Chapter 44: Chapter 44
Alex
Of course Theadora didn’t need me to tell her twice before she yanked the door open and slid in.
I was already circling around the car since Adrian deemed it fit to jump into the front passenger’s seat—only to casually swing his legs over the gear console and make it to the driver’s seat in a split second like he thought he was starring in his own spy thriller.
I blinked. Once. Twice.
"Wha...seriously?!" I muttered under my breath, sliding into the closest seat which happened to be the back one. "Just pick a damn seat." I bit out, slamming the door beside me, with more force than necessary and narrowly avoiding the group of security guards.
"You said I was driving? Plus I’m with the keys," Adrian said with a smug little shrug before revving up the engine.
The tires screeched a little as we peeled out of the parking lot, weaving between a few cars and nearly grazing the side mirror of a black SUV. I clutched the handle by the door as Adrian made a sharp turn, speeding through the exit lane just as the security guards behind us started shouting.
"They’re following us," I said, craning my neck to look through the back window as one of the guards pointed toward our car and started jogging—only for a second SUV to roll behind them like backup.
Adrian didn’t even flinch. "No kidding," he muttered, his eyes scanning the road ahead like he’d done this a hundred times before. He cut into a side street without signaling, then another, narrowing through alleys that barely felt wide enough for a bicycle.
Theadora braced her hand against the dashboard, shooting him a glare. "You sure you’re not trying to kill us?"
"Relax," he said coolly, one hand gripping the wheel and the other resting way too casually on the window. "I lost them three turns ago."
Theadora turned slightly in her seat, still tense. "Okay but...what if they track the plate number?"
Adrian chuckled. "Oh, sweetheart, you really think I came here using my
plates? That number is registered to a cupcake delivery van in Brooklyn. Their delivery van’s probably parked outside someone’s house right now."
She blinked. "Wait...you cloned a bakery plate?"
"Custom magnets," he said with a grin, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. "Stick on. Peel off. No digital trail."
"Oh." Her voice dropped with mild disbelief, and she shook her head like she’d just realized she was better off not knowing.
"Mhmm. See I’m not just incredibly good-looking." Adrian said, flashing her a cheeky grin. "I’ve got brains to go with it too. So you might want to reconsider that boyfriend offer. Who knows? I might change my mind any second now."
"You don’t say." Theadora muttered, rolling her eyes. "Remind me to hide all my devices from you."
Adrian then let out a soft chuckle with one hand on the wheel and the other, lazily draped over the gearshift. "Oh hiding them won’t save you, darling. I could hack into a vending machine if I got bored enough." He said with a wink through the rear view mirror.
"God help us all then." She scoffed, leaning back slightly—probably gearing up for another sarcastic jab, but then she turned her head just a little—and froze.
I felt her stiffen beside me just a second before I realized why. Our shoulders were pressed together, arms flush, thighs brushing with every bump on the road. The adrenaline must’ve numbed it earlier, but now it was very, very obvious.
Theadora’s glare slid in my direction like a knife.
And just like that, she shifted without a word, practically melting into the door like it might save her from the accidental proximity. I almost rolled my eyes.
"By all means," I muttered. "Don’t make this weird."
She didn’t reply. She just kept her face turned toward the window, like the skyline outside was suddenly the most fascinating thing on earth.
Sometimes, I couldn’t help but wonder what went on in that little head of hers. I mean why was she acting like she was mad at me all of a sudden? Adrian was also part of this whole plan. He also pushed her to do this and clearly she wasn’t mad at him.
I don’t think I’m ever going to understand this girl.
I pulled out my phone from my pocket to distract myself from the vanilla scent that clung to the air, when a quiet mumble caught my ear and I turned only to find Theadora with her head in her hand, fingers buried in her blonde waves as she had already taken off her wig.
She was blinking slowly like she was trying to piece the world back together.
"Oh fuck." She whispered, her voice thick and groggy.
My brows furrowed. That didn’t sound like her usual colorful irritation. That sounded...off.
I glanced up, catching Adrian already looking at me in the rearview mirror.
"What’s wrong?" Concern laced his tone.
"I don’t know," I muttered, eyes not leaving her. "I think she’s..."
Her head dipped again causing the words to die on my lips, and when she lifted it this time her pupils were blown wide.
When did she even take out her contacts?
Her skin had gone from a rich, flushed warmth to something pale beneath the dim, filtered lights seeping through the tinted windows, save for the heat rising in her cheeks. Her lips parted as she struggled to regulate her breathing, and I could practically feel the warmth radiating off her.
I leaned forward, reaching out instinctively to steady her, but she slapped my hand away with a sharp motion, fingers grazing my wrist hard.
"Don’t fucking touch me," she bit out, her voice cracking near the end.
"Christ...even when she’s drugged she’s still stubborn." I muttered under my breath, before ignoring her resistance and pulling her gently toward me anyway and surprisingly she didn’t push me off this time.
Well...considering how weak she looked it shouldn’t have been a surprise to me.
Her head lolled slightly as I held her close, my brain scrambling to figure out what kind of crap that freak might have dosed her with.
She was burning up—like she’d stepped straight out of the sun. Her breathing was shallow, each exhale brushing past my collarbone. Her skin was soft. Silky. And the closer I held her, the more I noticed the way her lashes fluttered with every breath, like she was trying to stay conscious...or maybe trying not to give in.
Her head tilted back slightly, and when her eyes met mine, they were dark, glossy, and glazed over with something I hadn’t quite seen in them before—I froze.
Lust.
Pure, undiluted, and so thick it shimmered in her gaze and it knocked the air clean out of my lungs.
My grip on her tightened instinctively, and it only took a heartbeat to put the pieces together.
"That bastard gave her an aphrodisiac."