𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑥 ✔︎ || 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑

63

~ phoenix ~

Lav, Rina and I sat at a table in a cafe, drinking our shakes.

On the opposite road, Vik - our babysitter - sat in his car with a permanent scowl etched onto his face. Every once in a while he would glance our way and I'd wink.

Ha, sucks to lick Ilya's butt all the time!

"Is he looking?" Katarina mumbled discreetly.

I glanced back at our bodyguard. So far I'd been watching for a pattern. Like when he'd babysat me in Ilya's room, Vik would knock at the door every half hour or so. Now, his glances frequented every minute. Currently, he was looking away.

"Is this a good idea?" Lav asked, uncertainly, "I mean, he's not hurting us-"

"Now!" I gasped, shooting to my feet.

Swallowing her reservations, Lavinia followed Rina and I into a small side road that lead to the other side of the shopping centre. When I was sure the SUV was no longer in sight, I glanced back to make sure we were safe.

We were.

Grinning broadly, I high-fived Katarina.

"Yes!" she squealed, jumping in her stilettos.

Even Lav couldn't hide her smile.

Escaping from the overbearing guard had been our mission for the last twenty minutes. For no particular reason but amusement, I suggested we make a run for it. Of course, we'd stay within the mall, but finally, we had the freedom to breath without Vik breathing down our necks.

The delight of our success began to wear off as we strolled towards the high street.

"There!" Rina pointed to a small, vintage boutique that she had been babbling about for hours.

Кукла, the sign read.

"It has literally everything!" she gushed, as we walked in.

True to her words, the store, which seemed tiny from outside, was vast. Racks filled each inch of space, with hangers of vintage pieces. The slight musty smell reminded me of an old records shop.

An elderly woman nodded her head at us as we walked by. I smiled kindly at her, which she returned.

Lavinia suddenly squealed.

We followed her attention to a far corner.

The object of her fascination was in the jewellery aisle. It was a set of bangles, encrusted with glittering gems.

"These are beautiful!" she exclaimed, stroking the cool metal surface.

Katarina picked them up for her, pressing them into her hands.

Lav continued to stare at them as we explored other parts of the store. My attention was drawn by a dark blood-red dress on a hanger. There was a long slit down the front but everything else, from the collar to the puffy sleeves, seemed to cover skin. Smoothing the material, I wondered if I would ever find an opportunity to wear it. The bold colour screamed danger and sex whereas the design was classy.

"That's so pretty," Rina mused beside me.

I nodded my agreement, releasing the fabric.

Ignoring her surprise, I made my way over to the shoe section. The cutest block heeled boots were displayed on an elevated shelf. The toes were cut off, and whilst the fabric of the main shoe was soft and fuzzy, the heel was of leather. Smiling, I picked them up to check the size.