AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I glance left and right, not sure which way to go. The place is crowded, though, and it should be safe to just disappear into the sea of people.
I hurry in the direction Yefim walked in, hoping to spot him any second, but I’m short and I’m struggling to see over everyone. I begin to feel panic setting in because I just want to find him.
We need to leave,quickly.
This is the last place I would have expected to see Giorgio Vitali—unless hefollowedus here.
Shit. If he followed us here, then that means he has a plan of some sort. I can’t see any other reason a man like him wouldbe at a place like this. He looked so out of place. Too serious. Too sinister.
My head starts spinning. But now is not the time to lose focus.
This is bad.
But it’s not so bad yet. I just have to find Yefim, tell him what happened, and we can go home.
In my rush I get a little lost. I think I’ve walked too far; I don’t recognize this part of the carnival. The crowd is getting thinner. Less people, less noise.
I turn a corner and instantly I know I’ve made a mistake.
I’m behind one of the large red and white tents, and there are barely any people here.
I turn to go back, but I’m surrounded by three massive men.
They step closer to me, cornering me. I don’t know which way to go. My fingers are gripping the crocodile so tightly I feel like I might tear it. My heart is threatening to explode out of my rib cage, and I feel tears begin to spill down my cheeks.
There is nowhere for me to run.
One of the goons grabs my arm, and the stuffed crocodile falls from my hands as I try to fight him off. Another one grabs my leg as I kick out.
I scream, but a hand clamps over my mouth, cutting the sound short, muffling my cries for help.
I kick and bite and fight with all my heart, but the reality is that I don’t stand a chance against three of them.
Tears are streaming down my face as Giorgio Vitali’s men drag me from the back of the carnival into a black SUV, slamming the door and then revving the engine loudly.
The man lets go of my face when we are inside the vehicle, and immediately I let out an ear-piercing scream, loud enough to wake the dinosaurs.
But it’s also cut short when a first slams into my face, knocking me hard enough to make my head spin.
The car pulls off, skidding gravel and grass beneath the tires, driving me away from Yefim.
The more distance that comes between us, the more I feel panic setting in.
This is a nightmare.
I’m terrified. I’m too scared to move. Too scared to make another sound.
My heart is beating a million miles an hour, and all I want is to be in his arms.
I close my eyes and see his face resting against the pillow this morning, his cool blue eyes gazing at me.
“Yefim,” I whimper hopelessly.
Chapter 26 - Yefim
I carry the boxes of salted caramel popcorn back to the stand where Tia wanted to play for the green crocodile.
It’s a bright yellow booth and hard to miss, but I’m confused when I get there and don’t see her. I look around, trying to spot another yellow booth because I must have mixed them up. There’s no reason she would have left without me.
