Crashed Into a Gangster

57

Victoria

Present

'What are you hiding?'

The detective's own green irises urge to pry something out of me; his eyes deeply, carefully search my own as I sit before him.

What am I hiding? The boyfriend I told you about killed my ex fiancé. As for me, I buried the body. Along with that, I hid the dangerous feelings that crept inside of me for a criminal - I just may be one too.

I blink at the detective in front of me. I softly suck in a low breath, and lick my lips. "I'm not hiding anything, detective." I state falsely. I fold my hands over the cold metal surface of the table. In turn, the detective purses his thin lips.

"So you're telling me when we trace back the prints, or any evidence of whatsoever, you won't be counted as a suspect?" He questions, his deep voice hinting with challenge. "You, Ms. Stone, won't have anything to do with your ex fiancé's murder?" He adds in questioning.

My heart races, if even possible, at an even more remarkable rate. I mentally remind myself to remain calm - for I have to. I decide to deliberately shake my head in denial.

"No." I answer firmly. "There won't be a single trace that leads to me." I lie, in hope that my vestured confidence will be enough - my pulse quickening. I keep my steady gaze on his own green irises. The detective nods in return. "OK." He responds calmly.

I watch him shift in his seat, picking up the thin files on the table before coming to a stand - the thin files that gather my curiosity grasped into his hands. On his own two feet, the detective watches me rather carelessly; his forest green eyes lazily peel down to the files.

"Then I guess since the autopsy is done, I'll give them a call and see if they found anything." He shrugs, pulling out a cell phone from the pocket of his khakis. Briefly, my brown eyes widen. I clear my throat, my pulse racing barbarously.

"No!" I stop him - immediately realizing I shouldn't have afterward. My voice was panicked...I'm not suppose to sound panicked. "I..." I carefully run a hand through my shoulder length hair, and fix my gaze onto him.

What now? The detective fixes his rather surprised expression toward me, whilst my heart is about to pound out of my chest.

"I know who did it." I breathe. "I know who killed Jack..."

The detective watches me in hesitation, a moment, before his jaw visibly hardens - and he turns to claim his seat once more. I quietly exhale the hitched breath I held. He locks onto my now calm, deep brown eyes - when internally I'm screaming.

"I didn't think I could say it." I begin again. My brown eyes are glossy when I keep my irises on his own. I suddenly feel my chest rise and fall increasingly - my breathing becomes rapid; yet I'm in control.

I avert my gaze onto the surface of the metal table, before I flick my watery eyes back up to the detective.

"He's going to kill me..." I breathe, the detective's face softens, when his thick brows furrow in curiosity...before I continue.

--

One week earlier

"Now, the hardest part is keeping direct eye contact. Once you got that covered darlin' there's no way of losing." I hear the gangster inform huskily, before I avert my gaze from ahead to face him.

Rio concentrates on the road ahead of him as he tightens his grip on the steering wheel, and we head in the opposite direction of the Hospital. For the first time in his passenger seat of the BMW, I latch onto his deep brown eyes when he glances toward me - his jaw clenched just before his sends me a once over. I watch the gangster lick his full lips.

Rio faces ahead again. "You got this." He adds huskily. "Just don't slip up. If you do it'll be a tough mess to clean."

After a quiet swallow, I gently throw my head back onto the comfortable leather headrest, a sharp sigh escaping my lips. I glance to my side - observing the tall trees passing that become a blur.

After moments of silence, the gangster next to me speaks again. "I got an idea." He starts, and I avert my attention toward him. When I do, his full lips are failing at suppressing a mischievous grin. My brows raise in wait.

"I don't think it'll be anything you'll like though..." He adds lowly, glancing at me a brief moment. His dark brown eyes hold mine, only seconds before he has to face the road again.

"What is it?" I ask. The gangster's tongue sweeps across his full lips deliberately, before he purses them. Finally, Rio parts his luscious lips to continue.

"Find someone to blame." He states firmly. He turns to fixate on my steady gaze once more. I perch a brow in turn.

"Accuse someone for murdering Jack?!" My voice pipes with uncertainty, hesitation.

The gangster's full lips quirk upward, when he focuses on the road and makes the turn onto my street. "It ain't hard, darlin'. Don't fool yourself. Pick someone."

In turn a humorless laugh escapes my lips. "You want me to-" I pause mid sentence, momentarily thinking over this. I bite my lip, combing a hand through my hair. And it doesn't take me too long to think about what I am to say.

"OK." I finish, and the gangster averts his quite surprised gaze onto me.

"Just like that?" He questions huskily, just before pulling into my driveway.

"The person I choose is up to me, Rio. If I'm being honest I find it quite the challenge for me." I shrug. "And I will take my self pride when I walk out that building knowing I succeeded in all the false accusations I gave the policemen." I conclude, keeping my eyes on the gangster when his full lips tug upward.

I suppress my smile, and turn in my seat to face ahead. "Watch me." I declare. I feel the gangster's gaze land on me, and I glance over again to see him.

In his leather seat, his grin is widening as he watches me - deliberately sending a once over. "I will." He claims, his tone authoritative.

I watch him turn off the ignition before he pushes open his car door. I prepare to exit his car, just when his husky voice sounds again.

"Maybe it's who I think it is. And if so..." He drags out, and I meet his intrigued brown irises as he's glancing back over his shoulder at me. "Good." He finishes, lowly, a gallant grin playing about on his full lips.

Within a smooth and easy movement, Rio makes it out of the car. And behind him, I exit his BMW; a grin of mischief forming on my own lips beforehand.

My hesitation transformed to an intention; I have a plan of who is going to be accused for this entire mess - that is of Rio's and my own - and a piece of me swells with the guilt.

But just as Rio said: survival. Survival is what it takes.

---

I love this chapter - oh, the suspense. This will be the last PAST TENSE chapter for now. So from here on out it will be based on the present! ;)

Q: In your opinion, what was the saddest death in The Walking Dead? If you watch / watched it.

Much love,

xx