Page 17 of Caught in the Middle

She tore her eyes away and turned to Oliver, who was staring at her patiently.

'I have a cross on my forehead. Somebody wants me dead.' She couldn't quite believe she was saying those words out loud. 'Joey Leonardo, whoever he may be, wants to end my life. And you're promising me that you can save me from him.'

Oliver nodded. 'I'll save you from him, Lucy, I promise.'

Lucy knew she had no choice but to trust him. But she needed to be a responsible adult for the first time in her life. 'I need to call my parents,' she said firmly, 'and tell them what's going on.'

Oliver closed his eyes and swallowed hard. 'Lucy, I know it's hard, and I'm sorry that I've been so unsympathetic over the last day,' he gripped on to the steering wheel, pondering how to phrase it. 'But, you don't understand the scale of how powerful these men are. They are definitely aware that you've gone on the run, they really aren't stupid. They are probably aware that you are with me, and they won't stop until they find us.'

He ran a hand through his hair. 'You're their mark. They have orders to hunt you down. Do you know what that means?'

Lucy didn't.

'It means they have done their research on you, they haven't left this attack to chance. They know everything about you, more that you know about yourself. Believe me, the second you call your parents, you're fucked. Even off of a payphone. I've done this more times that I can count, I know how they operate. Your parents phones are tapped, your friends phones are tapped, hell, your phone I smashed yesterday was a million percent tapped. You can't contact no one until you're safe, do you understand?'

It was literally like something out of a film. Girl goes missing and her parents never know because she doesn't want to put them in the line of fire.

'But are they safe?' her voice quivered as she thought about any harm coming to her lovely parents, who had never been in trouble in their lives.

Oliver shook his head slowly. 'They don't want two old people - no offence to your parents. They've worked hard to get you, and you they shall have.'

He un-clicked his seat belt. 'But not on my watch, love. You know, I've never not managed to save a girl?'

This was reassuring to Lucy, that there were others before her. They must have felt the exact same way, confused, at a loss, and untrusting. Yet they all survived, if Oliver wasn't lying of course. She wondered how they reacted to him, his snappy temper, his inability to explain any fucking thing.

Then she wondered how they reacted to his charm, his wit and that strong ass jaw line.

She batted away a pang of jealousy.

'Come on you, get out, you must be starving.'

They jogged across the parking lot and into the services to avoid getting wet by the rain that was growing heavier by the second.

The service station was exactly like every other one along a British motorway. Full of people mulling around in WHSmiths, heavy eyed, drinking an overpriced Starbucks whilst their kids play on the little rides.

He led her into a little cafe, and when the waitress came over, he ordered her half the menu. When she went away, Oliver looked up to see Lucy glaring at him.

'What?' he said, perplexed.

'You know, if you had just asked what I wanted, you wouldn't had to have ordered like, ten meals.'

He leaned back in his chair to ponder this for a second.

'Hmmm,' he mused, 'you know it never even crossed my mind.' He cocked his head to the side and smiled. 'You know, I think it's because I think you're a lot younger than you are.'

She felt a pang of disappointment.

'How old do you keep thinking I am?!' although, she knew that she didn't really want to hear the answer.

'Early teens,' he grinned, 'I feel like I have to make sure you're getting fed otherwise your parents will kill me.'

'I'm 22!' She spat, slightly pissed off that he sees her as so young.

She didn't look particularly young for her age, though perhaps she was a lot more immature than her fellow peers. 'How old are you?' she asked.

'Old enough for you to respect me!' he laughed, jokingly thumping the table.

After a few more attempts at asking, he wouldn't tell her his age, but when the food came Lucy forgot all about it.

---