I'll be back for you
Carl was laser-focused on the road, his foot heavy on the gas pedal, but Anne was shaking with fear. Even though Carl was right by her side, she couldn't help but get scared.
"Noah, can you hear me?" Anne's voice quivered on the other end of the line.
"loud and clear pretty face," Noah responded and Carl rolled his eyes because Noah sounded flirtatious all of a sudden.
"Dr. Ken's men are chasing after us," she said, her voice trembling.
"What? Right now?" Noah asked with panic in his voice.
"Yes," Anne replied, her eyes darting from side to side as she searched the road ahead for any sign of the men. Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted one of the black Lexus cars speeding toward them.
"We're heading towards Central Park please hurry up and get us," she said
"Okay, I'm on it. Boss, just keep driving, me and the cops are on our way," he said and the call ended.
As Carl drove on, he saw a black Lexus appear ahead of him and he hit the brakes. He considered reversing but saw that he was boxed in by more black Lexus cars behind him. They were closing in on him from all sides. He was stuck in the middle of an open space, with no escape route in sight. The black Lexus were like predators surrounding their prey.
Carl was no longer on the highway so he was clueless about what to do. He was trapped, like a mouse in a maze with no way out. His hands clenched the steering wheel as he tried to come up with a plan to escape the black cars that surrounded him. Carl's mind raced with possible scenarios, but each one seemed doomed to fail.
"What are you going to do now, you son of a bitch?" Dr. Ken's bodyguard snarled through gritted teeth. His car was also parked alongside the other black Lexus cars that surrounded Carl. He was itching to give a signal for the other drivers to move in for the attack, but he held back. He was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Meanwhile, Anne felt like she was having a panic attack. "What are we going to do Carl? we're surrounded," She said worriedly.
Carl's expression was calm and steady, but deep down, he was scared. Not for himself, but for Anne. What if these men were also planning to hurt her?
He had to keep it together for her sake.
Carl stared at Anne with a weak smile on his face. He was trying very hard for her to stay calm and assure her that everything was going to be alright.
"Anne, I want you to promise me something," he said to Anne in a firm tone without breaking his gaze.
"No matter what happens, you can't leave the car, do you understand? I'll do everything I can to get us out of this, but you have to stay put," he said. The look in his eyes was fierce, but his tone was reassuring. He wanted to make sure Anne knew that he was in control of the situation, even though he had no idea what to do next.
Anne shook her head, trying to understand what he was saying. "Why? Do you have a plan?" she asked him.
"I'm not sure yet," Carl said "But what I do know is that those men are here for me, not you. So I need you to stay put until Noah and the cops get you," He spoke with authority, hoping she would listen to him because he desperately wanted to protect her at all costs.
"No!" Anne exclaimed, shaking her head vigorously. "We're going to stay here until Noah and the cops get the both of US!"
"We don't have much time!" Carl snapped. "Look, we're surrounded. If I don't cooperate with them, they're going to come after the both of us," he said firmly.
Anne pulled a long face as tears welled up in her eyes. She was upset that Carl was not listening to her. She didn't know how she could convince him to stay and trust her that they would both be safe if he didn't give in to the men chasing after them. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt frozen in place.
"Everything is going to be alright, I promise," Carl said to her in a soft tone. He could see the fear in Anne's eyes, and he wanted to reassure her. He leaned closer and placed his hands on her jawline. His gaze was intense as he stared deeply into her eyes. "You know, I never break my promise,"
"That's not enough!" Anne protested. Her voice was breaking as she spoke. "I need you here. I don't want you to leave, please! I'm scared I'm going to lose you," Anne pleaded desperately. She was scared to death for what might happen to Carl if he decided to cooperate with the men.
"I'm sorry I can't stay here," Carl shook his head regretfully. He saw the look of disappointment on Anne's face, and he wished there was a way to convince her that he was making the right choice.
"I'm sorry, please forgive me," he added. His voice was heavy with emotion.
"And about the text you received earlier, I swear on my life it wasn't from me. I care about you too much to send you a hurtful text message," He looked at her pleadingly, hoping she would believe him.
However, Anne slowly nodded, knowing that Carl was being honest.
"…Also, I didn't kiss Cassandra, she was the one who forced herself on me and I pushed her away even before I saw you," Carl confessed.
"Why are you telling me this now!?" Anne demanded. Her voice was sharp and full of hurt. For some reason, she believed every word Carl was saying. She was relieved to finally hear the truth but this was not a good time for Carl to start explaining what really happened when they were in danger.
Even if she believed him, she was still upset because this was not the right moment for an explanation. She needed to focus on the immediate danger they were in.
"Please let me finish… I need to tell you this" Carl insisted. He knew this wasn't the right moment, but he couldn't hold it in any longer.
"The only reason I took her on a date was because I was trying to move on from you but I was just fooling myself. I couldn't stop thinking about you," He paused, his eyes fixed on her eyes. "It's you. You're the one I want."
Anne's heart fluttered in her chest. His words were unexpected and she wasn't sure how to respond.
"You're the only one I care about," Carl continued. "Not Cassandra, not anyone else. Just you. I know this is probably the worst time to say this, but I need you to know that I love you, Anne"
Anne was stunned and was left breathless. She didn't know what to say, or even how to feel. Everything seemed to be happening too fast.
She was shocked to hear those three words from Carl all of a sudden, and she was caught off guard. It's been forever since he told her that.
She couldn't believe that he still felt this way, after everything that had happened between them. She felt terrible about the way she had treated him unfairly and ignored his feelings, even though he had always been there for her. She knew she didn't deserve someone like him, who loved her unconditionally.
Anne was lost in Carl's dark green eyes and before she could process what he had said, he pulled her close and seized her lips with a kiss. His kiss was soft and gentle, but it was enough to make her heart pound in her chest.
As soon as their lips met, a drop of tear spilled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes tight. Anne held onto the collar of his shirt not wanting to let go of him as she deepened the kiss. She could feel his heart beating against hers, and she never wanted to let go. She felt safe in his arms like nothing bad could ever touch her as long as he was there.
Carl meant every word he had said, and it was a relief to finally say them out loud. He had wanted to tell her after his conversation with Dexter because it was him who made him feel hopeful again.
Now, he was grateful he had the chance to say it all even though it wasn't the right time. He wanted to start over with Anne, to rebuild their relationship from the ground up. He wanted her to know that there was no reason for her to be jealous of Cassandra because it was Anne he loved.
After their kiss, Carl studied Anne's flushed face. Her eyes were still closed, her breath soft and shallow. Then, the silence was broken by a sudden bang. Anne's eyes flew open, her body tensing with fear.
A gunshot had ripped through the quiet atmosphere.
Carl immediately snapped back to reality on high alert. He was surrounded by dangerous men who would do anything to harm him or Anne. And at this moment, he needed to protect his queen.
Carl unlocked the car door, preparing to get out but as he reached for the handle, Anne grabbed his arm with fear in her eyes.
"Don't leave, please stay here with me," Anne sounded like she was about to cry. Her eyes were already filled with tears. She was holding onto his arm tight like she'll lose him forever the second she let go of him.
At that moment, a dark thought filled her heart that something bad might happen to Carl once he stepped out of the car. Besides, the way Carl was confessing his feelings towards her made her feel like he wasn't going to come back alive.
Anne's sad eyes were enough to make him stay but he couldn't. He knew he had to face the men all by himself. He couldn't let the men get to her. He had to protect her even if it would cost him his life.
"I'll be back for you, I promise," Carl said, his eyes fixed on hers. With a heavy heart, he gently pulled his arm from her grasp. He opened the door and stepped outside, ready to face the men.
Anne felt her heart sink as Carl came down from the car and shut the door close. Why couldn't he just listen to her? She wiped the tears from her eyes and felt a hot surge of anger. It was frustrating to see him being so stubborn.
Meanwhile, Carl saw that all the men were already out of their cars including Dr. Ken's bodyguard who was in front of him but a few feet away. He was pointing Carl a rifle which was aimed directly at his chest. He had a grim expression on his face like he would shoot Carl if he flinched.
Carl's eyes scanned the circle of men surrounding him. The men were like 15 in number and they all had their pistols drawn, every barrel pointed at him. They were all dressed in black leather and they were like a well-trained army, encircling him in perfect discipline.
Carl was outnumbered and outgunned.