“So,” he begins his proposition, “are you running after her or me?”
There’s something suspiciously odd that I find myself heavily opposed to Pietro hunting down my prey.
“Stay here and keep watch,” I order him. “I’ll get the princess.”
“What?” He begins to be offended. “You don’t trust me enough to get the job done?” I only look at him and he snorts. “Eh, I don’t feel like doing cardio anyways.”
Stashing the sedative in a secure place I then begin the hunt to catch la mia gazzella.
CHAPTER 6
Imogen
Euphoria sweeps through me like a drug.
Endorphins flood my bloodstream. There’s a smile that splits my face, stretching from ear to ear as I run further from home.
I did it.
I. Did. It.
Celebrating this soon may be premature but I can’t escape this bubbly feeling. The thrill. The elation. The sparks within me creates a pep in my gait.
A twisted part of me wishes I could see the look upon Sebastian’s face tomorrow when he realizes I will not be walking down the aisle.
That he will not become the heir to the Murphy Family like pa had promised him.
I know ma will be proud of me. If there is anyone who will forever be on my side it’s her.
I clutch the locket in my hand, raise it to my lips and kiss it. God, I’ll really miss her. No matter what, I will find a way to communicate with her. Burner phone after burner phone. A message to let her know I’m safe. To hear her voice to feel comforted.
While I hold both ma and pa near to my heart it’s ma who has always made home feel like home.
The fresh wave of tears threaten to fall but I can’t let them.
Because if I do it will be too easy to tuck my tail and feel the warmth of her embrace.
And I’m so close to tasting this renowned freedom. Unlike when I studied in the states I’ll truly be free. None of pa’s men keeping tabs on me. No security detail. I’ll be living a life on my own. On my own terms.
I start to set up my pace but the rustling of leaves and crunching of branches causes me to pause.
Surely, it’s the sound from my own footsteps.
But I’m proven wrong when they come again.
Fuck.One of pa’s men must’ve watched the footage and is coming after me.
Heart beating like a sledgehammer I go to run, all the while looking for the safest place to hide.
Scanning the woods I search desperately for an area they won’t find me. Faster I run and yet I can hear them closing the distance.
Hiding is no longer an option.
Blood spiked with adrenaline, I will my legs to carry me at a brutal pace. It’s the hardest I’ve ever run. And I don’t know how much longer I can last. Not when I feel my lungs at the point of bursting.
On the horizon I see the clearing of the woods.
I almost cry from relief.
