Chapter 18
“Nala…” The voice was far away, threatening to break at any moment. “Nala!”
The haze was too hard to navigate. Nala wanted to respond, but she was so sleepy, so tired that it made more sense to sleep forever. No, Mom, I don’t want to go to school… dumb chemistry test today… I know Tasha said she would help me study… but she was busy….
“NALA!”
She was on the floor, untied, but unable to move. Whoever untied her picked her up and hoisted her over their shoulder. Nala recognized the soft fabric of a Stanford sweatshirt and the scent of expensive cologne.
“Vincent?”
“Don’t,” he whispered, carrying her. “Don’t inhale. Don’t make me inhale…”
He jumbled the door handle. When it wouldn’t work, he stepped back, raised his foot, and took it down with one heavy kick. Nala felt it all vibrate through her floppy body.
Fresh air hit her. She didn’t realize she needed fresh air, yet she awoke from her dreamworld and sat up with a start. Before she could tumble to Xavier Crow’s hallway floor, however, Vincent put a firm hand on the small of her back and took in the biggest gulp of air Nala ever heard a man take.
“What happened?” she asked. Her brain was still fuzzy, but with Vincent with her, everything was okay, right? Wait…
Vincent?
“Oh my God, what are you doing here?”
Finally, Vincent pulled her off his shoulder and tentatively put her feet on the floor. His hands remained firm on her shoulders. “Don’t make any sudden moves. You were poisoned.”
“Huh?”
“He pumped a shitton of carbon monoxide into that room. I got in through the window. Climbed in from outside… was not easy.”
“What? How did you know I was here?”
“GPS on your phone, Nala.”
If she had the energy, she would be more enraged. “What!”
“Let’s not argue right now.” Vincent hoisted her back over his shoulder again. Nala’s stomach did a few somersaults as she watched the carpet rush by beneath her eyes. “We’re gonna get caught within about…”
“Halt!”
Vincent stopped in his tracks, clutching Nala as if she were his most precious possession.
Footsteps thumped against the carpet. When Vincent quickly turned around, Nala caught sight of the armed guards – four of them. From the sounds of the footsteps behind her again, she guessed more were coming down from the other end of the hall.
“You’re surrounded!”
Nala waited. For gunshots. For a bomb. For something. Yet all that happened for a few seconds was the feeling of Vincent’s heavy breathing and the sounds of footsteps thumping against the ground.
“Take them into the salon.”
Vincent was forced to drop Nala, who was still woozy, but what choice did he have, when at least ten of Xavier Crow’s security personnel surrounded them?
“I said the salon.”
She heard that man’s voice far away, but had no time to think about it as she and Vincent were herded into another nearby room. Larger than the office, but still not quite big enough for the amount of people forcing themselves inside. Wherever they were on the premises, they were in a rounded room, with windows on all sides. Nala stared into the bleak, black darkness and held her breath.
“Both of you better fucking kneel right now.”
Nala knew that voice. It made her bristle, all the way down to her knees, while her hands went tight behind her head. Vincent followed suit, his face grim. He looked at Nala. Apologetic. No regrets. Loving. Yeah, I know. We’re gonna die, but I love you too. Romantic. Nala smiled at him. It was the least she could do for running away on him.
Hawk thumped into the room, her clunky tracking bracelet on her ankle making her walk with a strange gait. Great. Lot easier to kill when the victims came to her instead of her having to go to them. “These are the fuckers who got me arrested. For driving recklessly.” She cackled, taking a gun from one of the armed guards. “This is going to be so satisfying! My only debate is figuring out which one I want to kill first!”
The barrel of the gun pointed at Nala.
“Do I kill the obnoxious child and make our hero cry because this is the second time I took away the only thing he looooooved?” The gun switched to Vincent. “Or do I put you out of your misery first so the girl can find out that there are no happy endings? Either way, one of you has to die first.”
Both of them remained silent, although their eyes never left the other’s. “I love you,” Nala mouthed, as she heard the gun click. “I’m not scared.”
That was a lie. Her body trembled. Her throat was dry. Her knees were sore against this carpet. Her body was prepared to fight for its life, but with so many people in the room, it was impossible. Plus, they all had guns.
Vincent nodded. “I love you too,” he said.
“Fucking piss off with this smarmy shit.”
Nala knew that the gun was pointed at her. Hawk wanted to torture Vincent with his new girlfriend’s death. It was her style.
She waited.
And waited.
Finally, a gun went off.