The Eleventh Hour

Chapter 12

He and Jacob reacted as if I hadn’t spoken as Nathaniel passed a set of car keys to him. He flashed a wide, toothy grin at Tanya and I knew immediately that was all it took for her to be persuaded at least.

I stared at her, pissed, and finally she noticed me. The look on her face made me angrier. The knowing, even pleading look was impossible to miss. She was the only one apart from Liv and Grant I’d properly confided in about this man. Of course, she knew who he was, but she wasn’t helping me here. She was supposed to be the authority, the one to tell me I couldn’t go and that we were leaving. She was supposed to save me from myself. But the look in her eyes told me that wasn’t going to happen.

She dragged me to the side and whispered frantically in my ear, away from the other two’s earshot.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. As soon as I was away from Nathaniel and his trance-like gaze, my strength seemed to be restored, and anger took over me completely.

“No Lola, what are you doing?” She hissed back, and I was surprised to hear anger in her voice, too. “You actually have a chance to speak to him, to get all those questions answered. Don’t just walk away. I can see it in your eyes how much you’ve missed him.”

“I don’t care. That doesn’t mean I still follow his orders and do whatever he says. I can’t do this.”

“Yes you can! I know you want to speak to him. It’s done now, you’ve seen him. Believe me, if you walk away now, you’ll regret it.”

I could only stare at her in irritation. Man, she was almost as stubborn as me. But it wasn’t her that convinced me. I already sensed how weak my body was. She only helped with the inevitable.

“Fine.” I spat. And she grinned triumphantly.

“Don’t be out too late!” She chirped, then her face turned serious “I’ll be in my room if you need me okay? I don’t care what time. If you need anything, okay?”

I sighed and nodded as Nathaniel and Jacob joined us again. His eyes were wary and guarded as he looked at me. Good.

“Are you ready then?” Jacob said to Tanya. She flashed me a grin as she followed him. “It was nice to meet you.” He said to me with a wolfish grin, before turning to face Nathaniel, his grin widening.

Nathaniel stared at him impassively, and then they were gone.

My whole body was tense, my hands balled into tight fists at my sides as I glared at him. I needed to be strong, I didn’t want to crumble in front of him. I needed to prepare myself for him going again, when he’d finished doing whatever he’d planned, having us alone.

“Come,” he said, turning away from me. “Somewhere more private.”

I stayed where I was. “No. Just take me straight home.”

He stopped and turned back to face me. Once again his face was impossible to read, but right now, I couldn’t care less. “Fine. We’ll talk in the car.”

I was trembling, but I managed to keep my cool as I began to follow him down the busy sidewalk. I kept my eyes on his back as we moved silently, almost jumping out of my skin when Jenks came to walk beside me. It seemed as though Nathaniel would rather have one of his main men to walk beside me rather than himself.

A black, shiny Mercedes pulled up next to us, and I knew it was one of Nathaniel’s cars – there was something superior to his vehicles that made them stand out above all else.

I stopped in front of it as Jackson got out and came to stand on the sidewalk where Jenks and I were. Nathaniel went around to the driver’s side, signalling for me to get in.