Page 25 of The Villain's Captive (The Villain's Duet 1)

“Charlotte and I will go in the last car.”

“Sir,” Josh paused, “he’ll expect that. I suggest you take the first car.”

Elijah shook his head. “They’ll expect me to think that taking the last car would be the obvious choice, therefore opting for the middle one. Here, put this on.” Elijah handed me a black hoodie and glasses, the exact same as the other woman was wearing.

I opened my mouth, but his pointed stare warned me to keep it shut. “Do as you’re told.” Then turned to the woman in the hoodie. “Vivian, you go in the middle car. They won’t know which one to follow.”

She nodded, and Elijah grabbed my hand, all of us scattering in different directions toward the black SUVs.

“Is she supposed to be me?”

“Just to throw them off our trail.”

“And by them, you mean…?”

“Not now, Charlotte.”

We reached the car, the cold air stinging my cheeks, and Elijah opened the door.

“Oh, by the way, Josh?”

“Yes, sir?”

Elijah lifted his arm, the metal glint of the gun a harrowing warning before a sharp strike sliced through the air, followed by a blunt crack. My reality got severed as I watched Josh fall to the ground with a blood-oozing hole in his forehead. Everything went mute. All I heard was my erratic heartbeat echoing between my ears, my skin numb and ice cold.

“Oh, my God.” My voice quivered, and I couldn’t stop shaking my head, refusing to believe this was really fucking happening.

“Come on.” Elijah grabbed my arm, but this time I managed to twist out of his grip.

“You killed him.”

“Thank you for stating the obvious. Now get in the motherfucking car.”

“Why?” My legs grew weak, and I fell back against the car. “Why did you kill—”

“The man was a fucking traitor, Charlotte.”

An ache spread through my chest, the bitter taste of bile leaking on my tongue. “What…what…Jesus.” I couldn’t even think straight, teetering at the edge of hysteria while my brain threatened to shut down. “You killed him.”

“Just get in the motherfucking car.” He grabbed me behind my neck, fingers biting into my skin. I tried to fight, to kick and grab at his arm, but I was no match for him as he shoved me into the back seat, getting in behind me and shutting the door.

“Drive,” he ordered, and I got knocked back in the seat as the car pulled away, screeching tires hurting my ears.

The two SUVs in front of us each split up in different directions, and we drove straight. I tried to catch my breath, my hand gripping the doorhandle tight. “What the fuck just happened? Why…why did you kill—”

“He fucking talked, and now they found you. Fucker!” Elijah pulled out his phone, threw it on the floor, and crushed it with his heel. He scavenged the pieces and found the tiny SIM card, pulling a pocketknife from his jacket and stabbing the card straight through, tearing the leather seat, before tossing it out the window.

“What do you mean, they found me? Who are they?”

“Un-fucking-believable.” He slammed his fist into the back of the font seat, the leather creaking under his anger. “Fuck! Henry,” he said to the driver, “give me your phone.”

The driver didn’t hesitate, handing his phone over to Elijah. Sweat dripped down my spine, my palms wet, and breathing rapidly as I watched Elijah’s fingers fly across the touchscreen, making a call.

“It’s me. Plan A has been compromised. We’re moving on with plan B…Yes, we’re headed there right now. Okay.”

He hung up and tossed Henry’s phone to the floor and crushed it the same way he did his, stabbing the SIM and throwing it out the window.

“Is that really necessary? That’s not even your fucking phone.” I was stunned.

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