Chapter 9

Kiara

For some reason, I wasn't aware that we all had to enter one vehicle. Let me rephrase that, for some reason no one felt fit to tell me, we were all in one car which is supposed to be David's or Antonio's car. It was more than enough to fit three people, big and luxurious but the quiet and tension was crazy and it was difficult to tell what the problem was. Plus, the other cars we brought along had these heft—looking men in them and they were in front and behind us.

It couldn't have been the chitchat we had earlier, arguing was growing to become our thing, and Luke, his face looked as tense as ever. While Antonio remained static like a rock on his seat, Luke kept looking back and checking around like something was following us.

Now, I don't know anything about rich people but this better not have anything to do with my life. 

This one time, I decided to stay quiet cause I didn't know if anyone was going to respond to my lamentations. Out of exhaustion, I placed my head against the cold glass of the window as I glanced through it for a view of the beautiful night. It was an estate and there weren't people buzzing around like it would be on an average street. What I did notice was a dark car moving towards us. It was coming from the side and it moved so fast, you wouldn't think anyone would drive at that speed in a quiet estate with only a few cars around. I looked back at the other two, no one had noticed it yet and I kept looking back and forth to know if it was just me or it was a rich people thing.

"Um, there's a ca_"

"What car?" Luke cut me off and immediately, his finger went to the device attached to his ear "There's a problem Dante"

The moment I glanced back, the car was very close to ours and I was about to scream when I heard a sharp sound and both tires were slashed out. The car screeched and moved to the side, almost ramming into the building at the side and only a very small distance away from us. Our car had stopped, and whoever it was in the car remained inside. At that point, I didn't even understand what was happening.

I'd only seen stuff like this in movies, I couldn't even tell if I could believe my eyes.

"Luke, what's going on?" 

Luke was saying some stuff in another language, maybe Italian or Mexican, I don't know, I never paid attention to Languages. He was talking fast while I fought to understand what he was even saying. Antonio, on the other hand, remained in one position, only that this time he was staring straight toward the car and his jaw ticked in anger.

"Everyone remain in position"

"Someone please tell me what's going on, my life's also at risk here"

Luke continued yelling out commands in his other language while I fought to remain in my seat. It's difficult cause getting out would get me killed, and staying in would also get me killed. Even if I'm to die, at least I should know-how and who is responsible for it.

The door of the car I was in opened swiftly and I was close to jumping out of my seat when I saw one of the hefty-looking men from the other cars. People on our side. 

"Road's clear, she came alone"

"Bring her to me," Antonio said, voice deep and smooth, and yet, it sent shivers down my spine. 

He nodded in response and signaled for someone else to go get her who I assume is the driver of the fast car. Immediately, three other guys were by the car and they moved to it slowly and carefully like there was a bomb in it. A few moments later, maybe a minute or two an_

Wait wait wait, I don't think I'm seeing this right. 

They had guns.

Antonio's men have guns on them which means Antonio isn't an ordinary rich guy. This means he's nothing like the David Russel CEO guy I used to know, this guy had so much more power than I could imagine and it exceeded mere social influence or business.

"Um, why are there guns everywhere?" I was not responded to, yet again but since we were no longer under attack, I proceeded to say "Antonio, your men have guns. This isn't part of the PA agreement, I'm not comfortable with this"

Before I knew it, I heard a thump and the culprit was on the ground by the door. 

And it was none other than, drum roll, please.

Cairo, the same woman who almost murdered my father. The one that dressed all nice and was by Antonio just a few minutes ago was the same person that was this close to clashing against our car. 

"Tesoro, perché così triste?"

There we go again, they're saying stuff in a language I don't understand.

"Are you gonna kill me?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, maybe"

Can't believe she's still doing the same thing she did when I first saw her years ago, going around killing people. I didn't want her dead but then, how could she be laughing in such a situation? If I was anything near her position, I would be on my knees bawling my eyes out cause Antonio didn't look like he was going to let this slide.

"Do me a favor and make it less painful, will you?"

"I will, if you tell me who paid you"

"No one, I came on my own"

"You're skilled Cairo, you never work on your own"

"Well, maybe this time's different. I just got bored of your stuck-up pretty face"

"Your breaks failed, very usual for a car that good. It's only if someone tampered with it that is, which I assume is the case here. You were promised reinforcement, seeing you don't have your big boys with you. Isn't it clear Miele? You've completed your suicide mission"

The next thing I heard was a tick and Antonio pulled out a dark silvery material. Small for his big hands but big enough for me to see what it was. A gun, let me reinterpret that for you, a weapon that could potentially end someone's life. He had that all this time and I had a dumb argument with him in a quiet place where it was just two of us.

Anyways, he pointed the gun to Cairo's head and this woman may have been the worst the two times I'd seen her before but for the sake of my sanity, I wasn't going to watch him take someone's life in front of me. I didn't know what to do and I didn't want her dead either. What if I scream, he flinches, and boom, the bullet's out?

I felt my breath pick up and sweat drip from my forehead, I was scared for this woman and she was smiling back like she didn't have a gun being pointed at her head. Those were going to be the last few seconds of her life.

I jumped off my seat without thinking and my hand went to his wrist. Hard like it was built of plain muscles and cold like he didn't have blood running through his veins, his grip on the weapon increased when I touched him, and soon after that was a laugh from Cairo.

"Would you look at that?" Cairo said "She's a real princess, isn't she? I must say, you must have found yourself the perfect woman this time Antonio, nothing like I've ever seen in my life"

"Go back to your seat Kiara, this is more than you think," Luke said.

"Please" I whispered so only Antonio would hear. If the man had half a heart, he would at least consider my plea "I can't watch you do this to anyone"

"Um, Cinderella? Do you realize I made your sweet daddy a limp noodle? That was me"

"I'm new to all of this, I'm sure there's another way we can sort this out"

"Wow Antonio, I must commend you, this is real housewife material. Good housewife material, in fact, I'm sure the ring would be so pleased to hear this"

Antonio glanced up at me, eyes looking as sharp as a blade "You will regret this"