Playing The Game - Book Four in The WSU Series

- Chapter Sixteen -

Last Year.

I shouldn't have called him, but I had no one else to call. I couldn't tell the girls— they'd freak, at least with Roma I know he wouldn't ask too many questions. He's too caring for his own good. Roma reminds me of Gio. My hands are shaking when I raise the phone up to my ear, "hey." Roma's voice fills the line and I panic, I shouldn't but I do, "Lizzie?"

"Roma?" I whisper as I walk along the silent road. "Is everything okay?" His voice sounds so sincere, it hurts dragging him into my mess, "can you please come to pick me up?"

"Where are you?" He asks, I glance around the road, "I— I don't know." There are only street lights brightening the road, I just had to piss my father off. One minute I'm working in the library, perfectly happy— the next I'm walking to my car, I had finished the evening shift early. Before opening my car door,  a shadow.

"Oh my god," I mutter as I take a big dramatic sigh for effect. Turning around I'm greeted by not one but two of my fathers' bodyguards. "What do you want?" I ask, already bored. "Your father wants you home," one of them speaks, thank god the parking lot is empty because this would be really difficult to explain. "And you can my father, that I'm ignoring his calls and texts for a reason," I smile sweetly but instead of them backing away like they always do, they stay put. "Mr. Young wants you home," the other bodyguard repeats, "and you can go tell him to go fuck himself." I unlock my car to open the door when a giant hand closes it shut.

"Seriously?" I ask, annoyed with the interrogation, "am I really going to play a game?" I taunt the two men. "I'll come with you, but I need help first," I speak softly as the two men exchange a look. "I need to drive home to grab something for him," I explain, the lies leaving my mouth effortlessly. I indicate to the car, "now, please get it. The sooner you do, the sooner you can deliver me to my father." As expected, both men get in the car, as soon as the door shuts I lock the door.

Nows where the fun begins.

"Don't break my fucking car!" I shout before the two men start to panic, I see one making a call— probably bringing in new people to hunt me down. I glance around the parking lot and spot one instantly, "wow, quicker than last time," I applaud the two men stuck in my car before making a run for it. I can't run home because they'd find me— so I run, I don't stop. Thank god I'm not wearing heels, it's colder tonight which I'm not dressed for, but it's fine. I sprint off-campus, a man quickly follows behind but at a distance— he can't obviously chase me down, that just rings alarm bells to others.

I run, and I run. I don't know where I'm going but after what seems forever, I've finally lost him. That's how I've gotten myself to where I am now.

"Lizzie? Where are you?" Roma asks bringing me back to my fucked up reality. "I think I'm near the Starbucks off campus." I know because it's twenty minutes away and that's how long I've been running. As I carry on walking I spot the parking lot for the store. Thank the lord I think to myself. And fuck my father.