Chapter 30 Siren sounds
Ariel
I didn't even have to lie to my mum about why I was leaving so early once I got back into the room. She was more concerned about Vincent Russo and who he was to me.
"My colleague, I already told you."
She wiggled her eyebrows mischievously. "Your colleague, uhn... Are you sure that's all?"
I made a face. "Yes." He was literally a killer, holding me hostage and about to force me into yet another ridiculous agenda which, if I don't fulfil, I'll likely lose my life and my family's. Yeah, I would rather die than have anything to do with him... In that way.
She pouted. "Come on, sweetheart. You know you can tell me these things."
"And I already told you! There's nothing!" Her face fell as I snapped, immediately making me feel bad. Fuck, I shouldn't have done that, no matter what. She just came out of a coma.
"Sorry. It's just this is the first person I've seen around you apart from Richard and Chloe; I got excited for a moment."
"And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled at you."
She shook her head as I leaned in to hug her. "I'll come around soon and..." Shit, I still haven't called Chloe. "...Chloe will be around soon."
She nodded and kissed me on the forehead after I kissed hers. "See you later."
"See you."
She waved as I left, and I headed out into the hallway, where I felt a cold rush of anxiety eat at the warmth I'd just felt in her room. Fuck. I was nervous and for obvious reasons.
What did he mean by 'my next agenda', and what even could this next agenda be?
He was waiting by his car when I walked out. "You're late."
"Sorry." I’d asked for five minutes to say goodbye to my mum, but between debunking her theory of something going on between me and him, grabbing my bag and calling Chloe, I'd taken about seven minutes.
He signalled me to get into his car before I could head towards mine. "Huh? H-how do I get my car back, though? I need it for my ride back home.” Obviously.
“I’ll have someone bring it to us.”
“But…” he didn’t bother to hear the rest as he got into his car. What? Just like that? I’ll have to leave my car here?!
He glanced outside the window after starting the car. “Are you getting in or what?” He didn’t need to say it out loud for me to know that’s what his stare meant. Fuck. I took a deep breath and headed towards the passenger seat of the car.
On getting in, I immediately felt the unease settle in my stomach and tried not to dwell on the familiar urge I felt to rub my skin.
“Put on your seatbelt," he directed as he placed his hands on the back of my seat to aid his attempt at backing out of the driveway and I did just that before I registered what he said in my brain.
Put on my seatbelt?? After threatening to kill me multiple times. The fuck?
The ride was silent, as expected. There was no way I could think of making small talk when all my brain was focused on was trying not to suffocate. The confined space of the car, the tinted windows, and the man beside me – they all seemed to be working together to make me lose it completely.
I leaned my head against the window and played with my fingers in an attempt to distract myself. At least i knew we were on the road back to the highway — no car has passed us since we started the ride, which was quite unsettling but we've been driving for thirty minutes or more now and nothing weird has happened yet, so…
I felt my soul leave my body for a moment as a phone suddenly started ringing. 'Shit, my phone,' I realised after a second of looking around. I dipped my hand into my bag to take it out and cursed again when I saw who was calling. Jonas. Fuck. Do I pick it up… in front of him? Do I not? I glanced at the ‘him’ Vincent to see him still focused on the road.
I have to pick it up though. I mean, he was probably at my apartment with the team wondering why I was not home when I have a long list of things to do on my schedule for today. I’d totally forgotten about him when rushing out of the house this morning.
I fidgeted with my phone and considered letting the call just go to voicemail.
“Pick it.” I jumped, obviously startled when Vincent suddenly spoke up beside me. I turned to see him looking at me now, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the steering wheel. “H-huh?”
“Pick up the call. We don’t want anyone doing anything extra out of concern now, do we?” I stared at him, still startled for a moment, then picked up the call.
I cleared my throat nervously. "Heyyyy, Jonas."
"Ariel. Where are you?"
"Uhm... I went for a drive..."
"A drive? Where?"
"Uh, s-somewhere."
"Ariel?"
I played with a thread of cloth from my jeans that I didn't even realise had come loose. “C-can I call you back? I have to kind of get back to... the music I was playing before your call came in. It's part of… like this therapy session I came up with for myself. You know, late-night drives and music..." I winced as the line went silent for a moment. That has to be like the dumbest shit I've ever come up with, not to talk of the fact that this guy beside me just heard it too. I took a glance at him to see his eyes still trained on the road. He didn’t even have an expression on his face, like this call wasn’t happening at all.
"It's 10 in the morning," I tuned back into the call as Jonas said.
"Yeah… morning drives too…” silence again.
"Just get your ass back here right now, Ariel. We're already behind on schedule for your new single. We have to plan for promotions..."
"Right... I'm on my way. It just might take a little while though…”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say I drove very far and it might take some time before I get back.”
“Seriously?!” I winced again. “I’m sorry. I’ll be back soon.” Just as soon as I find out where I was going with this psychotic killer who is also the chairman of a company, find out my next agenda and drive… what? Two hours now back to the city.
He had no choice but to accept the situation. “Fine. I'll be waiting then.” I smiled apologetically, as if he could see me through the phone and cut the call after yet another 'sorry'.
After that, I didn't even bother to look at him. I’ll just wallow in this feeling of embarrassment quietly. Thankfully he didn’t say anything either, but within the next minute, that was the least of my worries as he took a sharp unexpected turn onto a narrow road to the left that had tall trees on either side of it.
I whipped my head around sharply. “Uh… where are we going?”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he kept driving and didn’t stop even when the paved road stretched out into a wooded area that looked like the perfect place to bury a dead body.
Oh my God.
Siren sounds started blaring in my head.