Erica’s POV
It seemed like it was fate. As soon as I left the mansion, a taxi drove by and I flagged him down.
He stopped right in front of me and I hurriedly got in.
“Elite Avenue.”
He gave a single nod and sped away.
The light zooming of the taxi was enough to cover the silent tears that I cried on the way. My eyes stung and my body felt irritated and angry and loved at the same time.
I didn’t understand the cocktail of emotions that I was feeling. I felt miserable inside.
More tears streamed down my face. If anything, I was thankful that they didn’t choke me when I spoke to the driver.
Maybe they did, but I didn’t notice or he didn’t care.
I sat there in silent sorrow. The sobbing was minimal but the tears were still hot and bountiful.
I looked out of the window, not looking at anything in particular. Building passed but I didn’t care.
Why should I care when I was getting married to Lorenzo and not Dante? Why did I have to be put in this situation? What had I done to deserve this?
A man that I don’t care about versus a man that abandoned me when I needed him.
I never thought that being stuck between a rock and a hard place could be so agonizing.
The sobbing came back and it was a little louder. I tried my best to quell it but my aching heart wouldn’t allow it.
My logic tried to tell me that the driver would hear and look at me, but my pain and anger made me feel numb to all reason.
My mind began to wander. What even led Lorenzo to propose to me?
His words came back to me like echoes from the past.
“…”
It just didn’t make sense and I couldn’t understand. He acted like he didn’t love me, and now, this happened.
I wanted to say ‘No’ as soon as he asked me, but what good would that do me?
It would only make him suspicious that I was seeing someone else. I could only imagine how disappointed he would be if he found out about Dante and me.
It would break his heart and no doubt that he would tell my father.
Father?
A sobbed hard again.
He would be crushed. He would be crushed knowing that I was sleeping with the man who tossed me out like a pauper six years ago. He would be disappointed, broken. I wasn’t even sure if he would be able to bear such news. My mother would take it even worse.
The tears continued to flow. Weakness infiltrated my bones. I was shattered and my wolf was broken.
She had been howling joyfully when Dante touched me, but now, she sat miserably in a dark corner of my mind. I couldn’t even hear a whimper from her.
I looked at my phone which I had silenced. Three missed calls from Dante.
Another painful stabbing pain in my heart. I clutched my chest and stared at his name for a while.
No. I couldn’t call him back. I couldn’t go back to him.
I ignored it and continued my empty stare…
Bang! Bang!
The cab wobbled violently and skidded off the road.
“Ahhhh!”
I clicked on my seatbelt and clutched the chair in fear. The cab driver’s groan filled the air as he fought to get the car to be stable.
My heart was racing; my eyes were wide. I couldn’t feel my wolf roused into action.
The thought crossed my mindI was going to die.
Screeeeeechh!
The car skidded to a stop but crashed slightly into another car in front of it at the intersection.
Several other cars came to a halt. Some crashing into others. The carnage spread like a ripple and people started getting out of their cars and yelling.
Angry horns honked and my ears and head began to ache.
I got out of the car and so did the cab driver. He looked at his wheels and sighed angrily.
“Two of my tires just popped. I just changed them this morning!”
I watched him fuss over the tires and I simply continued to watch. People walked up to him to yell but he was too angry to pay them any attention.
He took out a jack from his trunk and set to work. I was internally battling with myself. Maybe I should get another taxi and head…
“A bullet?!”
People around gasped as the cab driver pulled out a bronze cartridge from his tire. I looked at it in shock.
Did he drive over it?
My eyes grew wider.
Were we shot…
Crash!
The sound of glass breaking silenced me and I fell to the ground immediately.
My heart was pounding. We were being shot at!
Screams filled the air and pandemonium followed as people ducked their heads and began to run.
My body kicked into overdrive as the chaos around me continued to grow and spread.
I heard another noise and when I looked back, I saw a hole in the side of the taxi can.
“What is happening?!”
I wanted to cry, I wanted to run. But where was I going to run to?
I lay there quietly for a while.
No shots came. No sound of breaking glass or piercing holes could be heard.
I took my chance. This was it.
I made a run for it and as soon as I had taken about thirty steps, I heard a whistling sound overhead.
A bullet flew past me! It was clear to me now. I was the one being shot at!
I ran as fast as I could and more whistling sounds flew overhead. The tears in my eyes blurred my vision. Was this how I was going to die?
I sniffed the air. The bullets came from a rooftop but the scent was faint. I was weakened. My wolf was miserable and my senses had been dulled.
I cried even more. I really was going to die.
I soon heard a loud blaring sound. The police? Ambulance.
I didn’t look back and dashed into a building. I was panting and attendants rushed to me.
My hands were on my knees and my breathing was heavy. I raised my head and when I looked out of the window, I saw the police pull up to the scene.
“Ma’am, you’re bleeding!”
I looked at an attendant and she looked at me with shock. Her face was pale and she had her hand to her mouth.
I was confused and only understood what she was talking about when I looked down.
Crimson blood was running down my legs. I had scratches that were probably caused by the debris of the breaking glass I had a deep scratch on my arm. My heart skipped a beat. One of the bullets has grazed me!
It was a bad time to be alert. The effects of the adrenaline ebbed away and intense pain took its place.
I could barely stand. I nearly collapsed to the floor but hands grabbed me and held me up.
I was feeling faint. The room was getting darker.
“She’s blacking out! Someone get one of the medical personnel in here!”
I could feel my body getting heavier by the minute. Goosebumps covered my body.
My eyes closed but before I blacked out, I had only one thought in mind…
Hazan. He did this. He was the one that was trying to kill me…