Facade of Love

Chapter 406 I Won't Die

Was Lucas trying to tick off Idris? That would be idiotic, however. The longer he hung around Lake City, the tougher it would be to split. He knew that as well as anyone. Going down this path was like he was signing up for a one-way ticket to disaster.

There was a glass of milk by the bed, which I downed before flopping back onto the mattress. My brain was a whirlwind of thoughts, and I could not untangle them just yet. I just let sleep take over, feeling muddled up inside.

...

"Sir, we're nearing the open sea." I caught the words through the fog of sleep, my head spinning. It took a few moments to shake off the grogginess and get my bearings.

I scanned the strange room, totally thrown off. The sensation of motion initially made me think I was in a car, but one look out the window at the vast ocean clued me in that I was on a ship.

I bolted out of bed and peered out the window. Nothing but waves as far as the eye could see. Where in the world was I?

The chatter outside the cabin cut off, and then the door swung open. In walked Lucas, rocking a light-colored suit that made his tall, lean figure look even sharper, like a suave villain from a movie.

I tried to play it cool, despite the alarm bells ringing inside. "Where are you taking me?" I demanded.

He did not answer right away, just stretched out his hand and said, "Come here."

I bit my lip and stayed put. He frowned, and in a flash, he was right next to me, pulling me into his arms and planting me on the bed. "Stay away from the window," he instructed, his voice firm.

I scowled, totally baffled by his behavior.

I shot him a frosty look. "What's this place? Where are we headed?"

"To the border," he finally spilled. "In half an hour, we’ll hit the high seas."

I frowned, the pieces finally clicking into place. His whole spiel about a wedding was just a smokescreen to throw the cops and Idris off our trail. His real goal was to whisk me away as soon as possible. He must have slipped something into my milk, which explained why I was out cold until now.

"How long has it been since we got out of Lake City?" I asked, eyeing him.

"Two days."

Once we hit the open sea, the cops were helpless. Even if they had their suspicions, they no longer had the means to keep him trapped on home turf, the sly guy.

He noticed I was not saying anything and casually offered, "Hungry?"

I just pressed my lips together, staying quiet.

He did not seem to mind. "Just let Inch know if you're craving something. If you're feeling cooped up, you can always go to the deck for some air. We'll be docking in a few hours."

With that, he took off before I could even respond.

Sitting there on the bed, I was in a bit of a fog. I had figured skipping town with Lucas would not be a walk in the park, definitely not as breezy as it had been. Perhaps it was the drug haze I was coming out of, but I was fuzzy on the details, and it left me feeling lost.

I had to wonder how Idris and the police were handling Lucas's abrupt exit. They must have noticed, and I had no clue if they had clashed while we were making our getaway.

There was a knock at the door.

I frowned and called out, "Come in."

Inch came in, his arms loaded with food, which he set down on a nearby table. "Anything you need, just tell me," he said.

I looked at him, biting my lip before asking, "How did we manage to get out of Lake City?" Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

With Officer Jackson dead, the likelihood of the police letting Lucas walk without nailing the killer first was nonexistent.

Inch caught my gaze and explained, "The boss had Billy take a lady and all the gold from the secret stash to the docks up north at Lake City. It was a perfect distraction for the cops. Then we got on the mountain trails, gave the police the slip, and made it to the sea from Tully City's river crossing."

What a sly fox he was. Billy's strange expression that night now made sense. Lucas had set him up to draw the cops away while sneaking me out of the country.

I shot Inch a look. "Did the cops nab Billy?"

Inch nodded solemnly. "He lured a whole swarm of them. No chance to get away."

I bit my lip and dropped the subject.

After being cooped up in bed for ages, I was not hungry. I told Inch, "I need some air. It's too stuffy in here."

He agreed, opened the door, but stuck to me like glue. I could not help but chuckle. "Did Lucas ordered you to babysit me like this?"

He stayed silent.

"Scared I'll take a swan dive into the ocean?" I prodded.

Still, he said nothing.

I let out a cold laugh and said with a detached air, "Don't worry. I'm not looking to end it all. I value my life more than anyone. I may not be keen on tagging along with Lucas, but it looks like I don't have much of a choice now. I'm not in control anymore. So, yeah, I'll roll with the punches. No rash moves from me."