Chapter 22 Hot Chase
Anna's POV
The headlights were subtle at first. Just two white eyes in the distance.
But they didn’t disappear. They stayed. Matched our speed. Turned when we turned.
My fingers tightened on the edge of the seat.
“It’s the black SUV,” I said quietly. “Third car back. They’ve been there since we passed the junction.”
Lucas didn’t look in the mirror immediately. He kept his gaze ahead, relaxed, like this was nothing.
But his jaw hardened. “I know, I saw them too," he said.
My pulse kicked up. “You knew and didn't say anything about it?”
“I suspected. Marco doesn’t like loose ends.” He glanced at me briefly. “And you embarrassed him.”
I exhaled slowly. “I won a game.”
“You flirted with his boss and walked away with his money. That is embarrassment."
“When you say it like that, it sounds worse.”
“It is worse," he said firmly.
The SUV switched lanes. Still behind us.
“Do we lose them?” I asked.
Lucas shook his head. “No.”
“No?”
“No. Running confirms guilt.”
I swallowed. “And what does not running confirm?”
“That we’re either confident… or stupid.”
“And which are we?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he slowed slightly, letting the SUV close distance.
My stomach twisted. “Lucas.”
“Relax, we'll be fine."
“I don’t like it when men say relax in situations like this.”
A faint smirk touched his lips. “You handled a loaded gun in your face ten minutes ago.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“I was prepared for that,” I said. “This—” I gestured toward the mirror “—this feels like something else.”
The SUV’s headlights flashed once. Lucas’s fingers tapped the steering wheel.
“They want us to know,” he murmured.
“Know what?”
“That they’re there.”
The SUV moved closer. I felt my heart climb into my throat.
“Okay,” I said quietly. “What’s the plan?”
Lucas turned the wheel sharply. We swerved into a side road. The SUV followed instantly.
Lucas accelerated. The engine roared.
Streetlights blurred past us, yellow streaks slicing through the windshield.
I gripped the dashboard. “I thought we weren’t running.”
“We’re not,” he said calmly. “We’re relocating.”
“That sounds suspiciously like running.”
He ignored me. We took another turn. Then another.
The SUV stayed on us.
I glanced back. “They’re gaining.”
Lucas nodded once, calculating. Then he suddenly slowed again.
“What are you doing?”
“Testing them.”
The SUV didn’t overtake. It slowed too.
Stayed behind.
My stomach dropped. “They’re not trying to kill us,” I whispered.
“No.”
“They’re herding us.”
Lucas’s silence confirmed it.
A cold wave slid down my spine. “Where?” I asked.
Lucas didn’t answer immediately. Then— “Somewhere controlled.”
The SUV flashed its headlights again. Then, to my shock, it overtook us. Pulled ahead and slowed deliberately.
Forcing us to match speed.
I inhaled sharply. “They want us to follow.”
“Yes.”
“Are we?”
Lucas’s eyes flickered toward me. Then back to the road. “We don’t have a better option.”
My pulse pounded in my ears.
The SUV turned into a gated compound. Large metal gates slid open automatically.
I felt the air leave my lungs. Lucas drove in after them.
The gates closed behind us with a heavy clang.
The compound was dimly lit.
The SUV stopped. Three men stepped out. Then a fourth. Marco.
Even from this distance, I recognized the broad shoulders. The arrogance in the way he walked.
Lucas killed the engine. “Stay in the car,” he said.
I gave him a look. “You know that’s not happening.”
His eyes flashed irritation. “Anna.”
“If you step out, I step out. You're not leaving me in the car."
A beat.
He exhaled. “Fine. But don’t speak unless necessary.”
I almost laughed at that. We stepped out together.
Marco smiled as we approached. “Well,” he said, spreading his arms slightly. “I had a feeling I’d see you again tonight.”
I forced a polite smile. “You followed us.”
He tilted his head. “Followed? No. Escorted, after winning my money like that, I felt you needed guidance.”
Lucas didn’t smile. “What do you want?”
Marco’s gaze shifted between us.
“You know,” he said slowly, “it’s interesting. I’ve worked with powerful men my whole life. Dangerous men. But tonight… something felt off.”
Lucas said nothing.
Marco continued. “You knew my name.”
A pause. “And not many people outside this circle know my name.”
My heartbeat drummed steadily now.
Marco’s eyes settled on Lucas. “So I’ll ask again,” he said. “Who are you? Secret agents? You bloody hell don't look like one.”
Silence stretched. I felt the tension coiling tighter, like a wire ready to snap.
Lucas stepped forward slightly. “I’m someone who doesn’t want trouble.”
Marco chuckled. “That’s funny. Because you brought trouble to the casino."
His men shifted subtly.
I noticed it. So did Lucas.
Marco’s eyes flicked to me. “And you,” he said. “You walk into a private casino. Win money. Ask about Zack. Then try to leave.”
His smile faded. “You don’t look stupid.”
I tilted my head slightly. “I’m not.”
“Then why did you lie?”
“I didn’t lie.”
“You said Zack abducted your brother.”
I was surprised.
So the waiter had informed someone… who informed Marco.
That was the leak.
Marco stepped forward slightly, his expression no longer amused.
“So I’ll ask again,” he said calmly. “Why did you lie?"
I swallowed, not knowing what to say.
Beside me, Lucas muttered under his breath, “Fuck.”
He didn’t look rattled. Just annoyed.
“I don’t have time for this,” Lucas said flatly. “And you should know this is no longer your territory.”
Marco’s lips twitched. “This is neutral ground."
Lucas smiled. It wasn’t a wide smile. It was the kind that meant someone had already lost.
“No,” he said quietly. “This is Xavier’s territory.”
Marco’s eyes widened. Not dramatically. But enough.
His spine stiffened. The casual arrogance vanished like smoke.