37 The PursuitÂ
I did my best to stay calm, but I wasn’t doing a good job at it. I’m on the verge of going into a full–blown panic mode. I might start screaming very soon. OÂ
Reed was focused, and I wanted so badly to share that without losing my shit.Â
I turned my head to peek and saw the same car close by. Oh God!Â
“Reed,” I said quietly.Â
“Don’t worry, Mrs. King,” he reassured me, hitting the gas and accelerating to speed.Â
I looked again, and the car had picked up speed too, determined to keep following us, but Reed wasn’t giving them any chances.Â
However, unlike the other car Ares drove thatÂ
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day, this didn’t compare to its speed. Reed could only keep cutting corners to wave them off, but they were relentless in their pursuit.Â
This wasn’t working. No matter what we did, they just kept coming.Â
“W–What are we gonna do?” I asked, in a heavingÂ
gust.Â
“I know a shortcut, but I’m gonna need you to stay calm.” Reed said, keeping his eyes on theÂ
rearview mirror.Â
“Calm? I’m calm, very…” I swallowed thickly, trying to soothe my breathing.Â
“Breathe.” Reed said, slowing down.Â
“What are you doing?!”Â
“Taking a shortcut.”Â
“They are gonna catch up!”Â
He slowed even more until the car was beside us.Â
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It had tinted windows so we couldn’t see who wasÂ
inside.Â
In a swift move, Reed clutched the back of my seat and hit reverse.Â
I placed my hands on my ears when the horns got loud, and Reed used the butt of the car to drive, passing through cars in a chaotic mess.Â
The car following us turned quickly, no longer going incognito until it turned into a full–blown pursuit, but Reed had already cut to another road, still on a speeding reversal.Â
Reed punched against the horn to shoo away passersby, and it caused a disruption.Â
I saw the car coming, cutting through the corner, but Reed made yet another turn, followed by another, continuously until I was convinced we’d crash into a building or hit a car coming through.Â
“Reed!” I yelled, holding the dashboard like my lifeÂ
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depended on it.Â
Spinning the wheels, Reed turned, the tires screeching loudly until we were back to driving front and he dashed out at speed toward another block, emerging into another road.Â
W–We lost them.Â
“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.Â
“Y–Yes…” I replied stiffly, eyes wide, still trying to recover from the shit that just happened.Â
“Are you breathing?”Â
“Yes, I’m breathing!” I countered.Â
I released a sharp breath, running a hand through my hair as I asked. “W–Who was that?”Â
“I don’t know… but I’m gonna find out.” He came to a stop at the club. “I think it’s best you stay here a while, until I get back.”Â
“You’re going after them alone?” I asked as IÂ
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37 The PursuitÂ
placed a hand on his shoulder.Â
He stiffened at the move but made no attemptsÂ
to pull away.Â
“This car has been marked; the best choice is to change it.”Â
“Don’t go after them, just change the car, please?”Â
He hesitated, but thankfully, he agreed. “As you wish, Mrs. King.”Â
“O–Okay.”Â
“Do you want me to take you back to the penthouse? I can call Mr. King and-”Â
“No, I’ll be fine.” I stepped out of the car andÂ
walked to the entrance.Â
I halted my steps when I saw the bar empty, not until I heard laughter coming from a booth.Â
“Cat!” Tori pitched when she saw me.Â
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Judging from her surprised expression, I guess she didn’t read my message. I veered my gaze to Athena, stylish as always in her white outfit. She waved her gloved hand at me.Â
I did my best to hide my annoyance as I said. “I thought you were on your shift.”Â
“Oh, I’m on my break.”Â
“I see you two are bonding.”Â
“Yes, we’re!” Athena agreed sweetly. “You didn’t tell me you have such an amazing friend.”Â
I refrained from rolling my eyes.Â
“Oh stop!” Tori blushed, waving her off. “Come join us, Cat, we were just talking about girls‘ night.”Â
“Girls‘ night?” I neared them but had no intention of sitting.Â
“Yes, I thought we should go to the beach, ourÂ
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0:Â
family owns a private one just at the outskirts of Midnight. You’re gonna love it!”Â
“Sorry, Athena, but I don’t think we can make it. Tori has her demanding shift, and I’ve got work with Ares. He’s closing a business deal, which means all hands on deck.”Â
“Actually…” Tori cut through. “Athena knows my boss, and with one word, I get an early leave!”Â
“And don’t worry about my brother, you’re his wife, a vacay is needed, given all the stress you have been through.”Â
“Stress?” I questioned, amused.Â
“Uh–huh.”Â
“Yes, I have really been through a lot lately, being Mrs. King is…” I breathed. “Life transforming… especially having someone like you in my life.”Â
“I know, right?” Athena conceded, placing a hand on her chest. “All the more reason to need me.Â
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Who else is gonna navigate you in your new life?”Â
I nodded slowly, keeping my forced smile stretched. “Tori, can I speak to you alone for a minute?”Â
Athena smirked slyly as she sipped on her straw.Â
“Sure.”Â
Tori rose to her feet and followed me to a corner.Â
“You sounded really sarcastic out there. Is itÂ
because I had a drink with Athena? I wanted toÂ
call you, but I left you messages after your call, and you didn’t see them.”Â
I faced her. “No, nothing like that. I’ve just been super busy lately, really a lot going on. I don’t have a problem with you drinking with Athena.”Â
“Are you sure? I sensed an awkward energy there…” She emphasized with her hand, and a smile formed on my lips.Â
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“There! Not that fake smile, but a real one. What’s going on, Cat?”Â
“Too much, and I don’t even know where to begin, but…” I lowered my voice. “Athena King isn’t what she seems.”Â