Chapter 42 Chapter 42
Hailey’s POV
Terror seized my chest as the three cars barreled toward us, their engines roaring like predators closing in on prey.
“Get down!” Kai shouted, his gun already drawn as he positioned himself between us and the approaching vehicles.
Benita and I dropped to the ground, my broken arm screaming in protest as I hit the pavement.
“Who are they?” Benita gasped, her voice shaking with terror.
“Black Vultures,” Kai said, his voice hard and focused. “Long-time allies of the Morellis.”
Before I could even process what that meant, before I could ask another question, the world exploded into chaos.
Gunfire erupted, deafening cracks that made my ears ring.
I screamed, covering my head with my good arm, pressing myself flat against the cold pavement.
This is it, I thought. This is how I die. Shot in a parking lot before I even turn twenty-one. Before my baby even has a chance.
Kai returned fire, his shots precise and controlled even as bullets whizzed past him. Our other guards had taken defensive positions, using the vehicles as cover.
“Stay down!” Kai shouted at us. “Don’t move!”
The shootout felt like it lasted forever, though it was probably only seconds. The sound of gunfire, breaking glass, screaming students running for cover, it all blended into a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
Then, suddenly, the attackers’ vehicles peeled away, tires screeching as they retreated.
For a moment, there was only the ringing silence after violence, broken by distant sirens and the sound of my own ragged breathing.
“Are you hit?” Kai asked urgently, moving toward us. “Either of you?”
“No,” I gasped. “We’re okay.”
But Kai wasn’t okay. Blood was seeping through his shirt at the shoulder, dark and spreading.
“You’re shot,” Benita said, her voice high with panic.
“It’s just a graze,” Kai said, though his jaw was tight with pain. “We need to move. Now. Before they come back.”
He half-carried, half-dragged us to his SUV, practically throwing us into the back seat before climbing into the driver’s seat.
“Hold on,” he said, and then we were moving, speeding away from campus with two of our guard vehicles flanking us.
I couldn’t stop shaking. Couldn’t stop seeing those cars bearing down on us, couldn’t stop hearing the gunfire echoing in my head.
Benita grabbed my hand, and we held on to each other like lifelines, both of us trembling uncontrollably.
Somehow, miraculously, Kai got us back to Damien’s penthouse. His driving was aggressive, taking turns too fast, running red lights, but his instincts were perfect. We made it home without further incident.
The moment we pulled into the secure garage, Kai was on his radio. “Boss, we’re secure. Had an incident at the school. Black Vultures. I’m bringing them up now.”
He helped us out of the vehicle, and despite the blood still seeping from his shoulder, he stayed professional, stayed focused.
“Go inside,” he said. “Lock yourselves in. I need to report to the boss.”
Benita and I stumbled into the penthouse, both of us still in shock, still processing that we’d just survived an actual assassination attempt.
We collapsed onto the couch in the main living area, and for a long moment, we just sat there, staring at nothing.
“We almost died,” Benita whispered.
“I know,” I said, my voice hollow.
“They actually tried to kill us.”
“I know.”
We sat in stunned silence, the reality of our situation sinking in deeper with every passing second.
That’s when I heard the distinctive click of heels on marble.
I looked up to see Isabella descending the staircase, perfectly composed as always, her expression unreadable.
She stopped a few feet away from us, and then, to my utter disbelief, she laughed.
It was a cold, mocking sound that made my blood boil despite my shock.
“You thought you married into luxury and prestige?” Isabella said, her voice dripping with contempt. “You thought being connected to my son meant champagne and designer clothes and security?”
“Isabella, please,” I said, too exhausted for this confrontation. “Not now.”
“No, honey,” she continued, ignoring me. “You made yourself a target. You painted a bullseye on your back the moment you got pregnant. You’re lucky to have gotten this far. Most girls in your position would already be dead.”
Something inside me snapped.
I pushed myself to my feet, my legs shaky but my anger giving me strength.
“Are you actually gloating right now?” I demanded, my voice rising. “We just survived a shooting. People just tried to kill us. And you’re standing there laughing?”
“I’m pointing out reality,” Isabella said coldly. “Something you clearly need to understand. My son doesn’t love you. He’s protecting you out of obligation because you’re carrying his child. But don’t mistake that for affection or commitment.”
“That’s enough,” I said, taking a step toward her.
“Or what?” Isabella challenged. “What are you going to do, little girl? You have no power here. No family. No connections. You’re nothing but a liability.”
I moved forward, my good hand raised, ready to push her, to make her stop talking, to make her feel even a fraction of the pain and fear I was feeling.
But Benita grabbed me, pulling me back. “Hailey, don’t. She’s not worth it.”
“Listen to your friend,” Isabella said with a smirk. “At least she has some sense.”
“You’re a cruel, heartless bitch,” I spat, struggling against Benita’s hold. “Your son is out there trying to protect people, trying to keep everyone safe, and you’re in here playing mind games and trying to break me down!”
“I’m trying to wake you up,” Isabella shot back. “To make you see that you don’t belong in this world. That you never will.”
“At least I have a heart!” I shouted. “At least I care about people beyond what they can do for me!”
“Girls!”
We all turned to see Sophia storming into the room, her face twisted with fury, her eyes blazing.
She looked between me and her grandmother, and whatever she saw there made her expression darken even further.
“What the hell is going on here?” Sophia demanded, her voice seething with barely contained rage.