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By the timethe sun dips below the horizon, casting long shadows across the quiet street, we’re ready to snap into action. The world has shifted to a different rhythm, one governed by secrecy and calculated movements. The plan is in motion, and the pieces are slowly falling into place with a precision that sends shivers down my spine.
In the darkness, two black Escalades are parked, their imposing forms hidden in plain sight. In one, I sit alongside Maddox, our eyes fixed on the road ahead, hearts pounding with a mixture of tension and anticipation. Beside us, Novak and Colt occupy the other vehicle, their eyes sharp and vigilant too, seeking out the same shock of red hair as I am.
Lily’s street is a canvas of suburban normalcy, starkly contrasting the hidden currents of intrigue that swirls beneath the surface. We watch and wait, our breathing in sync with the rhythm of the night, our senses attuned to every sound, every flicker of movement.
The cab we have been tracking finally emerges around the bend, its headlights slicing through the darkness. A scene of orchestrated chaos is about to unfold, and I can’t wait for it. My heart skips a beat as I try to prepare myself for what’s next. Lily… it’s all about Lily.
As the taxi nears, Colt’s Escalade pulls sharply forward, cutting off the cab’s path, while I execute a precise maneuver to block it from behind. Just as we planned, the vehicle is stuck.
It’s go time.
Time seems to stand still as Maddox leaps from our vehicle, his movements fluid and purposeful. He’s a force of controlled power, his presence commanding as he approaches the taxi driver’s side. The driver, unsuspecting of the role he just played in our intricate game, is caught in the spot light of danger.
Maddox’s gun gleams ominously in the dim light, its cold metal a stark reminder of the power we hold over the situation. The taxi driver’s eyes widen in shock as he feels the cold barrel press against his temple. The gravity of his predicament settles in, his body rigid with a mix of fear and compliance. We already know that we don’t need to worry about him.
And then, the door on the other side of the taxi swings open, revealing Lily, her face a mask of surprise and terror. She fights against Maddox’s immediate grip, her voice piercing the night air with a desperate scream for help – not that anyone can hear it. It’s a moment of raw, unfiltered emotion, a glimpse into the depths of her fear.
I can’t stop the guilt from flooding me, overwhelming me. I need Lily, and I want her on my side, but I don’t want to dothisto her. This sucks, especially when I’ve seen how alive and alight she looks when she’s drowning in pleasure. I much prefer that expression on her face.
But this has to happen. That’s what I keep reminding myself. We need this.
Luckily, Maddox is unyielding, his grip unbreakable as he forces Lisa out of the taxi fully. Her struggles only serve to highlight the control he holds, his strength a counter point to her vulnerability. As he guides her towards our waiting vehicle, the shadows seemed to gather around us, concealing our movements in a shroud of secrecy.
I see Maddox dip lower and speak into her ear. I wonder what he’s whispering in her ear. Is he making this worse? I wish I could hear him.
I watch from behind the wheel, my heart heavy with the weight of the role I played in this charade. Lily’s screams are a sharp reminder of the consequences of our actions, a reminder that the lines between right and wrong have long blurred. But it’s a reminder we can’t afford to heed – not now, when the final act of our plan is in motion.
This is all about Alistair anyway. She’s just an unfortunate consequence of all of this.
“Get in. Right here,” Maddox growls through gritted teeth as he shoves Lily in the car. He settles her into the back seat of the Escalade as her struggles fade into weary acceptance. “Sit still. I need to strap you in. This might be a dangerous ride.”
Just as it looks like Lily might meet my eyes, Maddox ends the tension of the moment by shoving a giant burlap sack over her head, blocking out her vision. Relief flows icily through my veins because now I don’t have to see how much I’ve upset her. I know the hate is coming, like a giant tidal wave, but that doesn’t mean I’m prepared for it.
“Let’s go,” Maddox snaps as he slides back in the car beside me. “The other Escalade has gone.” He’s careful in not saying Colt and Novak’s name, not that it’ll make much difference. She’s going to know us soon enough. “We need to get back home, okay?”
The engine’s gentle hum fills the car’s interior, a counterpoint to the heavy silence in the air. My grip on the steering wheel is tight, the leather cool beneath my palms, yet my heart burns with an unease that matches the weight of the night itself.
Lily is a victim of circumstance, a pawn in a larger game that she can’t possibly comprehend, even if she has grown up under her father’s spell. I don’t suppose she knows everything that he does, but this incident might mean she will find out. Just another reason why she might go on to hate me… but that won’t change the fact that she’s my mate. Nothing will. It might just take a little longer to get us to a good place, that’s all. I can wait. To have another night like we did last night, I will wait forever. I just hope I don’t have to…
3
LILY
Darkness envelopes me as the car moves through the night, my world reduced to the muffled sounds of tires against tarmac and the steady rhythm of my own racing heart. I’ve been thrust into a situation I don’t understand, and I have no idea why.
My shopping bags are still in the cab, which probably shouldn’t be the first thing I think of, but I need something steady and normal to concentrate on so I don’t lose my mind. I mean, this is the craziest thing I have ever had to suffer, and the terror actually hurts my stomach.
Bound hands and a burlap sack shroud my senses, and my attempts to free myself have proven futile. The rough fibers of the sack scratch against my skin as I struggle, my voice echoing inside my head, any cries of defiance stifled by the cloth covering my mouth.
My emotions swing like a pendulum, from anger to fear to confusion. That man – the one with the gun – has shattered the illusion of safety I have built around myself, leaving me vulnerable and trapped. With each passing moment, the reality of my situation sinks in deeper, a heavy weight that settles in my chest.
My father, I realize starkly. This has to be related to him. Alistair Crowe, who might just be ‘Dad’ to me, is a criminal overlord in this city, having everyone scared of him. I always thought him being related to me would protect me from things like this, but I guess not. Being a member of the Crowe family makes me terrified from the inside out.
With another burst of energy, I continue to struggle, my attempts at resistance fueled by desperation. I kick the back of the front seats, my frustrations finding voice in the sharp thuds reverberating through the vehicle. My voice is a muffled symphony of protests, my shouts stifled by the confines of the stupid burlap sack, but I have to try.
“Let me out of here, will you? Let me go. I can’t give you anything.” Is that the right way to go? “Or… wait, I have money. I can give you money if that’s what you need. Or my dad can…”
But no one listens, the silence from my captors a chilling reminder of my powerlessness.Nota place I like to be. The car moves forward, its path unknown, its destination likely somewhere I have never been before. My heart races, my mind speeds to fill in the gaps of the narrative that has unraveled so abruptly. Who are these people? And what do they want from me?
