CHAPTER 5

“Hey. What's the problem?”

Luke asked, a tiny frown planted on his forehead.

“Can you lend me your phone real quick, please?”

My voice came out urgent and unsteady.

“Brielle, you don't look good. What's happening?”

When Ace began to make it into the cafè, closer to me, searching every corner with his hard gaze, I fisted Luke’s work Tshirt violently.

He flinched at my sudden move but, I didn't care to apologize. I was on the brink of doom.

“Just give me the damn phone!”

Luke brought out his phone and handed it over to me. I grabbed it with trembling hands.

“Brielle, if you need me to—”

“I'm fine!”

I snapped at Luke, scrambling to find a hiding place to call Valerie.

A water dispenser stood at the rounding of a corner and I quickly went there to hide, moving away from Luke.

I bit my finger as I waited for her response to the call. On the fourth ring, she picked.

“God, Val! Where are you? I'm at your workplace!”

“Brielle? I called in sick today. What's wrong?”

Fucking hell!

She started speaking again but, I couldn't get what she said because I cut the call impatiently and dialed Elijah’s number.

He picked on the second ring.

“Elijah! It's me, Brielle. Can you meet me at Sip and Dip?”

“Brielle? What's wrong, babe? I've been waiting.”

“We will talk when you get here. Get here as soon as you can, please. Use your motorbike or something.”

“Brielle, you sure you are okay? I could—”

“Just get here as fast as you can!”

I cut the call and clutched the phone hard, pressing against the water dispenser to avoid Ace as possible as I could.

Would Elijah get here before Ace finds me?

A tap on my shoulder had me jumping but, it was only Luke smiling down at my crouched figure.

“It's just me.”

I breathed and handed him his phone but, he didn't take it.

“Listen, Brielle, are you running away from someone?”

Can this guy just leave me to think?

“I would love a moment, please.”

I tried as much as I could not to sound rude and nervous. At least, he would be the only reason I would leave here with Elijah without getting caught by Ace. That's if he comes fast and if Ace doesn't find me first. Which is why I have to think. I think I'm beginning to feel a throbbing in my head.

“There is a corner at the back of the cafè, a smoking area. Nobody except the staff members knows about it.”

“A smoking area?”

That sounds like a perfect place to hide. I could wait there until Elijah arrived with his motorbike.

“Yes. Let's go.”

Without waiting to hear a response from me, he pulled me along with him, away from the main entrance and away from Ace. It made the twisting in my stomach settle a little.

Luke pulls me further into the cafè, towards the other entrance of the cafè.

Wait…

“Those jerks would make my kidney rotten at this point with all the smoking in the lunch room. I don't know why most workplaces in Chelsea lack a smoking area.”

Valerie’s words from last summer rang in my head.

They had no smoking area. I halted, forcing him to a halt as well.

“A smoking area?”

I repeated, my lips quivering.

“Yes.”

His tone was different from the other time. This time, it lacked sincerity. It was like he knew I had figured him out.

Luke grabbed my wrist again, forcefully this time.

“We have to leave before the bad guys find you!”

I pulled away, sauntering back.

“How do you know I was trying to escape?”

Luke swallowed and that confirmed it. This is a set up.

“Well, you sounded urgent and—”

He stopped himself, sighing defeatedly.

“I went to take out the trash when he approached me. He smelt your perfume on me and he demanded I brought you to him or else he would chop off my fingers as experimented on Jake.”

I'm guessing that the he was Ace and Jake was his colleague.

My breath caught up in my throat as if someone had seized my throat and deprived me of every breath I took in.

“So, you need to follow me right now. I don't know who that man is but, I'm sure as hell he is sincere about chopping off my fucking fingers!”

Before I could swirl around and run in the opposite direction, Luke grabbed me by my waist, throwing me over his shoulder at once.

I protested, thrashing and struggling.

“Please, put me down!”

I pleaded, weeping into his back.

Where is Elijah? Why isn't he here yet? The minute this bastard delivers me to Ace, I could bid farewell to my plan to escape.

This can't be happening, God!

Luke walked us out of the cafè’s back door and once I caught sight of Ace leaning against the hood of his Rolls-Royce, I stopped my protesting, giving in.

This is it.

Luke drops me before Ace, setting me to stand steadily. My high heels almost failed me but, I steadied myself.

“I-I can leave now?”

Ace didn't respond to Luke, just kept on regarding him with that intimidating stare so, Luke took the cue and started sauntering away.

However, he was almost at the back door entrance when Ace suddenly pulled out a revolver and shot Luke right in his leg, the soundless gunshot causing blood to spill out of Luke’s left leg.

Luke shrieked, collapsing onto the floor and holding his bleeding leg.

I clasped my hand to my mouth to shuffle my scream.

What the hell?!

Ace strides towards Luke, hovers over him, and points the revolver straight on his head.

God, no!

“You don't get to touch my woman like that. The next time you lay a finger on her, I will take off your head and deliver it to your family members. Are we clear?”

Luke quickly nods, and staggers off, heading for the parking lot with an injured leg.

Ace shoved the revolver back into a gun holster by his waist and strode towards me.

I stumbled backwards, hitting my back against Ace’s car.

My legs wobbled in my heels and they failed me this time as I plopped to the cold ground.

My beautiful white after-party dress was certainly collecting all the dirt on the floor but I give zero damn.

I just want to get away from this man.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

My tone is defeated. I admit, he holds all the cards. I could never escape from him. He could keep me for as long as he intends to and I wouldn't be able to elude.

Which begs the question, why does he want to keep me so desperately? I thought he wanted Isobel.

“I promise I will help you find Isobel. Hell, she is my sister of course I will find her. Just please, don't let me go home with you.”

“Let's go home, Brielle.”

Is this man not listening to me? I don't want to be in the same breathing space with him! It's terrifying!

“Please, Reynolds.”

I scurried to my knees and went on both.

At this point, I was desperate. Even if it meant licking the ground he walked on for my release, I would gladly do it.

But, something told me that I would need to do a lot more than that to ensure my release.

“Don't take me away.”

I tried again, letting tears trickle down my face.

Ace Reynolds stepped closer, grabbing my shoulder and helping me to my feet.

Does this mean he heard my pleas?

Ace cupped my jaw and forced my gaze on him.

When I stared into his oceanic blue eyes back at the other, I didn't think I would be able to survive another eye contact. But, here I was, holding his intoxicating gaze. I hope to God this is my last.

“No, baby. I can't. I need this.”

What? I blinked away my tears, frowning bitterly.

“W-what do you mean ‘you need this?’”

“Us. This is what I've always wanted.”

He planted a peck on my lips, cupping both my cheeks in his rough hands. Then, that lustful gaze returned. They danced around my face before they settled on my lips.

Oh, heavens.

“W-why? D-didn't you want to marry Isobel?”

Knowing that his sudden obsession with me might have nothing to do with the absence of Isobel terrified me even more.

I stayed frozen on the spot watching as he took his sweet, precious time to finally come up with an answer. And when he did, my whole world came crumbling.

“It was the only way I knew I could get to you. I've never wanted your sister, it has always been you.”

My lips quivered as his thumb carefully brushed them.

What I was feeling was a lot more than a shiver. It was more like a jolt of electricity with a thousand watts.

“I want you, Brielle.”

He plants another kiss on my lips.

“I want this.”

This can't be happening.

“You-you took Isobel, right?”

It was more like stating a fact than an accusation. I knew he did. I suspected he did.

“Yes, I did. Now, we need to go home if you ever want to see your sister again.”

Ace grabbed me, walked up to his Rolls-Royce, and got me into the passenger’s seat.

As he rounded the car to settle behind the wheels, I stayed glued to my seat.

As he kicked the engine to life and drove away from my last chance at freedom, I didn't utter a word.

Even as we headed into Berver Tunnel, slowly drifting away from the only people I had considered family, I stayed mute.

Those words rang in my head like a nursery rhyme.

I want you, Brielle.