Blade

Chapter 15: Retired car racer

Sienna

My breathing becomes rapid when I peep out of the bathroom door to see Nico standing outside like a man on a mission, his face hard and emotionless.

I take a deep breath, pull my phone from my pocket, and dial Chiara's number. She doesn't answer on the first ring, and my heart starts racing. I call again, and this time, she picks up.

"Hey there, chica." Her cheerful voice fills my ears as I lock the bathroom door and pace back and forth.

"Where the hell are you?" I almost yell into the phone but catch myself, holding my breath when I hear his footsteps stop just outside the bathroom door. The sound makes my chest tighten.

"I'm right outside the boutique," she replies in a calm voice, but the screech of a car braking violently in the background makes me flinch. I clutch the phone tighter, pressing it closer to my ear, and lower my voice.

"There's been a change of plans, Chiara. I don't think I'll be able to make my escape. Blade's henchman is watching me like a hawk. He won't take his eyes off me for a second," I whisper, exhaling a frustrated sigh that barely moves the air around me.

"Where are you?" Chiara hums softly.

I hold my breath again as Nico's shadow stretches over the bathroom door, his presence looming through the small gap at the bottom.

"I'm in the bathroom, but the henchman is standing right outside the door like a creep," I mumble, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You don't need to panic. I got this," she replies into the phone, a mischievous edge coloring her tone.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, leaning against the sink. My reflection stares back at me from the mirror, pale and tense. I push stray strands of hair from my damp forehead and swipe at the perspiration clinging to my skin, trying to steady my racing pulse.

She chuckles softly. "Just stay in there and whatever you do, don't come out until I tell you to."

"But—"

She hangs up the phone before I can finish my sentence.

I set my phone down on the vanity, the cold surface sending a slight shock through my fingers. Turning on the faucet, I splash water over my face, letting the chill chase away some of the tension coiling in my chest.

All I can think about is putting as much distance as possible between me and this place, finding somewhere Blade will never track me. I don't know exactly what Chiara is planning, but I cling to the hope that it works, because every second I stay here, a wave of nausea rises in my stomach.

It feels like the walls are closing in around me, trapping me with no way out. The more I dwell on it, the tighter panic wraps around my bones.

I release a relieved sigh when my phone buzzes with a message from Chiara.

Chiara: Just distracted the henchman. Make your move. NOW.

I don't even bother typing a reply before I dash out of the bathroom like a maniac, nearly colliding with a man who looks like he's about to propose to his girlfriend. I throw him an apologetic glance over my shoulder and keep running, heart hammering, out of the boutique. Who actually proposes in the middle of a store?

Chiara's Bentley stands out immediately among the sea of cars in the parking lot, sleek and unmistakable.

"How did you get rid of him?" I manage to gasp through my rapid breathing as I slide into the passenger seat.

"I tracked his number through my phone and called him," Chiara says casually, digging into her purse for a packet of gum and popping one into her mouth. "Told him his car was on fire."

"And he bought it?" I ask, my jaw dropping in disbelief as if my words were barely keeping up with my shock.

Chiara chews her gum slowly, the pop of a bubble punctuating the silence before she slides into the driver's seat and turns the key in the ignition. "Of course he did. He seems like the kind of man who values his beloved car more than his own life. I thought about setting it on fire to make it more convincing, but I figured you wouldn't want me to."

"Seriously?" I whisper, still in astonishment, and she shrugs casually, as if what she just said were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Chiara pulls out from the parking lot and heads for the street, but we don't get far before Nico bursts out of the mall in a panic. We both freeze, eyes glued to the rearview mirror, watching as he lifts his phone and snaps a picture of us. Fuck.

"He just took a picture of your license. He's going to fucking find us," I say, my voice tight with panic.

"Relax, chica. I'll park the car somewhere else and throw them off our trail," she says with a calm shrug. I let out a shaky breath of relief, but the relief is short-lived when I glance again in the rearview mirror and see his car tailing us.

"You've got to drive faster, Chiara. He's gaining on us," I mutter, my stomach twisting. My mind races through every horrifying possibility if Nico catches me.... if he drags me back to Blade. What if he locks me in a dungeon this time? Or punishes me in a way I can't endure? No, I don't think I could survive any of it.

"Relax, Chica. I'm a retired car racer. I used to be a pro back in the day. The dude isn't even close to my level." Chiara says with confidence, blowing a bubble before darting into the next lane. Nico mirrors her move, matching her speed.

I narrow my eyes at her, confusion written all over my face. "Since when are you a car racer?"

"Since now." A smirk tugs at her red-painted lips as she slides on her dark sunglasses. She pushes the pedal harder, tearing past the speed limit and ignoring the glaring red traffic light.

I fumble for my seatbelt, securing it just as the car jolts violently. My stomach flips and panic spikes when I spot a police car tailing us, flashing lights reflecting off Nico's car right behind us.

"Fuck. Now the police are onto us." I curse under my breath, swallowing hard as I take in the calm, almost amused expression on Chiara's face. "Please tell me you're not planning something crazy."

"Girl, you should know I'm crazy from the start." She tosses me a cheeky wink and presses the accelerator, the car lunging forward as the police sirens pierce through the air, making my ears throb. Chiara executes a sharp double turn, tires squealing against the asphalt.

The police lose our trail eventually when Chiara swerves into an underground tunnel. The dim light inside makes everything look shadowy, but the car's headlights cut through enough to navigate.

My eyes flick to the rearview mirror, and as expected, Nico's car is still behind us. Even after we emerge from the tunnel, he hasn't broken pursuit, his headlights a constant reminder that he's right on our tail.

"Dude's tougher than I thought, but I'm not going to back down just yet," Chiara mutters under her breath, pressing harder on the gas pedal. The car surges forward, slicing through the city streets so fast that the buildings around us melt into streaks of color.

A rush of victory pulses through me as we pull farther away from Nico's car, taking sharp turns recklessly until his vehicle is just a distant speck in the rearview.

"You did it, babe." We high five, grinning at each other with matching smirks, as Chiara merges onto a crowded highway, weaving between cars to make sure Nico doesn't catch up.

The wind whips through our hair, carrying the taste of freedom straight to my senses.

Sweet, intoxicating freedom.

Somewhere deep inside, I know it won't last, but I push the thought aside, refusing to let anything spoil this perfect moment.

~•~

Thoughts?

Who else is in love with Chiara right now?

This chapter was fun to write. Hopefully, the next chapter will be posted tomorrow but if I finish writing it now, I'll post it today.

Love you♥️