Page 62 of The Bratva's Secret Twins

As I drove home, I glanced in my rearview mirror and noticed a particular black SUV behind me. I’d noticed it for the past ten minutes now and couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being followed.

Has he found me?

My heart skipped a beat as I continued to travel steadily, but the vehicle pressed on. I didn’t want to believe that I was being trailed, at least not yet. In a trice, I took a turn down a street and kept glancing at my rearview mirror to see if the SUV would take the same turn. Unfortunately, it did.

My breathing grew labored, and my hands started to shake as I gripped the steering wheel.

No, no, no….

I put my foot down and increased my speed, weaving through a streak of cars; still, I remained cautious enough not to exceed the speed limit and draw unnecessary attention to myself.

I was tempted to pull over by the patrol car ahead of me, thinking that maybe I should report that I was being followed. Then, I remembered what had happened the last time I trusted a cop.

That tiny voice in my head chipped in: That was in New York City. This is Valencia. He can’t control the cops here, too.

True. But let’s not forget that he’s well-connected. What if the one controlling half of the cops in this city is a friend of his?

My voice of reason had a point; this was a bad idea, and I would rather take my chances on my own.

Before I could drive past the patrol car, the SUV behind me caught up with me in a jiffy. As my breathing ceased, I glanced out the window but couldn’t see anything through the tinted glass of the SUV. However, for some reason, as I checked out the car, all of my fear went out the window.

I watched it travel past me, and eventually, the car took a turn just ahead.

A heavy sigh of relief escaped me upon the realization that I was only being paranoid. I slowed down and scoffed at my hysteria, gently shaking my head.

It was four years, four whole years, and I was still looking over my shoulder, afraid of this man, afraid of the day that he would eventually find me.

I had hidden for so long, but despite that, a part of me harbored the thought that he wasn’t done with me just yet. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the day he would find was growing closer.

My voice of reason had once told me to prepare myself, to get ready for the day he would come for me.

Exhaling sharply, I pulled over by the driveway and brought the car to a halt, massaging my tired eyes as I thought about how much I dreaded the day that I would set eyes on him again.

I didn’t understand why I was so certain that we would cross paths again, but that feeling was something that had been gnawing at me for so long. It was a fact, a harsh reality that I had to face.

My phone rang and disturbed my thoughts. The ringing almost startled me, but I didn’t flinch. My eyes caught the caller; it was my boss, Mr. Rodriguez.

“Hi, Boss,” I answered.

“Keith, thank God I caught you,” he said over the phone, his voice weak and a little strained.

“Sir, are you alright?” I asked, concern creeping into my tone.

“I’m glad you asked,” he asked, letting out a cough. “I’m feeling a little under the weather, and I need your help.”

I gave my rapt attention. “Okay, shoot. I’m all ears.”

“I have a meeting tomorrow with some big players in the industry, and as you now know, I’m not feeling okay, so I can’t make it.”

“Okay….” I drew out the word, knowing what he was about to ask of me.

“Since I can’t be present, I’m gonna need someone that I trust to represent our company. Who better than our finest financial analyst?” That was a subtle praise to help rid me of any reason not to comply.

It worked, and I blushed a little at the flattery. This was so impromptu, and that meant that I would have to spend almost the entire night going through the materials for the meeting. I was already tired, and then came this challenge. This wasn’t something that I wanted to turn down, though; it was a privilege that he thought I could handle this on such short notice.

I rubbed my fingers over my temples. “What kind of meeting is it?”

“Nothing much, just a potential partner deal,” he replied. “We need someone to preside over the meeting and provide financial analysis; that’s where you come in, Kiara,” he explained. “I know this is sudden, but you’re the best person for this job.”

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