The server seht after wheeling is the cart and Niki closed the door, selling the tes onto the dining table, He probably understood my hesitance as he shook his head. “Belex It’s probably hot myther,”
esaid it insually–light, even. But itnded heavy stared down at the table, al the picture–perfect stack of snulé pancakes, powdered sugar dusted actess the top like snow, with ckberries and raspberries tucked into the folds. A green onion and mushroom omelette sat on the side, still steaming Even the coffee was moactly right, an Americano, dark and smooth, no cream, no sugar. Exactly how I took it.
Nodok me.
My throat went dry.
It wasn’t his father, It couldn’t be. Niki’s father barely looked at me there was no universe in which that man remembered what I liked for breakfast.
she had a sudden habit of spying on me, which, okay, in this family wasn’t off the table, but still. This… this was personal
However when li didn’t move to sit down and eat, Niki frowned.
” you don’t want this,” he said easily, “then don’t eat it. We can go out. Let’s just leave, alight?”
My gut chumed. “Will that be alright?”
He didn’t even Birk Just stood, circled the table, and reached down to take my wrist–not hard, just enough to pull me gently to my feet.
“You don’t have to worry about other people when you have me, alright!” he said, <b>close </b>to my ear. “Do whatever you want to do. Don’t worry about
Something unspooled in my chest at that. Notfort, exactly. But something close
We packed up
Jup quickly. Or rather, Niki packed while I stood by the door, still <b>half </b>in my own head. He wheeled the small trolley bag behind him, his free hand brushing my lower back as we walked out of the hotel suite.
The second we stepped into the hallway, I felt it–like stepping into <b>shark </b>tank. My skin prickled, Was I too on edge? <b>Was </b>I thinking too much again?
And then my eyesnded on him.
Phillip
Slick haired, smug exactly likest <b>night</b>, leaning against <b>the </b>wall near the <b>elevators </b>with his phone in hand and a mouth curved into a too–wide smile as he conversed with a female server. My stomach clenched as we walked past him, His gaze flicked up, then slid over me like oil.
Ni didn’t even nce at him.
ot a licker of recognition.
Just science Stone–cold
I held my breath until the elevator doors slid shit behind us.
By the time we reached the carport, I was sure I’d shaken it off.
Then I saw the cat
stopped making “Is that–T
<b>13:12 </b>Fri, 25 JOI G
A pintugged at MADD
suth. “Legacy V15. Just droppedst month. Thought you might lik
e way over, Like it wasst a multi milion–dor piece of art on wheels. With only ten exclusive releases. The ven. Did he think lididn’t know the value of this?
Lika–he’d picked up a couple dosjanis
Eke obscenely expensive?”
,” i valj, stummed, “You didn’t have to–I mean, this is insane, Isn’t this, I
coped the trunk open like I’d asked him if the sky was blue. “This much is nothing to me. Think of it as a g
“Aph?” i blinked. “Aph for what?
boked at me over the root of the car Sunlight caught his hair, his eyes shadowed under his brows,
“wedding ph
The
me like a punch i hadn’t bad f
words hit me like
swallowed. “Our wedding was a contract and you already helped save my mother’s life. That was the best gift you could give me.”
He paused, then <b>his </b>mouth curved just sightly. “Then let’s say it’s to celebrate a good frien
My bear cropped. Friendship. Right. That’s already great
nooded, lips pressed tight so I wouldn’t say anything dumb. Or honest. I walked over and climbed into the passenger seat as he tucked the trolley bag into the trunk, the id behind the wheel with a careless sort of grace
“We take shits,” he said, buckling in. I drive the first half, you get the second.”
nodded, and the car glided forward with a purr so soft it felt like flying.
The first couple of hours were easy. Smooth roads, barely any traffic. We stopped once at a roadside restaurant–eggs, toast, fresh juice–before getting back in switching seats.
Nikols showed me the controls, but I already knew. I’d been driving since I <b>was </b>seventeen, and luxury cars were still just cars. I couldn’t help remembering our toyota coro. Which dad had to sell to pay for our debt. I bit my lips but shook those thoughts out of my mind. Not now, Elena.
took the wheel. The engine responded like sik under my hands.
“You’re not scared of speed?” he
“hope”
atar a minute, one brow lifting
Wind screamed past us. The car roared like a beast uncaged and Iughed–loud and real for the first time in days<b>. </b><b>Niki </b>gripped the side handle like he wasn’t sure whether to be improused or terrified.
Five hours into the dihe, it started
Atant ticking sound. Rhythmic Sharp. Not natural
ignored it at first. Thought maybe it was something mechanical–cars made noises sometimes, even new ones
Fifteen minutes passed
<b>frowned</b><b>, </b>my heart dropping as a realization settled in “Hey, is it just me, or are the brakes acting welld?”
11, 20 QUI
exactly what i said. The brakes aren’t working Something’s wrong”
went down but the response was sluggish. Barely anything
you.” I
“Y’ning you said, voice rising “The brakes aren’t working”
Then Niki moved fast. He popped the dashboard looking around but then shut it closed and turned to open the center console–some ck leather thing with atch–and dug into it. His jaw clenched hard.
La device inside. Wired shing faint red, Small
There was a d
that a fucking bomb?” I screamed my gaze fitting to it. What the hell?
He didn’t answer, Just stared at it, his face gone dead pale. Then he swore and mmed the console shut again
“The need to abandono ca” he said, voice like cut steel.
stared at him. “We can’t do that! What if it crashes into someone? What if it explodes in the middle of a street? We’re going to hit the city in ten minutes!”
Hisja flexed. “We don’t have a
a choice.”