Page 30 of Stay Awhile
“Well, thanks for the help, but I’m going to head back. You can tell my parents I’m fine and you might want to work on etiquette with your driver. He was rude as hell.”
I opened the door, and Ms. Vlad reached across me, slamming the door closed.
“Actually, I’m going to do the opposite,” she responded.
Before I could get a word out or react, she placed a taser to my neck and lit my ass up. The last thing I saw before I passed out was her condescending smirk. I made a promise to myself when I woke up from this shit I was going to beat her ass.
Before I could knock,the door opened. VC shook his head then turned to walk toward his bag he was already packing.
“You don’t have to tell me. I did all I needed to do anyway,” he said with his back to me. I dragged my hand down my face, then took a seat on the edge of his bed. VC glanced over his shoulder at me with a smirk before zipping his bag up and giving me his undivided attention. “This woman really got yo’ big ass spinning. You knew this was coming, especially once you allowed her to go to the damn store with you.”
I kept my eyes trained on my hands. I didn’t need him to remind me of my mistake, but I found it hard as hell to tell her no, although I knew her safety was at risk. I tried my best to keep her covered, but I knew I didn’t do well enough to sleep here.
“You don’t think I know that? Nothing has been going according to my plan since I bumped into her in Fiji. Do you know how frustrating that shit is?”
“Actually, I do. More than you would know, so I don’t blame you. I actually envy you for taking what you want, even though now everyone’s lives are on the line, but that’s life. This is shit we can’t control. A hand even we should have never been dealt.”
I lifted my right brow and craned my head to the side. “What do you mean by more than I would know?”
I needed to ask because I had never heard VC talk about a woman or anyone for that matter, but then again, we kept things simple. Mainly keeping our focus on us being safe.
“I met someone and left it all behind. You know this life we live isn’t conducive for a family or even loving someone else. Love can be the greatest weakness, but also a sense of strength. I guess it depends on how you look at it. Enough about me. We got shit to handle. I also made a few calls?—”
“To who?” I asked, cutting him off.
I lifted my brow because we didn’t have many contacts, at least not any we had spoken to since we went into hiding after that mission.
“Let’s just say it’s time for a little reunion.” VC smirked and picked his bag up, heading for the door. I followed as both of our phones rang, stopping us in our tracks. We knew better. No one else outside of the people in this room had these numbers. My heart dropped. I didn’t need to answer the phone to know I dropped the ball with Skye’s safety.
Hesitantly, I pulled my phone out, and an unknown number popped up. I quickly answered, then placed the call on speaker.
“I’m glad you found the time to answer your phone. I have shit to handle,” Ms. Vlad announced.
I clenched my jaw to hold back my annoyance and anger. “Name the time and the place. No need to play games.”
She laughed manically, as if I had told her the funniest joke she had ever heard. I balled my hands up into tight fists until I could feel my nails digging into my palm. It was all I could do notto turn this hotel room upside down. Skye would be yet another person I failed, and I couldn’t deal with that being a reality.
“You’re delusional if you think you’re in control. The rules are simple: When I call, you turn yourself in. One wrong move, and she’s dead.”
The phone called ended before I could say anything else. I slowly pulled the phone from my ear and squeezed it tightly in my hand before hauling it against the wall. The phone broke into a few pieces and I punched the air.
VC never said a word, just allowed me to get all of my aggression out. I closed my eyes briefly and took a few deep breaths. I knew I couldn’t go along with the plan she had in place. Skye would never make it out alive, whether I gave myself up or not.
I finally opened my eyes as the final solution popped up in my head. I glanced up at VC who was patiently leaning against the dresser as if he had all damn day to figure this situation out. I knew if he was this calm he had to have a plan.
“Aight, you got a clear mind so we can get your girl back?” he asked while crossing his arms against his chest.
I nodded, unable to find the words to say anything else.
“I know where to find her parents, and they just might have the answers we will need to end all of this. Also, I might know where she is—” he started.
“What the hell do you mean you might know where she is? Why are we still here? We should go get her now.”
VC craned his head to the side with a flat expression. “Being in love got your mind all fucked. You know that’s not the best course of action. If we ran up in there without backup or a plan, none of us would make it, out and you know it.”
I released a sigh and sat on the edge of the bed. My head definitely wasn’t on straight and she had a lot to do with it. Not being in control wasn’t a thing I was familiar with. I was knownto assess all situations with a cool head, but this time, it was different.
“I hear you. What’s the plan?”
