Chapter 194: I’ll See You In Hell [2]

"No," Julius replied. "She’s mine. I have waited enough. I’d rather not keep a dead body by my side."

"You just want a fresh pussy to fuck!"

"I said watch it!"

Gabriel leaned back in his seat, pulling his hand down on his mouth to jaw and rubbing it in aggravation.

"Anastasia..."

My body tensed as I cautiously leveled eyes with Julius.

"Is it true? Were you in contact with your husband the whole time?"

"What does it matter now?" I kept my tone tight.

He nodded before resting his elbows on his knees. "You’re right, it doesn’t matter. Because... you’re never gonna see him again. I’m not letting you go, Anastasia."

Goosebumps rose on my skin, and panic bordered my mind.

"You may have thwarted my plans, but that doesn’t mean I won’t find something else to destroy Zade."

"I won’t let you..." I let out in a whisper, but my words carried weight.

"There’s nothing you can do, Anastasia." His eyes stared into my soul. "You have always been a helpless little girl who depended on her sister, her bodyguard, and an emotionally unavailable father."

Something cold ran down my cheek as his words rooted in my chest and caused a tightness there. I turned away when his cold finger wiped the tear away.

"Pitiful girl. You lost everything. Your home, family, and now you’ll lose Zade too. It scares you, doesn’t it?"

"S-S-Stop..."I whispered.

"This scares you more, losing Zade, and the little family you have with the Salveros, but that’s the illusion, and you need to wake up from it. You’re Anastasia Morri, born of a dimwitted father, sister to Annabeth, who was torn to pieces for her deeds. That’s the price of who you are. Fight it all you want, but it won’t change a thing."

I sobbed, my reddened eyes fixed on him.

"You’ll always be alone, Anastasia. Always. That is your greatest fear, and deep down you know it’ll always be inevitable."

He leaned back in the seat. "Driver."

"Yes, sir."

"Take us to the airport. We’re leaving Hightower for good."

N-No.

The sharp screech of tires against the asphalt drew our attention.

Rasping, I turned my head to the black Lamborghini speeding towards us, with several other cars.

"How did they find us?!" Gabriel panicked, fear swallowing his voice.

My wedding ring. I was still wearing it beneath my opera gloves.

A feeling swelled in my chest as I watched the Lamborghini speeding recklessly toward us. I knew that particular car was driven by Zade. Just like that, the devastating mood that had consumed me moments ago dissolved.

Julius’s words became mere friction and faded away into nothing. Maybe being alone has always been my greatest fear, but not anymore. Because I had Zade... and that man would burn the world to the ground for me.

"Pick up the pace!" Julius barked at the driver, and the car increased in speed. "Lose them now!"

The car made a sharp turn toward another road before speeding again.

My heart was pounding, almost leaping out of my chest as I braced for balance because the car kept making turns to go off trail.

But at the sight of the black car, I smiled. Zade cut through the streets as we did, getting on our tail again.

I gasped as my back pressed into the seat as the car made yet another turn and we emerged through a busy road.

The horns blasted as the car evaded the others on the way and just straight-up blurred through like Fast and the Furious.

"They are gaining on us. What are we gonna do?"

"Quit whining!" Julius grew frustrated as he held up his phone and dialed a number.

"What are you doing?!"

Gabriel took the words right out of my mouth.

"Calling for backup. I don’t fucking care if we turn this road into a war zone. He’s not getting us."

I can’t let that happen!

If Julius was doing this at a most critical time, then that means backup wasn’t far away. They could bring in the big guns.

I acted without thinking, snatching the phone from Julius’s hand and hurling it against the car window. It struck the glass with a dull thud, leaving a small dent before dropping away; the phone shattered.

"Not happening," I said triumphantly.

Julius backhanded me, and the force pulled me down to the seat, and when I moved, I heard a click.

"Move again and I’ll fucking blow your brains out."

I froze when Gabriel pointed a gun at the side of my head.

"What now?" Gabriel asked Julius, who looked like he wanted to strangle me.

But I wasn’t scared anymore. Knowing Zade was hot on our trail and Julius was running out of chances, I found courage.

"Nothing you do will ever take me away from Zade," I said.

"You think doing that will stop me? I don’t think so, Anastasia. As long as I live, I’ll never stop."

I lost it.

I elbowed Gabriel with the back of my hand, a trick I learned from Catherine King.

I grabbed the gun, but Julius caught hold of it too. He overpowered me, forcing the weapon away as we struggled for control. Then my finger slipped against the trigger, and the gun went off.

The windshield glass cracked and blood splattered across it. The car tumbled, and for one terrifying moment, gravity disappeared. Then it came crashing back down onto the road.

Shards of glass flew everywhere, my hair whipping across my face and blinding me. The car rolled multiple times, each violent impact throwing my body around as I was crushed between the two men.

Then, nothing.

When I came to, there was a sharp ringing in my ears. I felt pressure, but it didn’t amount to the tightness in my entire body.

I thought it would never end, not until I felt whatever kept me stuck was taken away, and the cramp feeling was gone.

I opened my eyes and found Zade. He was holding me.

His mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear a word. Fear filled his eyes as his hand came up to cradle my face. Panic and alarm swirled in those green orbs.

Then the loud ringing ceased, and I could hear his voice.

"Stay with me, baby. Stay with me."

I was being pulled away by something like there was a hold on me, and with every passing second, it became harder to keep my eyes open.

"Anastasia, please."

I-I think I’m dying.

"Please, please, please!"

He looked into the distance and yelled something, but I don’t hear him anymore. I don’t hear a thing, nor could I feel anything anymore.

It was soothing... peaceful. So I let it take me away.