Slowburn

Chapter 105

        I had left work thinking it was finally just an ordinary night. I was scared for my life at the beginning of the week knowing there had been a death threat against me, but Renzo did what he needed to do and fixed all that. 

After so much worry and confusion about Renzo taking a life, and another man wanting a life in exchange, I was relieved for the normalcy. I also thought it felt surreal to be living a normal day after all that. Just a girl at work who would go home and sleep, who'd get a paycheck at the end of the work week, and who'd read a book. 

The hardest thing about all this was now just the heartbreak of asking Renzo and Dante to stay away from me. And for distancing myself from Grace and Rocco too. 

It's heartbreaking. It is. I wish so badly they had never killed someone so I wouldn't have been forced to be so shocked and disdained. To be disgusted by the blatant disrespect for human life. To fear their hearts and how they can sleep at night so easily.

        I thought my night was going to be a normal one. Elijah picked me up from work as he always does. His greeting to me earlier when he picked me up for my shift had been so genuinely warm and kind. He said it felt like forever since he'd given me a ride and that he missed me. It was nice. And so was the ride home when we chatted idly about mundane things. 

The first time my phone rang with Renzo's number I didn't answer it. My gut had flipped and I panicked, not wanting to speak with him and crumble my resolve, so I just didn't pick up and continued speaking with Elijah.

        I was dropped off, and went to my mailbox when I remembered I never grabbed it this morning. Then my phone rang again. I saw it was Renzo and my gut told me this wasn't something I should ignore. I answered it this time. 

"Kat! Where are you?! Don't go inside or stay around your apartment. I need you to leave and be sure no one is following you. I'm almost there. I'll get you" Renzo blurted out in a clearly concerned voice. 

It made the hairs on the back of my neck raise up. This is a normal night, isn't it? No more fear, right? So, then what was Renzo so panicked about?

        "What? Why? What's going on Renzo" my own voice turned to panic. "We can't find Sven. I'm right here turning the corner in a second. Come to me" Renzo told me. I was both stunned and afraid hearing about Sven still being a problem, but relieved that Renzo would be here to protect me. 

It's twisted, but I do feel safe with him. No matter how brutal a man I find out he is...I still feel safe with him. 

        A pair of strong headlights turned into the lot, and I released a breath knowing he was here for me. "Okay, I see you," I started for the car. I dropped my phone from my ear when suddenly it wasn't a 6'3 obsidian haired man with a blue eyed gaze, but rather a blonde man with a less impressive build and evil set in his eyes. 

I think I heard Renzo shout something, but I had just dropped my arm away and released the mail that was in my hands. It scattered behind me. I was halfway across the street, out in the open with nowhere to run or with any place to duck behind.

Standing in front of me was Sven Van Dijk, the man who stabbed my door with a death threat. The man who they've been looking for. The man who was supposed to be on a plane back to Amsterdam. 

        He had a gun in his hand, though he didn't point it at me yet. He started walking in front of his headlights, so that his appearance turned more like a silhouette in the dark. It was eerie. He looked so pleased with himself knowing I was afraid. 

He made the gun obvious in his hands, but hadn't pointed yet when there were the sounds of screeching tires from somewhere behind us. My heart stopped when I saw Renzo barreling toward us at full speed.