Chapter 26

Mia

Olivia led me to her car, a small, practical sedan that offered a sense of normalcy. The men who had been following me were about to cross the street when I got into the car, but they didn't call out for me or anything like that. As we pulled away from the station, I glanced back, my heart pounding in my chest. The men were still there, their figures growing smaller in the rearview mirror. Their leader was on the phone. He was probably calling Lorenzo. I watched for them to get into a car and try to follow, but they didn't seem to.

Did that mean they'd given up, or would they just be waiting at my college for me? My gut clenched, and I really hoped that the car that Albert was sending would be there before they arrived, or at least be there by the time I was done.

A wave of relief washed over me. I had escaped, at least for now. But the danger was still out there. I knew Lorenzo wasn't going to give up so easily.

He'd been desperate, and so long as I was of use to him, he'd be coming after me. I swallowed past the tightness in my throat. He was going to be a constant threat looming over me for as long as he was still alive.

My gut churned at that thought. I had never had a thought like that before. It felt too ruthless, too cold to think in such black and white, life or death terms. Though, it was probably exactly how Lorenzo thought of me.

I wasn't good for anything unless I was of use to him. I set my jaw, hating the surge of guilt I felt at the thought but grateful that I still had the ability to feel it.

I knew too many people who had lost most of their sense of humanity living as hard as I had.

I turned to Olivia, my eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

She smiled, her eyes conveying a silent understanding. "Don't worry about it," she replied. "I just hope they don't change their mind about extending the hours! Remember that lady in the registration office who always left early?"

I laughed, remembering her. "Yeah. She always closed the line five minutes early. Does she still work at the school?"

"Probably. It's not like a lot of people are lining up to work there."

I winced at that. It wasn't like she was wrong. Our school was almost always understaffed.

As we drove, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief. One moment, I was being chased by a group of thugs, and the next, I was sitting in a car with Olivia on my way to finish some paperwork. I couldn't think of the last time I was so grateful.

I glanced back one last time, my heart pounding in my chest. The men were nowhere to be seen, but the fear lingered, a cold, heavy weight on my shoulders.

"I really owe you one," I said to Olivia, my voice barely above a whisper.

She laughed. "Treat me to ice cream then."

I nodded. "Any flavor you want. Maybe gelato instead, though?"

"You have the best ideas!"

As we drove, we engaged in idle chatter, discussing school, our upcoming assignments, and the usual mundane topics of college life. It was a surreal experience to be caught up in such ordinary conversation while my life was in turmoil.

"You're wearing jewelry?" Olivia asked. "I've never seen you wearing jewelry before."

I looked down at my ringed hand and smiled. "Yeah... I... got married."

"What?" Olivia cried. "Congratulations! Who's the lucky guy? How long have you known each other."

I laughed and started to give her the nicer versions of events, leaning a bit on what Albert had already told my mother. It was easier than I thought to lie to her, probably because I didn't know much about her.

But as we pulled into the college parking lot, the reality of my situation hit me with full force. I had escaped one danger only to walk into another. The paperwork wouldn't take long, and I didn't see the car Albert said he'd send. Lorenzo's men probably knew where I went to school. It wouldn't be hard to figure out. They'd be here soon, I bet.

My best bet was to get in and out as soon as possible.

"Hurry!" Olivia cried, jumping out of the car. "We barely made it!"

We hurried inside to the desk. I recognized the woman as the one who always closed up early. I glanced at the clock. My heart lurched as I realized it was all of five minutes before the end of the extended time.

She looked at the two of us and sighed, offering us clipboards.

"I guess this is why you're here."

"We'll be quick."

"Don't bother," she grumbled. "I'll be here for at least another hour."

I frowned and looked at the clock again.

She waved her hand. "It's only right twice a day."

I laughed with relief and went over to the low tables with Olivia. We rushed through the paperwork, but it still took a while. People came and went, and other students came to fill out the paperwork, too. Soon, the office was emptying out, the usual hustle and bustle replaced by a quiet efficiency. The woman was typing away at her desk, a stack of various types of paperwork on her desk. I glanced at the clock, my heart pounding in my chest. I had to be quick.

Finally, the last piece of paper was signed and sealed. We set out clipboards on the smaller stack and high-fived.

"With barely a few minutes to spare."

"Well, that's over," Olivia said, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

I nodded, feeling relieved. As we walked towards the exit, a sense of foreboding washed over me. Something was off, a subtle shift in the atmosphere that I couldn't quite pinpoint.

We reached the front doors, the cool evening air hitting my face just as we stepped outside. A group of men emerged from the shadows, their faces a mask of cold determination.

Fear surged through me as I recognized them – Lorenzo's men. Before I could react, they grabbed me, their hands rough and insistent.

I struggled against their grip; my screams lost in the cacophony of the city. I fought, but they were so much stronger than me. I fought against their grip, my nails digging into their skin. Panic surged through me as I realized the gravity of the situation.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, my voice hoarse with terror. But my pleas fell on deaf ears.

As they dragged me towards a waiting car, I glanced back at Olivia and froze at the pitiful and apologetic look on her face.

She knew. The betrayal cut deep. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think or struggle. They tossed me in the car. And as the car door slammed shut, I realized that my world had just imploded.

I felt stupid.

I should have known when they no longer chased me. I should have known that it was way too easy to get away from them if they knew which stop I had been at.

I glared out the window as the car lurched forward.

Through the rearview window, I saw Olivia. She was crying, but then one of the thugs ushered a young boy into her arms. She threw her arms around him, holding him close and sobbing.

Guilt hit me hard as I remembered that she had a younger brother. Lorenzo had probably taken him to make Olivia do as he wanted. It was my fault she and her brother had even been targeted.

I shook my head. It felt like Lorenzo would always prove me right about the nature of the mafia. It was even more of a reason not to give up without a fight. Using Olivia was low, even for him. Knowing that he was willing to do that meant this scheme was more important to him than I had first thought.

My hand fumbled for my phone, a desperate attempt to reach Albert. But before I could dial, one of the men snatched it from my grasp, tossing it onto the floor.

Panic surged through me. My mind raced, trying to come up with an escape plan, but there were none. I was trapped.

The men in the car, their faces a mask of indifference, watched me with cold detachment. One of them, a burly man with a face scarred by violence, kept his hand on his gun and cocked his eyebrow at me.

"Don't get any ideas."

I set my jaw and turned my gaze out the window. As the car sped through the city, I tried to memorize the route, hoping against hope that I would find a way to escape. But the unfamiliar streets were a blur, my mind a chaotic whirlwind of fear and uncertainty.

I was being taken to Lorenzo, and I had no doubt about it. And whatever he had planned, I knew it wouldn't be good.