CHAPTER SIXTEEN

LORENZO GRAYSON\KERZHAKOV ©

“Do you have any idea why he’s threatening you this badly?” Kyle asked over the phone while I drove down the road.

I pulled the car over to the side and stayed silent for a few seconds.

“Enzo…” Kyle called again.

“I think Antonio is planning something,” I finally said. “Something dangerous. Kyle, I could hear it in his voice yesterday.”

“Dangerous?” Kyle repeated. “That’s exactly why he wants you back.”

“He wants you in whatever he’s planning,” Kyle continued. “You know he wants you to take over after him.”

Before I could answer, loud barking pulled my attention away. A dog was chasing after a little boy. The child cried as he ran down the street.

I was about to step out of the car when another little girl ran after the dog instead. She picked up a stone and threw at the dog.

Too brave of her.

The dog turned and charged toward her immediately.

“Enzo? Are you even listening?” Kyle asked.

“I gotta go.” I hung up and rushed out of the car.

Before I could get to her, the dog already sunk its teeth into the girl’s wrist.

“Fuck.”

I grabbed the chain around the dog’s neck and pulled hard. The dog struggled and growled while trying to break free, but I tightened my grip until it became weak and slow.

The moment I let go, it stumbled away and ran off.

I crouched beside the little girl and grabbed her injured hand to check the bite.

The boy the dog had chased earlier ran off immediately without looking back.

“That ungrateful brat,” the girl muttered.

“Come on,” I said. “We’re going to the hospital.”

“Hospital?” Her eyes widened instantly. She pulled her hand away from me. “No. I’m fine.”

“You were just bitten by a dog.”

“I said I’m fine.”

Frustration hit me immediately. I lifted her into my arms and carried her toward the car.

“No!” she protested. “I can’t afford hospital bills!”

“Put me down!” she shouted while kicking lightly.

I ignored her complaints, carried her into the car, and headed toward the nearest hospital.

“Is this how people get kidnapped?” the girl asked suddenly.

I scoffed softly and glanced at the name tag hanging on her school uniform.

“Mira,” I read out.

Her eyes widened a little. She quickly pulled the tag off her uniform and hid it.

“You don’t look scared at all,” I told her. “You should have gotten down from the car before I got into the car to drive but you didn't.”

She glared at me immediately. Then she folded her arms across her chest and turned her face toward the window with a small huff.

A few minutes later, I spotted a hospital nearby and drove in. I got out of the car and carried her to the nurses.

“Good afternoon,” I said calmly. “She was bitten by a dog. Can you take a look at her hand?”

The nurse’s expression changed immediately as she noticed the injury.

“Of course,” she said quickly.

Mira slipped out of my arms and the nurse gently led her toward the ward.

“Are you her guardian?” the receptionist asked me.

Before I could answer, Mira quickly pulled the nurse back and pointed at me.

“Yes, he’s my brother,” she said confidently. “We live together. Right, brother?”

She shot me a sharp look, like she was warning me not to ruin her lie, before turning and following the nurse toward the ward.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips.

The receptionist handed me a form to fill and I stared at the paper for a moment. I didn’t even know the girl’s full name.

Still, I filled out the parts I could and left my name blank. After paying the hospital bills, I handed the form back to the receptionist.

“Sir, you didn’t fill in your… ”

She suddenly stopped talking after looking up at me.

“It’s fine,” she said quickly with an awkward smile. “It’s nothing.”

“Apply this ointment to the wound before she goes to sleep tonight,” the nurse said while handing it to me.

I walked over to one of the chairs in the waiting area to sit down while I waited for the girl.

I unlocked my phone and saw several missed calls from Kyle, then I remembered I had been on a call with him earlier.

I was about to call him back when the ward door opened. The nurse walked out with Mira beside her.

“How do you feel now?” I asked as I stood up.

“Like I’m now in debt.” she answered.

“Aren't you going to carry me?“ She asked and I stared at her in confusion.

I rolled my eyes while the nurse looked confused by her response.

“Let’s go,” I said. “It’s getting late already.”

I turned and started walking away.

“Aren't you going to carry me?“ She asked and I turned to her in confusion.

“Do I really have to carry you?” I asked and started walking away.

A few seconds later, I looked back just to find her still standing there with a stubborn expression on her face.

“What are you doing?” I asked. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Mira suddenly raised her voice loud enough for the people nearby to hear.

“My uncle doesn’t want to help his injured little sister.”

Several people in the hallway turned to look at me. I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

Was this girl serious right now?

With a sigh, I walked back to her and picked her up.

A smug smile appeared on her face instantly as I carried her back to the car and started driving.

“Do you regret saving me?” she asked suddenly.

“I’m starting to regret it already,” I replied, and she chuckled.

A minute later, I heard her stomach growl loudly.

“That was your stomach, not mine,” she said quickly and turned to the window.

Honestly, I just wanted to drop her off at home so we could both go our separate ways.

“Since your stomach is growling, we should stop somewhere and eat,” she added. “You can’t drive on an empty stomach.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her excuse.

“You can just admit you’re hungry and I’ll buy you food,” I told her.

“But you’re the hungry one, not me,” she argued.

“I see,” I muttered.

She suddenly pointed at a restaurant by the roadside, but I drove past it without slowing down.

“So strict,” she complained and folded her arms.

I scoffed and shook my head.

I made a turn at the roundabout and drove back toward the restaurant she had pointed at earlier.

“See? I told you that you were hungry,” she said proudly before getting out of the car.

I let out a quiet chuckle and followed her into the restaurant.

We found a table and sat down. A waitress soon walked over and handed us the menu.

“Do you have any allergies?” I asked Mira.

She shook her head. “I eat everything.”

I nodded and looked back at the menu. “She’ll have French fries and a hamburger.”

Mira suddenly rested her elbow on the table and stared at my face closely.

“Are you involved with loan sharks or some kind of gang?” she asked so casually that I had to look up from my phone I was scrolling on.

For a second, I just stared at her.

Déjà vu.

A scoff left my lips as Nick Walker’s words flashed through my mind.

“Why would you ask that?” I questioned.

She pointed her fork at me while eating. “Because you have a huge tattoo on your back.”

I frowned slightly. I never exposed my body around her, so how did she…

“Oh, I saw it when you carried me earlier,” she answered before I could even ask.

I let out a quiet sigh and checked the time on my phone.

I had seriously spent almost half of my day with this girl.

“Finish your food quickly so I can take you home,” I said. “Your parents are probably worried already.”

The cheerful look on her face faded at once but I didn't pay much attention to it.

A few minutes later, we left the restaurant and got back on the road. She directed me through several streets before asking me to stop the car.

“You can park here,” she said. “I can walk the rest. Thank you. Bye.”

She quickly stepped out of the car before I could say anything.

Before I even had the chance to get down, she ran through a gate and locked it behind her.

I couldn’t help but chuckle softly as I watched her disappear inside.

“What a long day,” I muttered to myself before driving back home.