One Kiss Left

Chapter 36

                            Valentina's POV

The car's engine hummed beneath me, a low, steady vibration that contrasted sharply with the chaos raging in my mind. My breath came in short, panicked gasps as I huddled in the back seat, trying to make sense of what was happening. Jay, the person I'd considered a friend, sat in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable. The driver, the man I had seen talking to Heaven's dad, hadn't said a word since we left the warehouse, but his presence was suffocating.

I pressed my hand against the cold glass of the window, watching the darkened streets blur by. We were heading out of the city, that much was clear. The familiar buildings and streetlights gave way to empty roads and dense patches of trees, the world outside growing darker and more unfamiliar with each passing mile. I tried to keep track of the turns, of the landmarks, anything that might help me figure out where we were going, but everything was a disorienting maze of shadows.

Panic clawed at my throat. I needed to get out of here, but the doors were locked, and I was trapped between two men who could overpower me in an instant. My thoughts raced, searching for a way to escape, but the fear was paralyzing. What did they want with me? What was Jay doing with these people?

"Jay," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Please, tell me what's going on. Why are you doing this?"

He didn't look at me, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. "I'm sorry, Valentina," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice," I snapped, desperation making my voice sharp. "You don't have to do this."

He finally turned to look at me, and for a brief moment, I saw a flicker of something in his eyes—regret, maybe, or fear. But it was quickly buried under a mask of cold resolve. "It's too late," he said quietly. "This has been in motion for a long time. There's nothing you or I can do to stop it now."

A shiver ran down my spine. "Stop what? What are you talking about?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black device—a phone. He tapped the screen a few times, and then held it up to his ear, waiting. My heart pounded as I watched him, every nerve in my body screaming at me to do something, to fight, to escape, but I was frozen.

"Yeah, we have her," Jay said into the phone, his voice low. "We're on our way now."

A cold wave of terror washed over me. Whoever was on the other end of that call, they were expecting me. This was planned. I wasn't just being taken—I was being delivered. To who, and for what purpose, I had no idea, but every instinct told me it wasn't going to end well.

The car slowed as we turned onto a narrow, gravel road, the tires crunching loudly in the silence. We were deep in the woods now, the trees pressing in on all sides, their branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. The road wound and twisted, and the darkness grew thicker, more oppressive. I could barely see the path ahead, but the driver seemed to know exactly where he was going.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the car came to a stop. The driver killed the engine, and the sudden silence was deafening. My heart raced as I looked around, trying to make out anything through the inky blackness. There were no lights, no signs of civilization—just the dense, suffocating forest all around us.

"Get out," the driver ordered, his voice harsh and commanding.

My hands shook as I fumbled with the door handle, my mind screaming at me to run, to fight, to do something—anything—but my body was numb with fear. I stumbled out of the car, the cold night air biting into my skin. Jay followed, his face a mask of grim determination. The driver came around the car and grabbed my arm, his grip bruising as he pulled me towards a narrow trail that cut through the trees.