21- Safety in Numbers

Isabella

“Isabella?!” screams my two best friends.

“Hey. Can I come in? Please?” I ask shyly. My fear of being caught starting to seeping in.

“Oh my god,” exclaims Caleb. “Of course you can girl” remarks Angel, my best friends since I was ten. Opening the door wider, I move to enter. Both engulfing me in the biggest hug imaginable. My arms holding onto them for dear life.

After a couple of moments, they eventually let me go. Allowing me room to enter further. Shutting the door, Angel moves to lock it, Caleb helping me over to the living room.

“Where the fuck have you been?” asks Caleb sternly. “Ya, we haven’t seen you since the club and when those men escorted you out” remarks Angel, her hands on her hips. Both focused on me and me only.

Moving to set my bag down on her big brown leather sofa, I gently sit down. Exhaustion kicking in once again. Chuckling, I answer. “It’s a long story. Could I crash here for a day or two?” my eyes barely able to stay open.

“Of course you can, you know you're more than welcome too” smiling as she moves to sit down next to me. Angel in a pair of silk pajama shorts and matching tank. Her hair in a messy bun. Caleb in flannel pants and a t-shirt. His hair tousled.

“Why don’t you try and take a nap. We’ll get ready and make us something to eat, hm?” offers Caleb. Nodding, I move to close my eyes, feeling safe for the second time in just a few days.

A little bit later, I softly feel a shake to my arm as my senses slowly register where I’m at. Jolting, I begin to think I’m back with my fiance’s only to see the concerned looks of both my friends when I settle.

Breathing heavy, a hand to my heart, I try to calm myself down. “Hey. Easy there. It’s only us. You’re safe” I hear Angel say, voice soothing.

Settling again, I move to look at her and Caleb. An apology now written on my face. “Girl, what happened? You never used to be this jumpy” replies Caleb, hand reaching for mine as he and Angel sit next to me, Angel rubbing her thumb in a soothing motion on top of my hands.

“Where to even start?” I try, releasing a shaky breath. Wondering how to start and what to share without getting them too involved.

“How about the beginning?” offers Angel.

“Okay…” and with that I began to tell them everything. Everything from what my father had told me to bumping into Grant down in the lobby to the events leading up to the club and how they forced me to go with them. I then explained how they kept calling me theirs and how they were involved in Mafia business up to when I tried to escape. The punishments, how I felt about everything. Leading up to my second escape and then running into Vincent and his friends and them giving me a ride home. Everything.

Yet, while in the middle of telling them, Angel managed to bring us food. Sandwiches made of eggs, bacon, cheese and avocado which we took happily before devouring them. Bellies no longer hungry, at least for the moment.

Once finished explaining, are both utterly speechless during the entire thing, totally entrapped by the events of the last few days. Only to learn I was actually gone for five whole days instead of just two like I thought.

It’s now about mid afternoon and Angel and Caleb let me sleep for about 5 hours on the sofa. Both saying I needed it. Agreeing, I definitely felt a lot better. Bringing me pain meds, I quickly take them. All while trying to explain to them just how dangerous they could be and how I didn’t want either of them involved any more than what they were. Caleb soon asking if I had a plan going forward causing me to think. As I knew I needed to get out of town for a while, but only until they found someone new or gave up.

Giving it a good thought, I move to look at both Caleb and Angel. “Ya. My family owns a cabin up in the northern mountains. We go there every winter. It’s warm and cozy and very secluded”.

Once settled on the plan, Caleb, Angel and I go back to talking. Cuddled up on the sofa like old times. After helping me to re-clean and bandage my knee and ice my bruises, we move to eat more snacks. It was starting to get late when I heard it. Screeching tires just outside the building.

My heart instantly pounding as I dash for the window, peeking through her curtains. My heart leaping into my throat as several black SUVs surrounded the building, including my car as well as others as men dressed in black suits carrying guns exit. Lucus and Alex stepping out next.

No. No. No! How did they find me so quickly?

Looking to Angel and Caleb, both were still on the sofa, each with a questioning look. Running to them, I move to grab their hands as I did. “We gotta go, NOW! Right NOW” trembling, they look at me as if I was crazy.

“What’s going on?” asks Angel, confused. Neither moving. Grabbing my bag from the sofa I attempted to try again. “They're here!” I squeak. Their eyes now bugging as it registers.

Knowing it wouldn’t be long until they reached the 10th floor, we hastily moved to exit. “Isabella, Surrender! We have the building surrounded” booms Lucus’s voice over what I assumed to be a megaphone of some kind.

Exchange worried looks we move to exit the apartment. Eyes scanning the elevators as they slowly ascended up to us. Shit. Needing a solution and fast, Caleb moves to lead us down the stairwell of the building, stepping through the door just as the sound of running feet rush by us as they head for Angel's apartment.

Taking two steps at a time, we move to descend quickly not wanting to be caught as we rush for the underground parking. Angel’s car parked down there. The sound of the 10th floor door slamming open just as we reached the sixth floor.

“STOP! ISABELLA! YOU CAN’T WIN,” yells Alex from the top of the stairwell, his voice echoing as we continued running.

Pressing forward, we continue. The sound of feet moving as Alex moves to chase down after us. “RUN” yells Angel as she moves to grab my hand in hers. Caleb leading the way, as we slowly reach the parking garage.

“STOP!” yells Alex again, his gun now raised as he attempts to shoot at us. His bullet bouncing off the railing of the fourth floor, trying to scare us as we made it to the lower level.

“Hurry, this way” yells Caleb, shoving the door open just as we dash through it. Alex now hot on our heels as we rush for Angel’s car.

“Quick, get in” yells Angel, the three of us hopping in just as Alex reaches the parking garage. Gun still raised.

Locking eyes with Angel, she smirks before peeling out of the parking spot, tires screeching as we roar out of there. Her car racing out and away from the hotel as we begin to zigzag through town in hopes of losing them.

“DUDE! What the hell?” shouts Caleb from the back, the three of us driving for our lives as he moves to look at me. The term safety in numbers comes to mind as we look to one another.

“Sorry, I didn’t think they would find me” I exclaim, turning to look at him only to pale as I glimpse out the back window. For just a few hundred yards away, huge black SUVs slowly followed us.

Eyes widening, I scream; “ANGEL”

Looking at me questioningly, Angel moves to look behind her, her voice low as she mutters. “Strap in tight honey! It’s about to get hella crazy.” Then without warning, she shifts gears and accelerates to the max, mine and Caleb's bodies being thrown into the seats, our belts tight. How the hell did they find us? And that fast too?