my relief and kept my face neutral as I slipped the phone back into my purse. Just as Nikolai started to speak again, my phone rang loudly. I jumped slightly, putting on my best startled expression.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, fumbling for the phone. "I'm so sorry. I need to take this."

He gave me a sweet smile.

"Elletra?" I answered, injecting worry into my voice. "Is everything okay?"

I turned slightly away from Nikolai, but made sure he could still hear my side of the conversation. Elletra was playing her part perfectly, her voice urgent on the other end.

"Oh my god," I gasped, my free hand flying to my mouth. "When? How bad?"

I could feel Nikolai watching me intently. He looked worried. I turned to him, eyes wide with manufactured shock, my hand trembling slightly for effect.

"I'll be right there," I promised into the phone. Just as I was about to hang up, my phone buzzed with another text. This time, it was from Renzo.

Renzo: "You done yet? Need you to come to school. Important."

Perfect timing. This was even better than I'd planned.

"Oh no," I whispered, letting the genuine surprise of Renzo's text blend with my act. "Now Renzo..."

"What's wrong?" Nikolai asked, his hand reaching for mine. I pulled back instinctively.

"My brother just texted," I explained, my voice shaking. "Right after that call... I'm so sorry, but I have to go. It's an emergency with my family."

"I can drive you," he offered, starting the engine.

"No!" I said too quickly, then softened my tone. "No, thank you. I appreciate it, but I need to go to my brother's school first and then... somewhere else. It would be out of your way."

Nikolai's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's no trouble."

My heart raced. Why was he being so insistent? The small warning voice in my head grew louder.

"I really can't impose," I insisted, reaching for the door handle. "We'll reschedule, I promise."

Just then, my phone rang again. Renzo's name flashed on the screen. Thank God for my brother's impatience. I answered immediately, turning away from Nikolai.

"What's up?" I asked, my tension real now.

Renzo's voice held a note of annoyance as he asked, "Where are you?"

I glanced at Nikolai through the corner of my eye. "I went to Elletra's place, why?" The lie came easily, bolstering my escape plan.

"Something happened. I'm waiting for you."

"What happened?" My shock was no longer feigned. The act dissolved instantly as real panic set in.

"Come on. It's urgent."

The phone slipped from my suddenly numb fingers, clattering to the car floor. Nikolai reached for it, but I snatched it up quickly, my mind racing.

I fumbled with the door handle, desperate to get out now for entirely different reasons.

"What's wrong?" Nikolai asked, genuine concern in his voice, his hand on my arm.

"It's an emergency," I managed to say, my throat tight with fear. "I really need to go."

He nodded. "Okay, but I can drop you off."

"No." I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself. "I'm really sorry, but I don't want to bother you."

My hand was on the door again, but Nikolai's covered it, preventing me from escaping. His eyes caught the wound on my arm, and a deep frown settled between his brows.

"What's wrong? What happened to you?" His voice had an edge to it I hadn't noticed before.

I pulled my hand away. "It was a small accident. I don't really have all the details or the time right now." I placed my hand firmly on the door and pushed. "We'll have that dinner I promised sometime soon. But not today, I'm sorry."

Not waiting for another word, I burst from the car and ran to the main road, frantically waving down a passing cab. As I slid into the backseat, I glanced back to see Nikolai watching me from his car, his expression unreadable in the gathering dusk, and for a moment I couldn't tell if what I'd seen there was concern or calculation. Maybe both. Maybe with men like him, there wasn't much difference between the two.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked.

I gave him the name of Renzo's school, before finally letting out the breath I'd been holding.

My hands were still shaking, and not entirely from the fear of whatever emergency was waiting for me. Between the money I hadn't touched, the fear, and now a second dangerous man who apparently thought a lunch reservation entitled him to answers, I was starting to think Renzo's text might be the simplest problem I'd have all day.