Trust Lily to draw attention to his embarrassment.
“I’d rather not have that image in my head. So thanks for that,” he says standing up. “I think I’ll leave you ladies to catch up.” He bends and kisses Lily again before scowling in Sabrina’s direction, but turning to me he winks before walking out of the room.
Lily chuckles. “I think I went a bit too far with him then, but it was fun. He doesn’t normally blush,” Lily makes the observation looking at her friend who ignores her.
“Lily, I need to be heading back to the city. I have some things to do,” I say quietly, hoping to sneak off and avoid the tension in the room.
Lily takes my hand and pulls me to her for an awkward hug. “Seduce his socks off,” she whispers for my ears only.
I grin and after saying goodbye to a brooding Sabrina, I walk out of the living room and bump into Lucien, Michael and Elias, who I also say goodbye to before climbing into my car.
Michael and Lily’s house sure has a lot of family back and forth. As I pull away from the house and drive slowly down the lane towards the highway, I can’t help be slightly envious of the close-knit family of the McKenzie’s. I love my own space, but knowing I have family close by would be lovely and something that I haven’t missed until I started hanging out with them.
Pulling out on to the highway, I start speeding up when I catch a black SUV barreling towards me at a high speed through the rear mirror.
Trying to keep my nerves at bay, I carry on driving at the legal speed in hope the SUV will pass, but glancing back it slows down and trails behind me right on the ass of the car.
Could it be Gary? I can’t make out the driver because of the tinted windows. How would he have gotten the money for a car that fancy? I’m stupid. I chide myself. Of course he will have stolen it, if it’s him. Why isn’t the driver passing me?
The car keeps weaving back and forth between this lane and the next, but he’s not overtaking, and then I feel a jolt as the car pushes forward.
He bumps my car. My fingers cling to the steering wheel in a death grip as my stomach turns and panic starts to set in. Watching the car pull back slightly, I reach for my cell, which I’d placed on the passenger seat and hit speed dial two, Sebastian.
“Hey babe,” he answers immediately.
“Sebastian, I don’t know what to do,” I say panicking. “There’s an SUV following me and they’ve hit the bumper once.” I start to cry. “I’m frightened.”
“Fuck, baby. Where are you?”
“I’ve left Lily and Michael’s about five minutes ago and heading back to the city.” I watch as the SUV pulls up to me again and clips the bumper, making me scream.
“Carla…Carla…Fuck, answer me dammit,” he shouts down the phone, sounding frantic. “I’m just ringing Michael. Hang on.”
“Okay. I’m here.” I wipe the tears from my eyes. “There’s no one around to help me.”
I can hear Sebastian talking to someone in the background.
“Baby, I’ve called Michael. Dad and Lucien are on their way to you right now and I’m leaving. I’m just getting into my car.”
I hear his car door slam then a screech of tires. It’s going to take him about twenty minutes to get to me. Time I don’t think I have as the SUV is speeding up to me again.
“Sebastian,” I cry, “I love you.”
“Carla, don’t you dare do this.”
The SUV hits the back end of my car at full speed sending me spinning across the road towards the ditch.
“SEBASTIAN!”
Chapter 24
Sebastian
As Carla screams, I swear to God that ten years were taken off my life. Carla is everything to me and the thought of her hurt and alone is killing me as I floor the gas pedal. The chance of getting a speeding ticket flitters through my mind, but following that, an image of Carla, broken and injured in her car nearly brings me to my knees.
Once I pull away from town, I speed dial my Dad and pray they’re with her.
“Dad–” I say as I hear my Dad’s voice.
“Carla’s fine, son,” he tells me before I can ask.
Everything becomes blurry so I pull over to the side of the road and swipe at my eyes.
“Son, you there?”
“Yeah. What…what did you find?” I need to know what’s going on as I put my head in my hands and listen to my dad tell me about the destruction of the car.
“It’s totally destroyed,” he says, “nothing but bent metal to the front of the car. She’s damn lucky she’s able to walk away from it. If you ask me a combination of her seat belt and airbag saved her life. I’ve tried to ring Ramon, but he isn’t answering.”
Ramon? Then it hits me that my parents and other brothers have no idea what’s been going on with Carla or that she’s mine.
“He’s flying Dad. I’m on my way and should be there soon. Can I talk to Carla?”