Chapter Fourteen

"What took you so long?" Keddy asked when I finally came out he was standing, facing the familiar path that his father and I had walked yesterday. I wondered how he saw me, when he hadn't turned to look in my direction.
"How did you…"
"Cut it out, miss. They will be here in seconds." He held my hand, and raced down the hill, in virtually a few seconds.
I was panting, my breath was heavy. My feet trudged ahead, my pace and his were not the same, but he dragged me on. We took a sharp turn at a bend, and I almost fell to my face. The rocks were uncomfortable, my feet ached, my head spun.
"Easy there, pretty." He wasn't panting, he spoke as normal as anyone who was sitting would.
"Can…" I paused to catch my breath, my eyes felt very heavy, my brain was sending me impulses that I couldn't go on. "We…" I exhaled deeply and inhaled deeply. "Stop, please." I swallowed hard.
"Not yet, queen. By now, they know you aren't at the hotel. They'd be looking for you, and I would be dead if they caught me with you." Even while he spoke, he didn't stop running, his pace didn't reduce. I was beginning to see stars, we literally sped past houses and trees. The path we were following was a lonely one and we passed just a few people in the twenty minutes we ran. I was a sprinter in my highschool days, but not as good as him, and never have I ever in all my years as an athlete ran with a speed as this.
"Slow down, babe. We are going to stop here." He began to reduce his pace, and I followed suit. Slowly, we came to a halt. "You are one strong woman." He exhaled, swallowed hard and used his palm to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He left the rest to drip down to his body.
"Catch your breath, we'll leave here soon. While you do, I have alarming news. I'm no mafia gangster, Camila. I'm the son of Peter Mack, but no gangster. It's a long story, I will tell you all of it soon. But for now, I want you to know that I'm not a gangster."
"But…"
"I know I told you I am a gangster, but I'm not. I have a decent job. This part of the city is slightly safer. I stay down there, with my friends who are gangsters. I go home to my father's place as often as I please, he loves me, and thinks I'm one of them. Everyone does, but I'm not. Just so you know, it's not safe in my house, but it's safer than the hotel or with your father."
The whole time, I was listening with rapt attention, and wondering if anybody in this entire city ever tells the truth. He let go of my hands, and placed both of his hands on his hips. "Camila, this may not sound nice to you, but you have to pretend like I have enslaved you."
"Huh?" I was completely lost.
"You heard me. That's the only way out. You have to act like I brought you to serve the same purpose the Sherlock Head gangsters wanted you for. But I assure you, I have no need for you. Are you in or not?"