Securities International Book 10
Chapter Reveal
Piper
Every chance he gets, he denies us, and I don’t know why. He told my grandmother he was just my bodyguard. But he and I know we are so much more. I’m in love with him. We have been sleeping together for months now, and I can’t wait to tell him the secret I’ve been keeping. This will solidify our relationship and finally make him choose me.
I look up at the front seat of the car where Nikki and my grandma sit. After losing my mom, Aunt Nikki took my brother and me in. She has become more like a mother to me over the years. I pray she won’t be disappointed in me.
We pull up to the gym, and I see my car parked in the distance. I haven’t driven my car except around the compound in so long. I must be in a nondescript, bulletproof SUV after the latest attack where Tony was taken.
When we step inside the gym, I see Luca and Zach’s sparring has gotten out of hand. My brother, Dane, called and told Nikki Zach was hurt. She rushed right over to check on him. Nikki has been in love with Zach since they were young teenagers. It’s hard to see the love they have for each other yet struggle so much to get together. For a while I thought it was because of Dane and me. She was young when she adopted us and still in medical school. Then my grandfather had told me that Zach was a bad influence on Nikki. That he had broken her heart, yet she couldn’t leave him and would always choose him over everything else.
That was a lie. She loves him and would choose him but not over us kids. It was my grandfather who caused the rift between them years ago. He and Zach’s own grandpa, who regretted it later and apologized, were behind it. Both Zach’s grandparents, who raised him, were with us kids when Nikki first brought us home. They loved us as if we were theirs too.
I want to rush to Luca and stop the fighting, but there are so many people around and Luca doesn’t want them to know about us. He says it’s because they would fire him and assign another bodyguard to me. So we must keep our secret in order to stay together. But so many of these men have women they love here. I think they would understand and let us be together. They’re going to find out anyway because of my condition.
Raul, Luca’s brother, and a couple of other people are yelling advice and cheering them on. But it’s the words coming out of Luca’s mouth that snag my focus. They hit me like a freight train.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing between us. She’s just a kid,” he yells at Zach.
Tears roll down my cheeks as I stand there frozen in horror and pain. They continue to fight until Nikki puts a stop to it. I can’t do this. He won’t ever accept me or our baby. I turn and run for the door with people yelling for me to stop. I ignore them all until I breach the threshold, where I come to an abrupt halt. Standing in front of me is the woman everyone thinks Luca really desires.
Callie.
His words hit me again. She’s just a kid. Callie isn’t a kid. She’s a few years older than Luca. I stare at her, unable to look away. She’s beautiful, mature, and has her life on track. She’s not still in college and doubting her major, wanting to become a singer instead of an architect.
I have to get out of here. I rush over to the cars and jump into mine. Thankfully, I still carry a key in my purse. As I pull away, I watch Callie talking to Luca. His eyes follow me, but he’s talking to her. He’s probably telling her what a child I am. The sob hits me, and I rush for the gate.
Luck is on my side. Another vehicle is pulling in, and I slide past it and skid onto the road. I head out with no destination in mind. I don’t care where I go as long as it’s away from here.
I don’t see the car fast approaching my rear until it slams into me. What the hell! I look in my mirror and watch a large black vehicle race up on me again. I grip my steering wheel in anticipation as it crashes into the back of my Mini Cooper. The SUV then moves into the oncoming lane and swerves into my back driver’s side tire. My car swings into a spin, sending me all over the road. I try to regain control, but it’s useless. I scream when I’m jolted for a fourth time as the other car collides with my driver’s side door. Before I can process what is happening, my car is shoved over the side of the road and down a small embankment. I roll several times, hitting my head as I’m bounced around.
Fuzziness clouds my vision as I try to focus on something. Anything. I turn my head and realize I'm upside down. I feel for my seat belt and try to figure out how I got here.
Where are my bodyguards?
No sooner do I ponder that question when another thought hits me. I left them. I ditched everyone when I ran out of the gym.
But why? Why would I leave them?
Oh shit. Luca. My heart seizes when I remember him fighting with Zach. His words about me being a kid. I was building up the courage to tell him—
A cramp slams into my abdomen, and I groan from the pain.
"Hey, did you hear that?" A deep voice comes from somewhere outside the vehicle. I now remember everything. The large SUV slamming into me and running me off the road.
Is Sir or my father’s men responsible?
My father had threatened to kill me for betraying him after I testified against him for murdering my mother.
I lift my hand to cover my mouth, and I taste blood.
"Nah, I didn't hear anything. Can you believe how easy it was to get to her?" another voice answers.
"I know. We’ve spent six weeks trying to figure out a way."
"Lucky for us she left her protection detail. The boss is going to be happy. Let's get out of here. I can't wait to get back to Vegas."
Oh my God. They found me. I immediately think of my little brother and hope he's safe as another cramp seizes my body.
Oh God, please not that too. I pray as I feel wetness between my thighs. Do you have to take everything away from me?
My biological father has struck again. He’s now taken a purely innocent soul. But I shouldn’t be surprised as he tried to do the same with Dane. He killed my mom when she was pregnant with him. It’s how Aunt Nikki ended up adopting us. I remain quiet, hoping they won’t come explore the car to make sure I’m dead. The pain overwhelms me, and my vision goes dark.
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