Crazy = Genius

Chapter 5: STRANGER THINGS

'It's getting weird now but stranger things have happened in the nighttime'

For the second time in a row, Lilianna spent the plane ride back to Gander with her legs tucked to her chest and her eyes staring into space.

You're mine Lilianna Price.

His words haunted her as she tried to push the session from her mind. She could still feel his rough hands on her skin, his scent suffocating her from how close his chest was to her face. She could have sworn the smell had rubbed off onto the blue cardigan she was wearing. It was like he was still standing with her and she hated it.

Lilianna didn't know what to expect when the plane landed. Would WITSEC be waiting for her to step onto the tarmac; a passport and overnight bag ready to send her away with a new identity? Would Terrence Vendetta's groupies be there to kidnap her and hold her hostage because their leader had some possessive obsession with her?

Neither was better than the other in her mind. She realized at that moment that she hadn't called her dad in a while and may never get to if she isn't met with an empty runway.

When the door opened to the jet, Lilianna nearly collapsed with relief. All that sat on the asphalt was her Volkswagon in the same parking spot where she had left it. The drive home was therapeutic for her as she took a deep breath for the first time that day.

Once she pulled into her driveway, she felt panic rise in her again. The black Range Rover from the previous day was still parked in front of her house.

My men are in your life to make sure you don't do anything stupid and to keep an eye on you for me.

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. That car belonged to his groupies. It wasn't a car that belonged to her neighbours like she had hoped it was. The phone call, the fake agent, those were all distractions from the thing that was really linked to Vendetta. That Range Rover.

She stared at it through squinted eyes and this time she could make out two figures behind the tinted glass.

"Bloody criminals. Leave me alone." She grumbled to herself as she marched inside and locked all her doors and shut the outside world, well, out.

It was hard trying to settle into her home to be alone and relax after all the craziness she had previously experienced. Being the obsession of the world's worst criminal was eating away at her. Being watched by his henchmen scared her to the bone. She was terrified. Yet, how could she get herself out of something so big? He was the devil's reincarnation, she couldn't run from him if she tried, especially not after what he told her.

A sudden knock on the door had her jumping out of her own skin and letting out a small shriek.

"Lilianna?" Hardy's scared voice called to her once he heard her fear through the door. The door opened quickly and he was yanked inside before he could register what was going on.

"I thought you were gonna kill me, sorry." She sighed, rubbing a hand over her stressed face.

"Kill you? Are those gangsters-" He almost screamed at the thought of his only family ending up dead because of the scum bag he had put so much work into understanding.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just paranoid. You know me." She lied with a reassuring smile. He bought it and let out a giant huff in relief.

"How was your session? I was just stopping by to check up on you and see how the day went." He asked, hoping to hear the recording from the session.

"Oh, it was normal. I didn't get much out of him this time around, actually. He talked about his previous love interest. Claims I look just like her." She partially lied, again. She hated lying to him, it made her want to vomit. But she knew if she told him the truth then WITSEC would be there in minutes.