Inferno 🔥

5. The Pursuit

5.0

L A I L A glanced at Jacob from the corner of her eye. His head leaned against the window, his eyes closed. One already badly bruised, another one reddened from when she'd knocked him out. She had no choice, he wouldn't have gone with her willingly.

Sucking in a trembling breath she returned her wary gaze to the waking sun as it emerged from the horizon. A green sign whizzed by. 'Valdosta 20 miles'. The Florida-Georgia line was a solid forty-five minutes away, and after that there was still another seven hours before she would reach the streets of Miami. Seven hours before she felt some semblance of safety.

Goddamnit! She hit the edge of her steering wheel. She should've run earlier, she should've gotten on a plane, she should've, she should've, she should've. And now she was stuck. She had no doubt Aïdan was after her. Her tired eyes darted to her rear view mirror to see early morning, weekday traffic.

She looked back over at Jacob. He was the reason she was this mess, the reason she was fearing for her life. But as much as she wanted to hate him, she couldn't. She knew he'd only gotten that loan because he loved her, but damn it she didn't know how to handle that much responsibility straight out of the orphanage. If anything, this was her fault. Matter of fact, this was her fault. When she'd gotten that money she established her shop, yes, but she also went to fancy restaurants and bought the designer dress, that lay across the back seat, instead of saving. She'd splurged because the little girl in her wanted to know how it felt to eat a real meal and wear something that didn't give her rashes. She was foolish, and now her ignorant, childish cravings were going to get them both killed.

"You seem tense."

Laila sucked in a sharp breath when Jacob spoke, but kept her eyes on the road.

"What happened to your hands?" Jacob glanced down at the bandaging around his palms.

"I decided that those brown oven mitts just aren't my style. Red's more my color," he murmured as he wiggled his burned fingers carefully. Laila couldn't help but crack a tired smile.

"I'm sorry for adding another shiner to your list of injuries." She grimaced as Jacob touched the swelling around his eye tentatively and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Ah, it's ok bug. I can't believe you knocked me out with one punch."

"I learned from the best," Laila replied with a tense smile. "I really am sorry Pops, you know I only hurt you because I love you."

"That sounds like the excuses of a future serial killer."

"Pops," Laila exclaimed and caught a glimpse of his smiling eyes in her rearview mirror.

"I'm serious," he laughed. "When you start your killing spree be sure to take me out. Actually, no. I don't deserve that honor. I deserve to be shot in the back by the people whose lives I've made hell. Dear God," he whispered, "mon amour  would be so disappointed." The sudden seriousness in his voice made Laila slow down the car. She looked at Jacob long and hard as he gazed long and hard out his window.

"Jacob, what the fuck," she whispered. "Don't you dare start thinking like that, don't you fucking dare. You are such a good man-"

"I am the reason why you're running for your life right now and we both know it."

"We're running because you acquired a loan that I so desperately needed, and I was too uneducated when it came to saving. I shouldn't have blown every last cent. I should've invested. I shouldn't have been so goddamn stupid. You are a goddamn saint. If it weren't for you I would be trapped in Atlanta's sex trafficking ring." Laila offered no room for dispute because she knew. She knew that if not for Jacob she would've been in some cheap motel with a bullet in her skull. "You, Jacob, you saved my life. Don't you ever apologize for that and don't you dare have the audacity to feel guilty, you self-righteous prick." Jacob chuckled, scratching his beard as he glanced out the window through the two bruised slits on his face, but Laila still saw guilt flicker in those baby blues of his.