Ferd don’t go

Her words had barely sunk in when the doors burst open behind me, and my two bodyguards rushed in with nervous looks on their faces. One minute I was standing completely dumbfounded because a girl, yes! A real girl said she likes me, and I don't think she was kidding either. Then, the next minute I was being pulled away from Delilah and dragged hurriedly back into the parking lot.

Delilah had little time to protest since she was as stunned about all of this as I was. But in under two minutes I was being shoved into the back of our black Escalade and the last thing I saw before the doors closed was Ari's eyes. They held as much confusion as I was feeling.

The car had barely drove off when I shoved my head between the two front seats, "Guys what the hell is going on!".

Once I got over the shock, I was able to finally react and let's just say I was upset at how they had unceremoniously dragged me out of there.

Victor was the one driving and he didn't even turn to acknowledge me instead he kept his eyes on the road. The solemn look he had on his face told me that this situation, whatever it is, was pretty serious.

I waited for either of them to say something but neither of them did. Until a few moments had passed and the silence had stretched too thin when Jason decided to speak up.

"Rajaun is dead".

The three words that fell out of Jason's mouth left me completely shocked. I fell back into my seat without uttering another word as the car drove on to wherever they were taking me.

Rajaun was dead.

I still wasn't able to process that.

I wasn't aware of how long we'd been driving for but when the car stopped Jason opened the door for me and I slowly got out.

When I looked up my brows furrowed in confusion for a while before I looked back at the two tall guys standing on either of my sides.

My eyes met Victor's first. "What's going on?", I asked him.

He proceeded to place a hand on my shoulder and began leading me towards the private jet on the airfield before us.

"It's not safe for you here anymore, your father wants you to come home".

***********

When I was fourteen my father had barged through my room door one night and began packing my bags out of nowhere and with no explanation.

I was confused, I'm still confused.

Even now I still don't really know why he packed me up and flew me off to America in secret and all in one night.

The only thing he told me was that 'they we're coming after me' and I 'wouldn't be safe as long I stayed home'. He rushed with me to a private airstrip in the middle of the night and that's where I met Victor.

He stood on the asphalt all six feet two inches looking dominant and stoic. He was the first person I became friends with since that night and we've been friends for the past two years.

It's almost reflective to be back on the same private jet as I'd flown on that night, only, this time it will be taking me back home and away from this continent.

That night Victor had shaken my hand when he introduced himself and he had said, 'You can trust me to protect you. I promise'.

I had believed him instantly. Somehow, I had immediately trusted this stranger with my life.

He's kept his promise so far.

The entire ordeal unravels before me in a blur, and I all but quietly sit in my seat and let everything happen.

As the jet ascends, I am cascaded with a ton of memories, mostly involving Raj.

We were never friends, nor acquaintances. In fact, I have never actually met him in person before and yet, he probably knows me better than anyone else.

The reason...

My real name is Julian Descartes but when I was forced to leave France two years ago a boy who shared a similar disposition with me and similar physical attributes was contracted to in a way, pretend to be me.

So, while I was forced to leave someone else took my place and was living in my stead under the pretense of being me. While I was safe in America no one would suspect I was gone so nothing seemed suspicious. Almost every single detail about me was divulged to Rajaun so that his impersonation of me could be as realistic as possible.

After I left France Rajaun was taken out of the spotlight. He was homeschooled, didn't go out or have friends. It was a good strategy because everyone knew he was there and thought he was me but he was taken completely out of the public's eye so that no one ever got close enough to realize he wasn't me.

Now this!

Rajaun being dead could only mean one thing.

Someone tried and succeeded in killing me. If they got to Rajaun then they wanted me dead. Only, he wasn't the real Julian Descartes. I am.

I don't know how much times passes while I just sit there stirring in my misery. As if sensing my thoughts Victor begins walking over towards me with a look of pure determination lining his features. When I look outside the window, I am bombarded with surroundings that used to be familiar, but I haven't been here in over two years. The French terrain is nothing if not spectacular. I hadn't even realized when the last few hours had passed.

When Victor approaches me, we share a tense look for a second before he says the same words that he'd used that night.

"You can trust me to protect you. I promise".

*************