Chapter 5 Betrayal

Those long legs of hers, her lustrous blonde hair, it couldn’t be mistaken, those daring pair of light blue eyes. Anna!

“It’s you—my fragile little friend from highschool” Anna smiled,along her way down from the flight of stairs. Her salutations felt forced like someone had held a dagger to her back, making her speak to me. She was a friend, a close one at that, yet I couldn’t put my finger on the reason why she would be at Dante’s safe house.

It was Anna, the class ‘nerd’ as they used to call her. She always had her glasses on her face, hiding those beautiful eyes of hers, her hands clasped behind her back whenever she would approach me, or anyone else. Now, she looked like a witch who wants to take her property by all means necessary, I couldn’t understand why or how but it hurt to see her in a different light from her timid, nice self used to giving hugs and hurling praises at math equations.

“What are you doing here Anna?” He asked coldly, pulling me behind him as though to shield me from her menacing glares but I was sure he was protecting me from much more.

“So you chose to play with her—someone like her, who’s no fun, she reeks of numbers and virgin” she sneered. In theory, she wasn’t wrong, so I hid myself behind him, clutching onto him tightly.

“How did you get in?” He repeated, rising anger in his tone. She didn’t respond yet making her way down to us looked like it would take forever, Dante didn’t want that.

“Marco informed me that you would be heading straight here and so I came to welcome you” she smiled, her lips widened and her face coming fully into the light. I could see that the Anna I had once known was gone, maybe disappeared but this wasn’t her.

Her busty figure out of the short dress she wore, her eyes brimming with mischievous intent and her cherry red lips looking for who to devour.

“You—you were the one watching me” I snapped. It all made some sort of sense now. Two days ago she had called me saying she would love for us to have a girl’s time out. Since I hadn’t seen her in ages, I had obliged to come with, as old friends but after a few hours, I had declined, Dante’s workload had become too overwhelming.

She licked the top of her lips “Took you long enough my naive darling” she chuckled, placing the tip of her finger on her lip.

“Head for the exit” he whispered “I’ll be right behind you” my heart raced at his command, it would be foolish not to heed to his order, yet I found myself gripping onto him even tighter “Trust me” he said, building my confidence. Letting go of him, I rushed back to the elevator, trying my best not to think about his reason for sending me away.

Just as I moved, I turned to look, I couldn’t even think clearly, I made my way back to the elevator, pushing down the button “No Lily—don’t” I heard him say or was it my imagination?

I wasn’t going to stay any longer. My brain was right, getting involved with this man would likely take years out of my lifespan and Anna, she seemed onto the idea of killing me. After pressing the button to go down, I’m reminded of the horrid scene of Dante’s so called guard, I knew he lied to protect my innocent mind, but then, he had protected me all night, I couldn’t just leave him behind with Anna, hee lustful gaze would satisfy him, but I wasn’t so sure this was only about lust, so I stopped the number and pressed the button to go back to the floor.

Just as the elevator chimed open once again, I heard the constant noise of gunshots “Oh God” I whimpered, crouching down on the elevator floor. Placing my hand over my head. Then his voice came with a thrill “You came back to get me” he smiled, pressing onto the button, taking us down.

“It’s alright” he said in a subtle tone, his scent reassuring me that he was indeed the one, he placed his hand on my hair, caressing it gently, I soon sobered up the feeling of dying tonight as I raised my head to see his face. He looked beautiful even with smudged blood on his face, his slightly unbuttoned shirt made it difficult to think.

“What are you looking at?” He teased in a slow alluring tone. I quickly looke away, recalling the fact that I’m in no condition to think of him as a magnificent man when he almost got me killed.

“You almost got me killed!” I yelled as the elevator kept moving. A lot of questions crowded my mind, I couldn’t think clearly and worse, this seems like a ride or die situation.

Lily Thompson, what really have you gotten yourself into? I didn’t look at him, staring at those beautiful set of eyes did something to me, something I wouldn’t be so proud of.

“But you came back for me—I’ve given you chances to actually escape and you’ve followed me each time, running back to my flame, you’re something extraordinary Lily” he said, taking his finger to my chin and tilting my head towards him “And for that, you are mine”

“Come on” he smiled, his hand stretched towards me as the doors chimed open. I move with him as swiftly as my legs can carry until we get to the car. I jump into the passenger seat as though I wasn’t new to this, to this life. My chest pounded, my heart almost out of my body, my brain just wanting for me to get home, pop into the shower and never see this part of the world again but I took my chances, sitting beside him as he sped through the town.

“So now—where to?” I asked with heavy breathing.

“To my hideout, I guess” he snickered. Who is this man? First a safehouse that is actually far from safe and now a hideout