Chapter 193
I didn’t have time for her.
I quickened my stride, intending to pass her with no more than a nod, but she moved squarely into my path before I could.
“Raina,” she said, her voice smoothed out but firm, as though she knew I was going to blow her off.
I blew out a breath, already annoyed. “Vanessa, I don’t have time for this.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, cocking her head to one side. “I’m not here to argue. Just hear me out.”
I shot her a wary glance. “Get on with it. ”
Her lips compressed before she let out the sigh. “Look, I know we aren’t buddies, but that doesn’t have to mean we need to be in each other’s way, right?”
I eyed her warily. “What are you on about?”
She turned utterly somber. “I know what Eliza did.”
That froze me in place. My heartbeat thudded once, loudly. “What do you mean you know?
“She called me.” Vanessa’s jaw clenched, the memory seemingly revolting her. “To gloat.”
I watched her, waiting to see if she was lying, but I saw only frustration in her face. Maybe something else, too–something close to regret.
“What did she say?” I repeated, my voice lower now.
Vanessa let out a bitter laugh. “That she’s not done. That you and I would all be at her mercy once she got Dom back.” Her eyes met mine. “She was so sure of herself, Raina. Like she’d already won.”
My stomach twisted. The thought of Eliza being that confident, that smug, sent a wave of unease through me.
Vanessa lifted a brow. “So… how’s that going?”
I narrowed my eyes. “That’s none of your business.”
She shrugged. “Maybe not. But I do want to know how I can help get her out of our lives.”
I laughed humorlessly. “If you actually wanted to help, now wouldn’t be the time for you to talk about it. You could’ve reached out before. To me. To Alex.”
Vanessa’s face turned hard. “Alex won’t even talk to me. He’s blocked me on everything. And you? I assumed the same from you.”
“For good reason,” I volleyed back.
Her eyes glowed with something I didn’t know how to decipher, but before she could speak, a weird sensation washed over me.
Something was wrong.
I recast my line of vision past her, around the airport. And that’s when I saw them.
Men. All of them in black.
They weren’t in a huddle, but they were spaced out at all the strategic spots–near the exit, by the counters to check in at, near the waiting area. They fit in well enough, but there was one thing that they couldn’t conceal.
They were all staring at me.
I tensed. My instincts were yelling at me that something was off.
Vanessa noticed the change in my expression, and she furrowed her brow.
I whirled around to Vanessa, her pulse hammering in my ears. “Did you tell anyone you saw me?”
She blinked, confused by my sudden urgency. “What?”
“Did. You. Tell. Anyone?” I forced out, my voice sharp, my stomach tightening.
Vanessa hesitated for a second before she shrugged. “I just texted my mom. Why?”
A cold claw of foreboding sank into my chest.
Damn it.
1/2
Nathan.
+25 Bonus
If their phones were compromised, then that meant he was tracking them. Watching. Waiting.
I forced my face into a neutral expression, swallowing back the panic. “It’s nothing,” I lied, rocking back onto both heels and scoping out my nearest exit route. “I have to go.”
I swung around on a heel, but before I took a step, Vanessa’s lily–white fingers darted out and she caught my arm.
“Wait a damn second,” she snapped, jerking me back with more force than I’d expected. “What the hell is going on?”
I clenched my jaw. “Let me go, Vanessa.”
She didn’t move. Her fingers dug deeper into my skin as she looked at me, trying to work out why I’d suddenly gone rattled.
“If you’re in trouble, just say it,” she said, her tone suspicious now.
I exhaled sharply. I didn’t have time for this. For her. For whatever mess she was about to drag me into.
“Now is not the time, Vanessa,” I bit out, trying to yank my arm free.
“Like hell it’s not,” she shot back.
She yanked me harder, and I stumbled slightly, my body weaker than I wanted to admit. I hadn’t been at my best lately, and it showed.
“Stop it,” I hissed, glaring at her.
But Vanessa wasn’t going to back down.
“You’re not running from me, Raina,” she spat, her voice rising. “I’m going to deal with you.”
I struggled, but my strength was nothing compared to hers at this moment. I was tired, drained–physically and emotionally.
