CLASS ACT (A BRITISH ROCKSTAR BAD BOY ROMANCE) (32 page)

It was also a chance to get more information on Sergei Petrov. Not that I expected to learn much. My grandfather never liked my personal vendetta against Petrov. He told me there was more at stake than chasing after some one-eyed Russian. I hated the man for not doing everything in his power to avenge his slain daughter.

Nonetheless, discussing business usually cleared my mind. I could focus on the task at hand instead of some college girl. I was a wolf and she lived in the land of the innocent sheep.

Yet, I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder and watch Kelly disappear into the distance.

This side of the city was dirty. I don’t mean just literally which I guess is true enough. The streets smelt of cheap beer and broken glass. I had to make sure I didn’t step on something dangerous.

At night, it was dirty in another way. The city took on a darker atmosphere. On occasion, prostitutes and hustlers walked through the streets. It was as if the criminals wanted to show everyone that they owned the streets. Anyone of them would try to shake me down for the money I had.

I didn’t know why they built a perfectly good grocery store on the other side of it. I always kept my head down and hoped no one bothered me. At least the area was nicer during the day.

Thankfully, I reached the grocery store without incident. The owner was an elderly Indian man I made small talk with from time to time. I headed in to pick up the brand of milk I liked.

It felt good to be able to get out of the apartment. I didn’t like being cooped up there after experiencing the freedom of college. I missed the friends I had made over there. I wished I had gotten myself a steady boyfriend. Someone who was handsome, mature, and could protect me.

Someone like Jackie.

I didn’t know where that thought came from. He wasn’t anything like the boys I knew. He looked only a few years older than me but talking to him was like talking to someone who was dad’s age. He seemed mature beyond his years. I wondered what caused him to grow up so quickly.

I paid for the milk and left to go home. There were some services that delivered groceries to you directly at any time of the day. I wasn’t so keen on that since I liked to give my legs a stretch, even in the middle of the night.

It would’ve been an uneventful trip if a luxury sedan didn’t stop right in front of me. A group of three middle-aged men in black suits stepped out of the car. I tried to ignore them and go about my business. However, one of them called out to me.

“Excuse me, miss,” one of the men said, moving to block my path. He wore dark sunglasses in the middle of the night for some reason. “I need you to come with us.”

They looked too professional to be street hustlers. “Is there a problem?”

The man’s shades hid his eyes. “You’re under arrest for stealing.”

“I paid for the milk,” I said incredulously. I looked back at the man as if this was a staring contest. His weird shades made it difficult to win. “Here’s the receipt-”

“Just come with us,” he interrupted, speaking with a distinctly Eastern European accent. I had no plans of going along with these shady characters. “It’s about your father.”

My eyes widened in shock. “My father? Did something happen to him?”

The man grabbed me by the arm. “Come with us.”

I slapped the hand away. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on!”

The man held onto me again with an even stronger grip. “Come with us if you want this to be painless!”

I wasn’t some trained fighter. Not by a long shot. But instinct overtook my fear.

Dropping the bag of groceries, I yanked my arm free from the man. He wasn’t so eager to let me escape. My feet tried to kick him but he turned me around by my forearm. Then, he slapped the back of my head. “Quiet, you bitch!”

I responded my kneeing him in the groin.

He immediately dropped onto the ground and doubled over in pain. The two other men were stunned by what had just happened. I didn’t need to see through their sunglasses to know they empathized with their fallen comrade.

Now was my chance to escape.

The two remaining men yelled after me and gave chase. I wasn’t on the college track team but adrenaline gave me the spring I needed in my step. Thankfully, a crowd began to form and block their path.

There might have been two grown men chasing me but I knew these streets by heart. I zig-zagged between the serpentine streets of the city. For good measure, I even double backed through an intersection to throw them off my trail.

Finally, I took some rest in an empty alleyway.

My heart raced like a jackhammer. I thought of my father who was in danger. Whoever these men were, they were trying to get to him through me. I had to get to Daddy and warn him. I cursed myself for not carrying my phone.

I raced to my apartment. A part of me knew it would be dangerous. If they could ambush me in the middle of the streets, then they probably knew where I lived. However, I had to find my father and tell him what happened.

Ignoring the elevator, I raced up the flight of stairs. Daddy had to be okay. I had already lost mom. I couldn’t lose my only remaining family to these strange men.

More out of exhaustion than caution, I peeked into the hallway that led to my apartment.

I instantly froze when I saw a pair of men wearing dark suits standing outside our apartment. The door was open and the men seemed to be on guard. Someone came out from the doorway who didn’t look like the other two men.

One of the two strange men had one eye. The other eye socket was covered by an eye patch. I could tell he was dangerous from just the way his single eye scanned the hallway.

I had to cover my mouth to keep myself from gasping when I recognized the man who had just come out of my apartment.

It was one of the employees from my father’s job. I think his name was Harold Colman. My father had said he was the one to have brought in those people who tried to bribe him.

I leaned in to hear what he had to say.

“He didn’t put up much of a fight.”

“Damn it!” said one of the other well-dressed men. He was the one with two eyes. “You didn’t need to make a mess. You’re tracking blood all over the floor. We’re going to have to call in the cleaners. Thank God everyone is asleep at this time.”

My heart sank.

My father’s killer spoke again. “Hey, I tried to offer him the easy way out but he tried to fight back. What can you do to a rabid dog other than put it down for good? Besides, you’re the one who told me to take care of him if he caused trouble.”

The one-eyed man spoke. “Not like this. This is for only the most troublesome pests.”

The other man warned Harold. “If this costs us, it’ll be your head on the line. Mr. Gregori is not going to like this.”

“There’s still the girl,” Harold continued. “I’m not the one who let her get away. That’s your loose end to tie up. How’d some college girl even sleep past three of your best men?”

The man with one eye paused before speaking. “I said we’d find her and take care of her.”

I felt faint. My knees were turning into jelly. Worse, the two men we’re heading to me.

I was exhausted from running up the stairs. I wouldn’t be able to escape or slip past them. I slumped against the door next to me in defeat.

That’s when I saw the door behind me.

It was apartment number six-three-six. That was where Jackie lived. I didn’t know the young man very well but I needed his help. I knocked on the door.

I prayed that he returned from whatever business he had to attend to.

I knocked again before whispering. “Please open up. It’s me Kelly.”

I could hear the footsteps of the two men approaching me. Even if they took the elevator, they would still notice me. I needed somewhere to hide and fast.

The footsteps got louder.

I knocked harder.

I was about to give up all hope.

That’s when the door began to open.

I didn’t even need to look through the door’s peep hole to know who it was. I could sense it was Kelly. The young woman had this strange aura around her that was driving my sixth sense haywire. She would be the end of my career as a hitman if anyone ever used her against me.