9

TIFFANY WEST

It was an explosion of fire, bursting inside me, spreading from my stomach to the tip of my fingers, and shamelessly, thoughtlessly, I kissed him back.

Fuck. It hadn't even lasted more than a minute but I could still feel the intensity of his lips pressed against mine, invoking everything I shouldn't feel. But I did. It was intense, resurrecting an insatiable want and need.

I jerked from my thoughts, my eyes snapped up to find Stefano, the new babysitter Lorenzo had left to guard me right after he left in the morning, without saying anything about the kiss.

I wasn't one to hold something as trivial as a kiss in my mind, but strangely, it had consumed my entire thoughts and I wished I hated it.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying my hardest not to glare. The guy was almost twice my size, with hard muscles and scars, and a very terrifying scowl on his face.

“What's it?”

“That thing's been buzzing for hours,” He pointed at my phone, and to my surprise, it had been really ringing for several minutes now. Several missed calls from Elena.

I was about to dial back when the front door burst open and slammed close. My head snapped up to find the youngest Russo, storming his way into the house. He could easily pass as a mini Lorenzo, aside from the black curls. I'd briefly met him at Vincenzo's wedding party a few days ago.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?” Stefano asked from where he was seated on his chair but Dario just gave a bored shrug, too cool for a proper reply.

He grabbed a Coke from the fridge and headed straight to the side of his wings while Stefano pulled up from the chair and grabbed his phone. Probably reporting back to Lorenzo. He had been doing it every thirty minutes.

My phone buzzed again, but it wasn't from Elena this time, but from Seline West. I could almost feel the weight of her anger in the text. She had somehow discovered I was married. But why the anger though, shouldn't she be thrilled that I was now married to the man they'd sold me to?

Another text from her flashed on my screen and the words made me freeze. She informed me they were selling the foundation. It was for cancer. Under different circumstances I wouldn't give a double fuck, like I'd always done, even with the company but the truth was, I loathed cancer and Dad was passionate about his foundation.

She had taken everything, the company, the house, everything in Dad's name but I refused to let her take the foundation as well.

Rage burned through me, smearing my vision. I glanced back at Stefano, he was still busy with his call. I slid off the stool, sliding my hand over the marble, my palm covering Stefano's key chain and attached car fob.

I had to know what exactly was going on in that woman's head, wasn't it enough that she and her husband had sold me off? Now she was going after the last thing I couldn't let go.

I dragged the keys towards me, the slightest clink too soon to announce my robbery.

I paused, as I glanced at Stefano. But it was too late.

He was almost frozen as well, his phone against his ear, but he wasn't speaking. He was watching me.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

I inched my hand behind my hip and shrugged. “Nothing,” I slowly took some steps toward the hall, in the direction of the door.

“Show me your hands?” He repeated, his phone now tossed against the sofa, narrowed calculative eyes on me as I stepped closer into the hallway.

I didn't respond, I just kept moving slowly.

“No. Drop the keys,” He said, glancing at the empty island stand. “You can't leave now, it's not safe outside,”

“Tell your boss, I'm taking your car for a drive,” Then I ran.

I didn't stop even when I heard him curse. I ran faster, flinging the door open, before scampering outside. I sprinted towards the huge black suburban be had driven this morning, clicking the buttons on the fob until indicators flashed bright into the daylight.

I yanked open the car door as Stefano exploded from the door, but it was too late. I had already climbed into the tank of the car, tugged the door shut, and pressed the button ignition. The engine rumbled to life as Stefano kept running closer to the car with the aim of his gun at me.

I started driving just as sounds of gunshots erupted but they were not directed at me but at the tires of the car. Regardless, it was too late and I was already on the road. 

I had been driving for minutes now, my destination was the estate Seline and her husband had used my Dad's money to buy. I'd never been there, there was no reason to visit when I wasn't part of her new family. She stopped being my mother when she believed every lie Francis had spilled against me. She didn't even hesitate before calling twelve years old me a shameless whore that tried to seduce her husband.

My hands clenched tighter around the steering wheels. They had gotten everything they had wanted, there was no way I'd let them have the foundation too.

I took another turn, suddenly noticing the bright lights of a car that followed behind me. Fuck. Stefano had found me already. Or maybe worse, Lorenzo.

The car sped up and pulled up in front of me, forcing me to park along the side.

I sat up straight, watching the car as the back door opened. I was expecting to see Stefano's pissed face, but instead, an entirely different man stepped out of the car, approaching me from the side of the car. His masculine frame was big and bulky.

Something in my stomach dropped. I could feel my growing nerves, but I squared my shoulders against the fear. 

I glanced over at the car in front of me, still half expecting Stefano or Lorenzo to step out again. But it became obvious that that wasn't happening when the shadow of the man crept over the side of my face and then he lifted his hand and made an ominous tap tap tap against the glass.

If Lorenzo or Stefano expected me to apologize for stealing a car, then they had another thing coming. I didn't care if I stole a car.

I got out of the car glaring, only to be met with shadowed eyes staring back at me. The man was a hell lot bigger than I had thought with scars and tattoos running from his neck to where they led beneath his leather jacket.

I glanced back at his car parked in the distance, there were at least three other men in it.

“What do you —”

“Follow me,” The demand grated on my nerves but the chill that ran down my spine left a sense of dread.

Something was wrong, I could feel it in my bones.

I stared almost frozen at the man as he turned, taking a few steps, before realizing I hadn't moved a muscle, his shadowed eyes found mine again.

“Did Lorenzo send you?” I fought the fear wrecking my bones.

Before I could expect an answer, the back of his fist collided with my cheek, forcing me against the car.

Fuck. Something was definitely wrong.

He grabbed me by the hair, pushing me against his face. “Follow me,” His words carried a deep accent as he repeated his words. It wasn't Italian. And my heart had been palpitating thrice at its normal rate to figure out.

I glanced back at the car parked in the distance before I rammed my elbow hard into his ribs. The action barely held any effect, but at least, it made him release my hair.

I lifted my leg in a swift motion, kicking hard against his balls with my heels. For the first time in a long time, I was thankful for the years of self-defense classes I attended. 

I sprinted back to my stolen suburban as the back doors of the car in the distance flew open. From my peripheral vision, I could see two men— as tall and bulky as the first— run closer. I hauled myself back into the car, about to shut the door when the sound of a gunshot greeted my ears and the next that followed was the sharp pain on my shoulder which forced a strangled scream from my lips.

Shit. I was shot. I had been shot.

I shut the door close with my other hand, as pain spread through my bones, stealing every strength from my wounded shoulder while my blood kept soaking my shirt.

I planted my foot on the accelerator, the car roaring back to life, as I was about to put the gear stick in drive, another mighty boom thundered behind me. A circle of splintered glass appeared on my window, but the integrity was still intact. 

Holy fuck. He kept shooting at me. They all do. At the bulletproof glass.

I shoved the gear stick into place and slammed my foot harder. My hands were shaking as the wheel spun. I escaped in what felt like a slow motion, but the furious tink, tink, tinks of sound against the car frame continued.

It didn't take long before they jumped back into their car and began chasing after me. Soon the back of the suburban jostled, a tire seeming to take a bullet.

“Please, please, let me get out of here,” 

I kept my head low and sped. I had no insight of where I was going and it was bad enough I wasn't on the highway. I turned right. I turned left. Soon I became more lost in the labyrinth of streets, heading God knew where, fleeing from God knew who.

I never should have left the house. Now all I could think about was returning to Lorenzo's mansion, to his protection, but I didn't know how.

I searched my pockets but I didn't have any phone on me, I must have forgotten it back on the counter and the arduous jostle from the back of the vehicle was getting worse.

But pulling over was not an option. I was about to take another turn left when the sound of a gunshot rang, and a bullet went straight to the tires. The sounds of tires screeching lasted less than a second before I crashed into a pile of trash, and the car unfortunately came to a stop.

I knew it deep down. I was as good as dead. The pain that had infected every part of my body was eating away at my strength and vision as well.

The vehicle chasing me was almost on me. With barely enough strength, I forced myself out of the car, staggering. I took right. If I was going to die today, the least I could do was make it hard for them.

Regardless of my speed, I could hear their heavy steps hunting me. With each second, my legs were losing speed. It's strength. It was over. 

Finally, my legs gave up, and I was a second from crashing against the ground when from nowhere I felt an arm slide around my waist, lifting me. Pulling me into a corner against the wall.

I thrashed hard, but soon quickly my hand was caged and a large body pressed against mine. I felt a familiar tingle rub down my spine.

“It’s me, little fox,” The whisper of a familiar voice against my ear left me frozen.

I stopped struggling, and my eyes met with Lorenzo's dark ones. For the first time in my life, I couldn't be happier seeing him.