Page 87 of Mile High Daddy

Oh my God.

I suck in a shaky breath, my stomach twisting violently.

My mind is spinning. If he knows who Mikhail is, he knows who I am.

He’s not taking me out of here to help me. From what Ryan said, I can assume he owes Mikhail some favor. Not surprising. The sting of betrayal takes my breath away. How could I have ever trusted him?

I need to act normal.

I need to act normal.

Before Alex notices I was listening.

I force myself to step away from the wall, walking casually back to the car. By the time I slip inside, my hands are shaking. A moment later, Alex climbs into the driver’s seat, tossing a bag of snacks onto my lap.

“You okay?” he asks, glancing at me briefly.

I nod quickly, too quickly. “Yeah. Just tired.”

He doesn’t push.

The moment Alex pulls the car onto the highway, my mind starts racing.

I have to get out of here.

I trusted him. I let him bring me into his home, let him talk me down when I was panicking.

But all along, he’s been working with Mikhail.

I sit still, gripping the snack bag in my lap, my heart slamming against my ribs. I force myself to keep my breathing even, to act like nothing is wrong.

Alex doesn’t speak much as he drives. He glances at me once or twice, but I keep my face turned toward the window.

I need a plan.

If he’s taking me back to Mikhail, I don’t have much time.

The bus station.

If I can get there, I can disappear again.

I scan the dark streets as we drive. I don’t know this area well, but I spot a sign just as we pass under a flickering streetlight.

Bus Station – 2 Miles

That’s my shot.

I swallow hard, shifting in my seat. My legs are shaking, but I can’t let him see. I have to wait for the right moment.

Fate hands it to me not even five minutes later.

Alex slows at a red light. There’s barely any traffic, just one other car waiting on the opposite side of the intersection.

I tighten my grip on the door handle.

It’s now or never.

The moment his eyes flick to the rearview mirror, I throw the door open and bolt.

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