Chapter 9
The armored SUV tore through the winding mountain roads, leaving the burning mansion miles behind them. The reinforced cabin was eerily quiet, insulated from the roar of the engine and the chaos of the night.
Audrey gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white. Her neat low bun had come undone, her hair falling loosely around her softly rounded face. Beside her, Felix was strapped into the passenger seat, finally succumbing to the exhaustion and falling into a deep, fitful sleep.
In the back, Silas was unconscious, his breathing shallow but steady. Bastian leaned against the reinforced window, watching the dark trees blur past. The adrenaline was fading, replaced by a cold, calculating stillness.
“Are you bleeding, sir?” Audrey asked suddenly, her eyes darting to the rearview mirror.
Bastian looked down at his left arm. The sleeve of his tailored suit was torn, the dark fabric soaked in blood. He hadn't even noticed the graze from a ricochet.
“Is it noticeable, Audrey?” Bastian asked, his voice a low rumble.
“Keep pressure on it. There’s a first-aid kit in the center console,” she ordered, keeping her eyes on the treacherous, unlit road.
Bastian retrieved the kit, awkwardly trying to unwrap a bandage with one hand. Audrey sighed, slowing the heavy vehicle as they hit a straight stretch of road. She reached over, her slender fingers deftly taking the bandage from him. With one hand on the wheel, she applied firm, agonizing pressure to the wound, binding it tightly.
“Are you always this calm when bullets are flying, Audrey?” Bastian asked, watching her face illuminated by the faint glow of the dashboard.
“I’m terrified, Mr. Wells,” Audrey admitted softly, her dark eyes reflecting the dashboard lights. “But panic doesn't solve problems.”
“Is that another lesson you learned in your father’s laboratory?” Bastian inquired, his gaze dropping to her hands. They were steady, precise, and highly capable.
“You ask a lot of questions, sir,” Audrey murmured, pulling her hand back to the steering wheel.
“Would you prefer I make assumptions?” Bastian countered. He shifted his weight, his sharp jawline set in a hard line. “You saved my son tonight. You saved my life. You navigated my tactical corridors better than my own security, and you picked a biometric lock like a seasoned thief. Who exactly are you, Audrey?”
“I’m the woman driving the getaway car, sir,” Audrey replied, offering a faint, tired smile. “I think that’s all that matters right now.”
Bastian didn't smile back. He just watched her. “Are we heading to the safehouse in the city?”
“Yes. The coordinates were programmed into the GPS,” Audrey confirmed. “We should be there in twenty minutes. Silas needs a doctor, and Felix needs a real bed.”
“And what do you need, Audrey?” Bastian asked softly.
May you like
The question hung in the air, heavy and intimate. The rigid boundaries between the billionaire mafia boss and his housemaid had burned down with the mansion. In the dark cabin of the armored car, they were just two people who had survived a massacre.
Audrey didn’t answer. She just pressed the accelerator harder, speeding toward the city skyline that glowed faintly on the horizon, desperate to outrun the demons that were undoubtedly chasing them.
