"Marcel!" Pamela exclaimed with relief when she looked up at the person she'd bumped into. "I've been looking all over for you." She glanced back quickly to see if Bob was following. She then grabbed Marcel's hand and steered him towards the parking lot.
"Woah, easy. Where are we going?"
"Anywhere but here. Take me to your car, please. Drive me from here – I'll explain later." She added, cutting him off when he wanted to argue.
Pamela held her breath until they were well away from the building and were speeding down the highway.
"Okay, now, talk." He demanded.
Pamela brought out her phone and switched it off. It could be tracked. "It's a long story."
"I have all the time in the world."
She leaned her head on the seat and sighed. "Where do I start?"
Marcel didn't respond, and she didn't expect him to, she'd asked a rhetorical question so it surprised her when he did.
"Maybe from the moment, you dumped me?" His voice sounded cool and controlled, but she could see him clenching his jaw and gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white.
It made him look forbidding, almost dangerous, and that surprised Pamela. He'd never gotten angry in her presence and he'd never acted angry. He'd always smiled and laughed and loved her. He'd always been the understanding and sweet partner. Anger didn't suit him.
He changes gears and took a sharp turn and that made her lurch forward. "Marcel, I never wanted that to happen." She said with contriteness, trying to placate him.
"But it did." He responded his tone somewhere between angry and melancholic.
"I'm sorry." She said softly.
He shook his head. "It's alright. You know how I feel about you. I'll never stop." He gave her a glance that was filled with hunger. Like he wanted her.
"Where are we heading for?" She asked, changing the topic. She didn't want to – couldn't – dwell on the topic that would make him want her. The mere thought of it made her stomach clench like she was cheating on someone.
She groaned inwardly. She wasn't. She did not commit. She could do anything she wanted...right?
"My cabin."
Pamela brightened at the sound of that. "I remember that place! We went there once remember? We attended a fair." She grinned.
"Of course, I remember. It's my cabin."
She laughed at his sarcastic tone and he laughed back.
"I wish we could attend a fair again." She said dreamily.
"Heavens no. Your wish is rejected."
Pamela burst out laughing, relieved he was back to his normal self. She couldn't deal with Marcel being angry and gloomy. But she could deal with a certain someone being just that. She steered her thoughts from heading in that direction.
"Why?" She asked still laughing. "It was fun."
"We danced till our feet hurt." He said. "What's fun about that?"
"No, I danced till my feet hurt. My heels were too high." She placed her hand on her mouth and giggled. "I'm sorry I tripped you."
Marcel groaned. "Don't remind me! That was my favorite shirt that was ruined."
Pamela rolled her eyes. "Aww come on Marcel, it's over two years. Besides, I fell too."
"Not into the mud. You were protected by my body and favorite shirt." He gave her a playful scowl and they both laughed.
"I enjoyed the ribs we ate at that restaurant. So delicious. I hope we can eat there again."
"That, my dear, is a wish that can be accepted." He grinned at her.
Two hours later, they arrived at the cabin. Pamela didn't care that it had taken so long to get there, or that she was far away in a remote place, she was just glad to be away from Bob and his robot boss. When they got there, Marcel's housekeeper was dusting and cleaning. Marcel had called her while they had been on the road. While they waited for the woman to be done, they went to the back of the cabin and sat down beside the lake.
"I love this place," Pamela remarked. "It's so scenic and peaceful."
"My parents gave it to me before they died," Marcel said quietly.
She squeezed his hand and smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry."
"You were technically the only family I had before –"
"Were?" She interjected. "I still am, Marcel."
He shook his head from side to side in negation. "It's not the same thing."
"I know but, I'm still your friend."
"I don't know about that, Pamela. We don't talk like we used to anymore. It's as if you're drifting apart."
She understood where he was coming from and where he was headed with the conversation so she said nothing.
"There are so many things happening with you nowadays that's strange. For instance, why were you running? And who's that 3D Superman following you about?"
Despite the touchy subject, Pamela laughed. "It's Bob, and he's my bodyguard." That wasn't far from the truth.
He nodded. It wasn't unusual for her to have a bodyguard. Pamela smiled as she remembered how she and Marcel had tried to escape from her bodyguard once. Philip. She swallowed. He'd died the day her father had died, and the day his corpse was stolen. It seemed like ages ago. Guilt washed over her as she recalled she hadn't visited Philip's family since the tragedy.
"Where have you been staying?"
She stopped and looked up at him, uncertainty crossing her features as it was crossing her mind. Should she answer? Was it safe to?
"I mean, after the funeral last week, I came back to look for you but all your mom said was that you were away and you were safe." Marcel continued. "I kept trying your cell but it was taking me to voicemail. I left a dozen of those too." He shrugged. "I was worried – I am worried." He looked into her eyes and she saw concern in them.
Could she trust him? Could she tell him about the safe house she'd been in? She was unsure.
"I'm sorry I didn't respond to your voicemails." She hadn't even bothered to check for or listen to them.
"It's okay." He took her hands in his, an understanding smile on his lips. "I just want to make sure you're alright."
"I am." She said and cleared her throat. "I've been staying at a safe house."
There. She said it. Blast the consequences. This is someone that cared a lot about her well-being. He couldn't harm her. She could even invite him to come to visit her because she knew she would be taken back to the safe as there was no way she could escape Devlin.
Why not make the most of a hopeless situation then? Invite Marcel over. What harm could gentle Marcel do? What threat could he be posing? Devlin might have a fit – but she would stand up to him. It was high time he started respecting her decisions.
Taking a deep breath, Pamela relayed all about Devlin's safe house and where it was located.
~
Dusk had fallen. Pamela and Marcel were walking back to the cabin. They'd been to Fork n Fingers to eat ribs. It'd been delicious. The waiter that served them seemed to know Marcel. He'd been friendly to Pamela and had taken their orders, wasting no time in bringing them.
Pamela remembered how happy she'd been when the waiter had brought the mouth-watering succulent baby back ribs, french fries, creamy coleslaw, a slice of red onion, and two slices of white bread. It had been better than anything she'd ever tasted.
"I want to go back." Pamela groaned. "I love the ribs! Especially the pork."
Marcel laughed. "Not a chance. It's late."
She grinned at him. "You know, I don't know how to cook. Imagine if I cooked something like that for my Dad, he would have loved it." She smiled tenderly.
"Hmm-hmm." was Marcel's reply and Pamela had to remind herself that Marcel and her dad had never been on good terms.
The silence that ensued was awkward.
"We're here!" Pamela announced as they got to the cabin. It was unnecessary of her, but she had to say something, anything that would ease the atmosphere. She had to be cautious of mentioning her dad in Marcel's presence. It was obvious he remembers that rainy day when she'd broken up with him any time her dad came up.
To her surprise, Marcel turned her gently towards him and lowered his lips onto hers.
She gasped. She was shocked. Marcel, thinking her gasp was due to passion used the opportunity to insert his tongue in her mouth drawing her close. Pamela tried to suppress the urge to compare Marcel and Devlin but she couldn't. Marcel's kiss was so...ordinary and wet and....passion deprived.
Granted, sparks hadn't exactly flown when she'd kissed Devlin but...there had been something to reckon with. Shortness of breath, tingling sensations in her nipples, sweet dizziness, the urge to run her hands into his hair, the urge to pull him close – none of that registered here.
Also, she felt guilty. For reasons she couldn't fathom, she felt guilty.
She pulled back and tried to step away but Marcel held her in place. He lunged for her lips again and Pamela curbed the urge to kick him or scream or tear her hair out.
"Lady Pamela?" a voice, thankfully, jerked them apart. Pamela turned and saw Cody.
Her knees went weak with relief. If someone could save her from drowning in Marcel's spit, it was Cody. She couldn't believe she'd thought Marcel was the best kisser once. But that didn't mean she didn't care for him. She still very much did.
"Cody? A-are you here to take me back?"
He glared suspiciously at Marcel. His lips were thinned and he looked like he would snap off Marcel's head. "I want to talk to you." He said to Pamela but his dangerous glare didn't leave Marcel. "Alone." He added, for better clarification.
"She's not leaving my sight., Marcel responded coldly.
Cody bunched his fists and took a hulking step forward but Pamela stood between them. She looked at Marcel, her eyes pleading. "We'll just be a minute. Please."
He gave Cody a long, dangerous, and cold glare. "Fine. If you need me, just call my name." Then he stormed off in the direction of the lake.
Cody made sure they were alone before speaking. But what was the use? Pamela thought. She had told Marcel everything. But she couldn't tell Cody this. She didn't know how he'll react. He couldn't hurt her, of course, but his boss could – with his clipped words and aloofness.
"My lady, you need to come back, please."
"How did you find me?"
"I'm sorry but that's not important right now. Bob's in trouble."
Pamela's breath hitched and guilt washed over her. "What's wrong?"
He shook his head, looking frightened for the first time since she knew him. "The boss. He...blames Bob for losing you. See what he did." He brought out his phone and handed it to her. Pamela took a look and gasped in horror.
Bob had been whipped and he was bleeding all over. His eyes were considerably swollen. Tears stung at the back of her eyes.
"W-who did?" She took a deep breath and looked at him, her eyes glistening in the dull glow of the bulb mounted on the orch. "Devlin did this?" She whispered.
"Yes." Cody took a shaky breath. "Bob is my brother. He could...die."
Pamela felt her heart-wrenching How could Devlin be this cruel? How she hated him! "But, why do you need me? What could I possibly do to avert this?"
"The boss will listen to you."
Pamela scoffed. "Yeah right."
"He will." Cody insisted. "He has a soft spot for you."
Pamela gave him a surprised look. "You think so?"
He nodded. "Besides, it was because Bob lost you that this is happening. If you came back..."
Pamela understood and nodded. She looked behind her and saw Marcel was not back. She had no time. She rushed into the cabin and grabbed her phone and her purse. A man's life depended on her. When she emerged, Cody offered her his hands and she took them racing towards his car with him.
Racing towards imprisonment.
~
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