Chapter 52
Fifty-Two
Daphne
Isat in that suffocating motel room for hours, huddled on the edge of the mattress, terrified of what was coming as I turned my tiara over in my hands.
I had no phone. No money. Nothing.
Somewhere outside, stray dogs howled. A baby cried through the paper-thin walls. Every sound sent my heart into my throat.
When I finally peeked through the window, Brooks’s vehicle was gone.
Two blacked-out SUVs now sat in the parking lot. Secret Service, just like he’d warned.
The lock clicked, and I jumped to my feet.
I held my breath as the door swung open, and the last person I’d expected appeared.
“Daphne! Oh my God!” Blair said breathlessly, rushing into the room and throwing her arms around me.
For a split second, this felt almost like a rescue until Enzo stepped into the doorway. His broad frame filled it completely. The room seemed to drop ten degrees as his eyes burned into me with a dark, volatile rage.
The only thing keeping him from ripping me apart was Blair.
I’d betrayed Brooks, and that made me Enzo’s enemy.
“Come on,” Enzo said. His attention shifted to Blair instead of me. “We have to go.” He walked off without waiting to see whether I followed.
Blair grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room.
We hurried through the shadows of the parking lot.
I clung to Blair’s side, nearly tripping over the hem of my dress. Running in heels while scared for your life wasn’t an easy task. But I knew as long as I was with Blair, she’d make sure I was protected.
I risked a glance toward the SUVs and exhaled when we headed in the other direction.
My head stayed down as I followed them to a black Mercedes. Enzo unlocked it and jerked his chin toward the backseat.
Blair waited until I climbed into the back before sliding in beside me.
“Where are we going?” I asked, catching my breath and unstrapping my heels.
“You’re going back to Calira,” Enzo said as he pulled out of the motel parking lot. “You need to be out of the country within the next hour.” He looked at me in the rearview mirror. “And you’re never coming back.”
My heart stopped.
Never coming back meant never seeing Adelina again.
Never seeing Blair.
Never seeing Brooks.
My mind spun. “Do you guys know …”
Blair didn’t answer with words. The way she reached over and covered my hand with hers told me they did.
I swallowed hard and kicked my shoes off before collecting them in my lap. “Does anyone have my phone? Anything?”
“Sorry,” Blair whispered. “We came from the university as fast as we could.”
Enzo navigated the dark, winding back roads before eventually turning into a private airstrip. A lone jet waited at the end of the runway, its stairs already lowered.
I scooted closer to get a better look out the window, seeing the Caliran flag on the side.
Thank God.
We stepped out of the car, and Blair walked at my side as we crossed the tarmac. Enzo stayed close, making it impossible to forget this wasn’t a ride home. It was an escort out of the country.
“I promise to send all your things,” Blair said when we reached the stairs, her voice cracking as she pulled me in for another hug.
I held on tight, terrified that, like with Brooks, I’d never see her again.
Tears fell down both our cheeks.
I swiped one away. “I’ll miss you.”
She did the same with mine. “This isn’t the end. I promise.”
I shook my head, knowing that wasn’t true. As I climbed aboard, I held my heels in one hand and my tiara with the other.
Salana stood there, waiting, and I managed a weak smile. Without asking any questions, she was the next person to hug me. Her being here told me all of this had been arranged.
There was no changing anyone’s mind. I really wasn’t ever coming back.
I sat, staring out the window at Blair and Enzo still on the tarmac, as the engine roared to life. The jet lifted off the runway, and they faded from my view.
I watched America disappear beneath us.
And somewhere down there was the man I loved, believing I’d betrayed every moment we’d ever shared together.