Chapter 49
“I’m here,” I slowly looped my purse strap over my shoulder, stepped out of the SUV and closed the door. I looked around, surveying the area. Should I run?
This might be the perfect opportunity.
This might be the only opportunity. Someone had let me off the property with the wrong person, a sister who didn’t know I was Azriel’s prisoner. I looked in the van and saw the sleeping baby and the game-playing tot. I chewed my cheek.
“Where’s Tess? It’s quiet,” he asked.
“She’s uh— driving.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Remember my rules. Yeah? Remind her not to stop anywhere. Go directly to my uncle’s house. It’s not safe for you to be out there unguarded.”
“Kay,” I frowned.
“You’re still wearing the ring?”
I looked down at it, “Uh huh.”
I could see his sister at the cash register, talking animatedly with the cashier.
“Okay, baby. I’ll see you soon. Be good. Text me when you’re inside my family’s house so I know you’re safe. ”
“Kay. Goodbye, Azriel.” I hung up. I stood there, feeling like my pounding heart was inside of my ears. I pulled the ring off my finger.
Goodbye Azriel
.
Tessa came out of the store holding three white bakery boxes. She passed them to me. I opened the door and put them on my seat with the ring.
“Oh, just a sec. Let me get the trunk open. You can’t hold those on your lap.NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.
I passed her the phone, “Listen, it was nice to meet you but I’ve actually gotta go. I wanted to leave the second you were in there but I wouldn’t have left your babies alone.”
She looked at me weird. I started to walk away.
“Wait a second.” she called after me, “What’s going on? Did you and my brother have a fight?”
“You could say that.” I called back, “Sorry. He’s a psychopath, Tessa, he really is. I can’t do this, can’t be his prisoner; I am outta here.” Then I started walking faster. She was standing there looking confused.
A few paces and I glanced back and saw her dialing on her phone. That’s when I knew I couldn’t walk away. I had to f*****g run.
Azriel’s POV
I couldn’t believe the f*****g screw-up. First, my meeting runs late because I have to watch a couple guys rough up someone who owes us money, like I have time for this piddly s**t, but then I find out that my sister f*****g took Claire.
The gate guard that relieved Nino had some f*****g stomach bug and was in the pool house taking a s**t so Marco hadn’t left yet despite being on since last night.
Tino was at the front gate but then there was an emergency with a shipment that was coming and a few guys dropped by and swapped out Nino’s brother Tino with a newbie who just had to man the f*****g gate waiting for the other guy to come back. I called Earl and told him to get over there and straighten this s**t out.
My sister heard I’ve told uncle I’m running late and I’m not sure if we can make it and she conspires with my other sister to make sure they get their claws into Claire so Tess swings by my house and it’s miraculously during the period the inexperienced guy is there and the experienced guy is in the john and my five foot two 100 pound sister proceeds to bully the guy into letting her take Claire to my uncle’s.
He works for us but isn’t in the inner circle so doesn’t know the rules for handling Claire. All he knows is he’s watching the gate for a minute and my sister wants to give my fiancée a ride.
The guy’s phone is dead so he tells her he’s gotta confirm it’s okay but she starts getting pissy about running late and name dropping that she’s Clarke’s senior daughter and the future Clarke heir’s cousin sister except she said only sister like always and does he really think she shouldn’t take her own future sister-in-law to me?
She’s like a midget Doberman or something, both of my sisters are. Well, they’re not like my actual b***d sisters….. but it seemed demeaning to just call them cousins for they were much more than that.
He lets her take Claire. The other guy comes back out, finds out. After I get off the phone I see I missed a text from Luc telling me not to worry about Claire; that Tessa has gone to get her. I piece everything together as my guy at the house is phoning. Claire’s not answering her phone and then I finally get ahold of my sister.
Two minutes after I get off the phone with her my sister is calling me and telling me that Claire took off on her, ran like her hair was on fire, and left her engagement ring in the f*****g car. I heard her voice in my head, how she ended that call with me saying, “Goodbye, Azriel.”
f**k! Not only has she taken off without the ring that has the damn GPS in it but the anonymous note we got is nagging at me. Heads are gonna damn well roll!
Claire’s POV
I got to a mall two blocks from that strip plaza and finally found one of the few remaining pay phones in the world and I was debating if I should call Lily or not, I really didn’t wanna drag her into this mess.
I was freaking out.
I turned the stupid iPhone off and dropped it in a garbage bin a block from the mall.
I decided to call my Aunt Carol to ask where my father was.