I sit up straighter at his words. I don’t need this distraction right now, and I certainly don’t need Ciccone tightening up his security any more than it already is because of it.
“Fuck,” I growl out. “So, what you’re telling me is that I need to speed up this whole thing with Victoria, so I can get to Ciccone before the Irish do.”
“Precisely,” Baz confirms.
Running my free hand through my hair, I let out a stifled sigh. “I fucked up, Baz. Victoria’s pulling away from me, creating distance. And I don’t know how to get her back,” I confess. I hate to admit defeat in any aspect, but I’m at a loss here. I pushed Victoria away one too many times, and now I might have lost her forever. She’s probably already thinking about dating other people, and all my progress will be for nothing.
“Then you’ll have to do something extreme to push her back into your arms, my friend.”
“Something extreme…” I repeat his words, trying to make sense of them.
“Listen, I’ve got to go. Let me know what you decide, my friend.”
“I will,” I tell him before ending the call and setting my phone down. Standing up from the couch, I walk over to the window overlooking the city.
I have to come up with a plan, a way to make Victoria fall right back into my arms, so that I can carry out my revenge on her father.
But am I willing to risk it all in order to make that happen?
My eyes focus on my reflection in the glass staring back at me, and I already know the answer.
Yes.
CHAPTER 17
VICTORIA
IT'S EARLY SATURDAY morning, and I decide to go for a run.
I need to clear my head, because I'm so confused on what to do with Damon.
His calls and texts have stopped. But did I really think they would go on forever? You can only ignore a person for so long…
It’s been over a week since I’ve seen or talked to Damon, and now I know why people write songs about breaking up. It’s rough on your mind, body and soul. And I’ve gone through so many pints of ice cream I lost count.
I constantly want to text him or call him back, but what’s the point? The man is a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. He never lets mein. The chemistry is there; but every time I push, he pulls back. He won’t open up to me whatsoever, so how could we ever form any sort of a true relationship?
Something's missing, and I don't know how to figure that out.
Maybe I’m simply not ready to date right now. I’m barely getting used to being around people that aren’t the same group of girls I basically grew up with in school and college. Perhaps I just need time to adjust to normal life before trying to pursue a relationship.
By the time I reach the park, it's cold and a thick fog has settled over the entire place. It looks eerie…scary even, but I'm not turning back now.
I do some basic stretches before embarking on my run. At first, there are several other joggers that I pass. But by the time I reach the North Woods, I don't see another soul.
The fog is so thick I can barely see the trail in front of me, so I run a little faster, determined to get out of this area and back to the more populated areas of the park.
A few seconds later, I hear footsteps behind me. I'm thankful someone else is on this trail with me, and so I slow down a little into a light jog.
But as the footsteps approach, they sound heavy, like someone wearing boots instead of running shoes.
A fissure of fear runs through my entire body as I glance behind me, but the fog distorts my vision.
I can see a dark figure, but I can't make out any other features.
Instinct is telling me to run faster, so I do…and so does the person behind me.
The faster I run, the faster they run. And that's when the panic starts to settle in. A million different scenarios stream through my head, and they all have the same dire outcome.
