“No. No way. I don’t even know where I’m going. I don’t need Bella following me anywhere.”
“What do you mean you don’t know where you’re going?”
“This isn’t just a trip for me. I’m actually moving to L.A. My new job set up temporary housing for me until I can find a place of my own. I’ve never even been there. I have no clue where it is or what to expect.”
“Well that settles it, then. It wouldn’t be right for me to leave you on your own in a new city with a new place. Let me help you.”
“Dude…”
“My name’s Sebastian, not dude. We’ve already introduced ourselves.”
“For all I know, you’re a sex trafficker. Did you ever seeTaken?”
He laughs until he realizes I’m not joking. “How about this? I’ll let you take a picture of my driver’s license and you can text it to everyone you know. If something happens, they’ll all know where to find me.”
“You probably have a fake ID.”
He scratches his chin. “Take a picture of me next to my car. You’ll get the license plate, too. I can show you my registration when we get to the parking garage to prove I own it.”
“Maybe… Do you do this a lot?” I guess a Russian mobster-slash-sex-trafficker must know exactly what to say to convince unsuspecting women to trust him. “Next thing I know my hands will be bound and I’ll be shipped off for auction or something.” He doesn’t need to know thatmy daddywouldn’t care less. We all can’t have Liam Neeson for a father.
“Do I honestly look like I could take you? Something about you tells me that you would probably kick my ass. I think I should be the one who’s worried.”
I laugh. He’s right. I probably could take him.
“Please?” he begs. “Please let me take you home. Then you’ll never have to see me again.”
“Promise?”
He nods.
I remember the switchblade in my luggage. “Okay, fine. But then it’s goodbye. Just don’t go falling in love with me.”
He smiles. “Too late.”
Kindness doesn’t pay. You’d have better luck with a lottery ticket.
“I’m kidding. Breathe.”
He was joking. Thank God. I’m more on edge than usual and I don’t know why I thought he was being serious. I attempt to cover. “I know. Duh.”
The minute I say duh, Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” starts playing in my head. I am the bad guy. Only Sebastian Corronov doesn’t know it yet.
I don’t want to admit he’s right, but watching the city appear through the clouds as we descend is breathtaking. Every first-time fliershouldhave a window seat. I’ve never seen anything like it. This flight has already been memorable for a lot of reasons, but seeing my new home from above kind of tugs at my heartstrings a bit. This flying thing is way better than the bus.
I should have flown when I went for the interview, but I was barely able to scrape up the money for bus fare. I worked a few double shifts and paid Joey to pay a travel agent to book this trip. One-way was definitely cheaper than round trip. At some point, maybe I can get a credit card in case I need to travel again. Hopefully my new identity has better credit than my old one.
I wasn’t sure my driver’s license would pass, but it worked just fine at the airport. Good thing Joey knew what he was doing. I made it through with no issues. It’s kind of scary when you think about it. I glance around the plane and wonder how many other people aren’t who they say they are either.
As soon as we land, my stomach starts doing flip-flops. It’s not Sebastian or Bella that has me in knots. I can handle lying. It’s more that I’m worried I’m going to fail at being the new me and still be the old me no matter how hard I try to leave her behind. I’m not one to be nervous about things. I grew up knowing exactly how to watch my back and layer my stories, but I’m afraid the real me will come out whether I want her to or not. And worse yet, that somehow, my past will catch up with me. I make a mental note to stay off everyone’s radar and blend in. I don’t want anyone delving into my background. Hopefully changing my name and keeping it quiet will keep me from being discovered.
When it’s our row’s turn to exit the plane, Bella waits for us to shuffle out before following directly behind us. He was right. She’s not giving up. I wonder what he’s going to tell her when she never sees me again.
Sebastian pulls his carry-on down from above and allows me to walk in front of him. He’s taller than I thought he’d be. He’s got a good six inches on my five-foot-six frame. Bella is a giant. She’s got to be almost his height. Maybe it’s the heels.
Sebastian motions toward an overhead sign pointing us toward baggage claim and we move quickly, hoping to somehow lose Bella. It’s actually fun in a way, darting in and around people, glancing over my shoulder. I’ve done this cat-and-mouse thing before, but usually the consequences of getting caught are being tased and spending a night in jail.
Bash seems to like our little game too. At one point, he picks up his bag and carries it instead of wheeling it so we can walk faster. We both start laughing as we hop on escalators going down toward baggage claim.
