His Duchess [Completed]

Chapter 3 The First Run-in [E]

Driving back from Rodeo Drive- Nearly 4:00pm midday.

Annie was a block away from home when her mother questioned Cici about Anthony.

She came up to a stop sign and looked both ways before proceeding. Ahead, to the left, a large moving truck with movers were coming and going in and out of a large mansion.

That was recently up for sale, looks like we're going to have new neighbors, she thought.

"Well? You didn't answer my question Cici." Their mother continued.

Annie glanced at the rear view mirror and locked eyes with Cici, it's four o'clock, almost home, pointing to her watch. Cici painfully glanced away looking down at her own watch and started to say something when all of a sudden their mother shouted, "Annie look out in front of you!"

Annie quickly switched her gaze back on the road and came to a screeching halt immediately in the middle of the street, just a few hundred yards from their home. She didn't realize a car was behind her as she made the sudden stop.

The car rear ended her and a loud sound of metal clashed together, like lightning. All three of them felt the impact as their bodies tried moving forward but the seat belts held them back in place.

Something big and black darted across the road. 

Annie stared in shock and disbelief and couldn't believe what she was seeing before her. She blinked, and then blinked again, and saw a big black Panther walking slowly towards them, as if assessing it's prey and hunting.

Charlotte and Cici screamed in shock and surprise. "Girls are you alright!?!" Charlotte asked worriedly. She looked back at Cici who said she was fine and then at Annie.

Cici quickly glanced towards Annie whole hadn't said anything beginning to think she was hurt. She raked her eyes up and down Annie's body and saw nothing wrong but she was quiet, starring straight ahead, numb in shock, her knuckles turning white from the hard grip on the steering wheel.

Cici followed her pointed stare and couldn't believe what she saw. A big black cat, no, cats can't be that big, she thought. It looked like a panther and it was huge.

Charlotte's gaze slid back to the scene before them with wide eyes. She saw it running in the middle of the street seconds before Annie noticed and alarmed her before she hit it. Now, it was slowly coming their way.

Voices were heard from the car behind them. At the same time they glanced over their shoulders and watched as three men emerged from the vehicle shouting and pointing at the Panther.

Annie shook away her initial shock and quickly turned back, shifting her car in park and lifting her foot off the break.

"What the hell is a Panther doing in the middle of the street?" Cici shrieked, pointing to the Panther.

One of the men came into view, with his back turned.  He kept striding forward and passed her car. The Panther seemed to understand what the man was saying and slowly made it's way towards him. The dark haired man didn't seem too fazed or fearful as he approached the Panther.

Annie, Charlotte and Cici's eyes were glued on the man with mouths hanging open.

"Oh my God."  Cici breathed.  "He's a dead man."

"Cici!"  Charlotte admonished, her gaze still riveted on the panther and the man. 

As Annie squinted her eyes to get a better look at the brave man, a sudden knock to the driver's side window startled her in surprise, diverting her attention to the left. Another gentleman with black hair, black eyes and a polite smile waved, obviously waiting for her to roll down the window.