Chapter 22: Caught... Again
Pulse hammering in my chest, I hastily parked the car in the shadowy depths of the airport parking lot. Clutching Vincent's wallet, heavy with the weight of his dirty money, I bolted toward the terminal, my lungs burning with every desperate breath.
Inside, I made a beeline for the first ticket counter I saw, my hands trembling as I passed over Vincent's credit card. "I need the next flight out," I demanded, my voice a raw whisper.
The agent behind the desk barely blinked, accustomed to the urgency of red-eyed travelers. "One-way or round-trip?"
"Oneway Now, please," I urged.
With a few swift clicks, the agent handed me a boarding pass. "Your flight departs in one hour. Gate 12B."
I nodded a rushed thanks and turned on my heel, but as I approached the security checkpoint, my heart sank. Vincent's men, disguised in the uniforms of security officers, scanned the crowd like predators.
I ducked my head and quickened my pace toward the gate. A pilot lounging by the boarding area caught my eye-his gaze as sharp as the creases in his uniform. I froze.
"Miss St.Onge," he called out with mock courtesy, and I knew it was over. He wasn't just any pilot-he worked for Vincent.
I tried to make a run for it, but his arm shot out, blocking me. "Your passport has been blacklisted. You won't be boarding today."
Panic seized me. "There's been a mistake!"
"No mistake" His smile was cold as he gestured to the approaching men. "Boss wants a word."
Clamoring hands grabbed me, their grip bruising as they hauled me away from prying eyes. Before I could scream, I was shoved into an empty holding area, the door slamming shut with an ominous clang.
Stranded in the cramped cell, the dim light flickered above me like a fading hope. I slumped to the floor, my thoughts racing. This was Vincent's doing-he had a chokehold on every aspect of my life.
