Page 204 of Heartless Sinner

Daphne

Isat in that suffocating motel room for hours, huddled on the edge of the mattress, terrified of what was coming as I turned my tiara over in my hands.

I had no phone. No money. Nothing.

Somewhere outside, stray dogs howled. A baby cried through the paper-thin walls. Every sound sent my heart into my throat.

When I finally peeked through the window, Brooks’s vehicle was gone.

Two blacked-out SUVs now sat in the parking lot. Secret Service, just like he’d warned.

The lock clicked, and I jumped to my feet.

I held my breath as the door swung open, and the last person I’d expected appeared.

“Daphne! Oh my God!” Blair said breathlessly, rushing into the room and throwing her arms around me.

For a split second, this felt almost like a rescue until Enzo stepped into the doorway. His broad frame filled it completely. The room seemed to drop ten degrees as his eyes burned into me with a dark, volatile rage.

The only thing keeping him from ripping me apart was Blair.

I’d betrayed Brooks, and that made me Enzo’s enemy.

“Come on,” Enzo said. His attention shifted to Blair instead of me. “We have to go.” He walked off without waiting to see whether I followed.

Blair grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room.

We hurried through the shadows of the parking lot.

I clung to Blair’s side, nearly tripping over the hem of my dress. Running in heels while scared for your life wasn’t an easy task. But I knew as long as I was with Blair, she’d make sure I was protected.

I risked a glance toward the SUVs and exhaled when we headed in the other direction.

My head stayed down as I followed them to a black Mercedes. Enzo unlocked it and jerked his chin toward the backseat.

Blair waited until I climbed into the back before sliding in beside me.

“Where are we going?” I asked, catching my breath and unstrapping my heels.

“You’re going back to Calira,” Enzo said as he pulled out of the motel parking lot. “You need to be out of the country within the next hour.” He looked at me in the rearview mirror. “And you’re never coming back.”

My heart stopped.

Never coming back meant never seeing Adelina again.

Never seeing Blair.

Never seeing Brooks.

My mind spun. “Do you guys know …”

Blair didn’t answer with words. The way she reached over and covered my hand with hers told me they did.

I swallowed hard and kicked my shoes off before collecting them in my lap. “Does anyone have my phone? Anything?”

“Sorry,” Blair whispered. “We came from the university as fast as we could.”

Enzo navigated the dark, winding back roads before eventually turning into a private airstrip. A lone jet waited at the end of the runway, its stairs already lowered.