Chapter 43
Chapter
Forty-Three
Sage
“He's not answering," I say, panic lacing my voice. I hang up the phone and resist the urge to throw it out the car window. I poke my head through from the back seat to the front, biting my lip as Freddie speeds through the city in pursuit of Dad.
"Sage don't stare at him, let him concentrate," Anton says from the passenger seat, urging me to leave Freddie alone.
"But we're losing him," I say, noting where Dad's car is getting farther and farther away in the distance.
"He's surprisingly fast given his condition," Anton comments and I could throw him out the window for being so calm.
We hit a bump as Freddie drives recklessly after my father.
"What do you think he's going to do?" I ask.
"Probably kill Alexei and then come back for the rest of us," Freddie comments casually as he swerves through traffic.
I groan when Dad's car races around a corner, out of sight now by quite a bit.
My heart sinks as I realize we're not going to catch him before he gets to the bar.
I won't get the chance to explain any of this away before he acts on bad information and does something stupid. Like father like daughter, I guess.
We turn the corner Dad just went past and I search in anticipation but don't see him anywhere. In the few seconds it's taken us to turn this corner he's gained more headway against us. "We've lost him," I say, slumping into the backseat.
"We know where he's going," Freddie reminds me. "Angie's bar. He won't beat us by much."
"Beating us at all is a problem," I say. "It's precious seconds for Dad to do something else stupid and for us to lose everything."
Freddie and Anton go silent, sharing an almost imperceptible judgmental look between them.
"Interesting way of putting it," Anton comments.
I cringe internally, trying my best to steel my heavy beating heart.
"I'm not interested in seeing anyone else die," I say, rushing to explain myself as I feel the crushing weight of the last love I lost. "Except Chet. Happy for him to be killed." I add that last part on the end and earn myself a chuckle from Freddie.
"Don't stress, anima mia," Uncle Anton says. "Dimitri doesn't have much of a head start. I doubt he'll run in shooting on Angie's turf."
At that moment Anton's phone rings. He purses his lips and then answers. "Dimitri, brother, listen-"
I go to open my mouth and shout but Freddie removes one hand from the wheel to slap it over my lips even though he still expertly weaves through the traffic.
"I don't condone it but yes I knew... Dimitri stop," Anton says.
I can barely hear the vibrato of Dad's voice through the phone where Anton refuses to put it on speaker.
He continues talking as I struggle to wrestle the phone from his ear and put it on speaker.
He bats me away but eventually gives in, clicking the speaker phone button himself and shaking his head at me.
"Tell Freddie to stop chasing me or I'll consider it a direct violation of orders from both of you!" I hear Dad say.
"Afraid we can't do that, Dim," Anton says. "Despite what you think you know you don't have all the information."
"I've enough to know I've been lied to by all of you."
"Brother-"
"I swear to God, little brother, if you come in there and try to stop me you will all regret it. You have forgotten rank. You're not the top of this food chain and you don't make the orders. Turn the car around. Now!"
Dad hangs up and even though Anton has more to say, he sighs as he pockets his phone. Freddie's speed slows off considerably with Anton's sigh and I start to panic.
"What? Why are we slowing down?"
They ignore me.
"What you wanna do, Anton?" Freddie asks, as if I'm not even in the car and a part of this equation.
"Didn't you hear him? I'm not in charge," Anton says with a disbelieving chuckle.
Freddie stays silent. Assuming because he can't argue with that logic. Thing is, if Anton isn't in charge then I'm certainly not.
I look to the door handle, considering opening it and rolling out of the car right here. I'll be closer to stopping Dad if I get out now rather than allow them to turn the car around.
Freddie slows his speed again, but doesn't turn around just yet while he waits for Anton to make a decision. I see my uncle's resolve begin to fade and I know that while he hasn't opened his mouth to make a decision yet, he will soon. And he's going to make the wrong one.
So I don't give him the chance.
I make one instead.
"Freddie, stop the car."
"Bella-"
"I said stop," I say.
Freddie abruptly stops the car, tires screeching as we veer off the road and come to a violent stop on the side of the road. This feels exactly as it should, and I've a singular focus on my goal. It feels exactly like it did before. Only this time I'm not going to lose anyone.
Anton raises his brow to see what it is I'm going to do. I get out and round the drivers side, ripping Freddie's door open. "Get out of the car, Freddie."
Freddie smiles at me and gives me an impressed look as he gets out of the drivers seat and into the back.
The only thing I can see in my mind is the look on Nicholas's face when he died in my arms. The way his eyes went cold while his lips still held a smile. A smile that was for me.
I won't be seeing that look from anyone else that I care about.
I understand now how Nicholas felt. He would've followed me anywhere, chased me anywhere to make sure I was safe. I was always running. But now I see why he always chased me, and I feel it in my heart, the way he felt. It is warm, inexplicable and simply right.
So I don't care if it's Alexei or Dad. Nobody is dying on my watch today.
I jump into the driver's seat and secure my seatbelt before Anton has the chance to object. I slam my foot on the gas, redlining the engine as the car screams onto the road.
"Now it's out of your hands," I say, glancing at my uncle. Anton, though surprised, gives me a proud smile and nods. I smirk as I shift gears and take us straight into the eye of danger.