Page 84 of Twisted Obsession

43

Regina

The blaring sound of a horn pierced my ears and lured me from a restless sleep. My body reacted before I had a chance to piece together what the ear-splitting noise was. Up and on my feet, I staggered a bit to get my balance. The darkness outside indicated that morning hadn’t come yet, so it was sometime in the middle of the night.

It was the fire alarm that was making the irritating blaring sound. A quick inspection didn’t reveal any visible smoke inside the apartment. It was Gigi’s off day, so the kitchen had been left untouched.

My bare feet slapped against the floor as I ran to the large living room windows to see if there was smoke outside. A quick peek revealed that all was normal.

An incoming called pulled my scanning gaze to my phone flashing atop the coffee table.

“Ansel,” I answered. With the phone at my right ear, I placed my hand over my left to hear him better.

“Regina, I don’t see smoke anywhere, but I need you to go up and grab the keys from your bedside table. JG is on his way up. Just in case this alarm was triggered on purpose, he will stay with you until I get there.”

My feet smacked against the stairs as I ran to my room. The nervous frenzy that had been set off within me yelled as the fire alarm continued to scream.

Although disoriented, Ansel’s calming voice eased a bit of my tension.

“Are you coming soon, Ansel? I’m scared.”

“I’m about thirty-minutes away, but I’m on the way,” he replied. “Regina,” he called into the phone.

“Yes,” squeezed past my quivering lips.

“Grab the keys and your gun too,” he instructed.

“My gun? You think this is my family, don’t you?”

“I don’t know, but I’d rather you be prepared if it is. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay,” I replied as I swiped the keys and grabbed my gun box that sat next to each other inside my bedside drawer. I slipped my feet into my tennis shoes, not bothering to pull the backs over my heels. My shoes flapped against my feet with each quick step I took.

As soon as I cleared the stairs and dashed through the living room, I scurried towards the elevator. JG stood between the open doors waiting, gun drawn as he glanced around the apartment.

My phone vibrated in my hand, scaring the shit out of me as I clumped closer to JG.

“Hello,” I answered, fighting to keep the quiver from my tone.

“The sprinklers in the gym have been triggered, but there isn’t any smoke. Don’t stay in the building. You remember what I told you about using the keys and taking the black Mercedes?”

“Yes,” I answered him. “You told me to use the car and to go to the address that’s in the GPS.”

“I need you to be Gina right now. JG is going to take you to the safe house, and I’ll meet you there. Hand your phone and keys to him.”

“Okay,” I replied as I handed the items over. Why was my heart so heavy all of a sudden? Why did I get the sense I was never going to see Ansel again? Ansel was the spark I’d needed to rejuvenate my life after my family had derailed it. Now, there was a possibility of me being snatched from him.

Was my family doing this to draw me out so they could take me? Were they already here in the building coming for me? Were they going to finally kill me?

My worst thoughts plagued me as the elevator lowered us. JG hadn’t uttered a word, but Ansel’s voice sounded, buzzing through the phone at his ear. When Ansel’s voice stopped, JG swiped my phone off and handed it back. I gripped it and my gun box like they contained the secrets of life.

JG exited with his gun drawn and aimed into the dark garage. His actions reminded me that I also had a gun that Ansel had ensured I’d gained confidence with. He wanted me to be Gina, so I cracked the box open and wrapped my hands around the cold hard metal that I’d decided to call Winston. I didn’t have Winston aimed and at the ready like JG, but I believed I’d have a fighting chance if I were attacked.

My feet moved with swift purpose as I jogged to keep up with JG’s quick steps. He opened the passenger side car door and waited until I climbed in before slamming the door behind me. He ran around the front, gun glued to his hand like it was a part of his arm.

He hopped into the car and pushed it to a quick start. The high-powered engine roared to life, and the body trembled around us. The tires left a squeak echoing throughout the garage at JG’s quick take off. He didn’t have to tell me to strap in or stay low. August had revealed stories of the shootouts he and Megan had been in.

I tossed my gun box over the seat and sat with Winston in my lap, hoping this was a fire scare and not a ploy for my family to get their hooks in me. My body didn’t begin to relax until JG and I had cleared most of the city traffic.

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