Chapter 15: Vivian

"What the hell is going on right now, Vivian? How are you still alive?" Tyler asked in a nervous rush as he sped down the streets in the dead of night.

I glanced over my shoulder in a state of panic, overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. My breathing was heavy, and my body coiled with tension, mixing in with the lingering adrenaline. It had all happened so fast, and I still couldn't believe I'd done all that I had in the past few hours. I'd pushed myself to the limit and done the unthinkable.

I was frazzled, scared, and relieved at the same time; all these emotions were flooding my mind simultaneously, and I wasn't paying attention to Tyler, who was obviously blown away and in dire need of an explanation.

His mouth was moving, but I couldn't make out what he was saying because I hadn't settled yet. My brain hadn't come to terms with everything, and I was still wrapping my head around it.

You got away, Vivian…. You got away.

The thing with the ramp hadn't fully sunk in yet, either, and I was still marveling at that move. What was I thinking, daring to do what I had?

Was I so desperate to get away from Daniil that I'd risked my life? What if I hadn't made that jump?

Geez!

You're crazy, Vivian!

I remembered how fast my heart had been beating, how every atom in my body had screamed at me to hit the brakes. For the first time, the two voices in my head had been on the same page; they both spoke against what I'd thought to do.

There had been no other way to get away from Daniil, so I had to take the risk. He'd almost lost me once; I knew that he would stop at nothing to get me back, and I couldn't have that. I knew the fate that awaited me should I get caught, so I had to keep going.

The moves with the car were surprising to me because I'd never thought I would drive so recklessly yet carefully at the same time.

I guessed what they said about the power of adrenaline rush was true; the stories of mothers lifting cars to save their babies had seemed so far-fetched to me, but now, I believed them because the same thing had happened to me.

Usually, I'd never have been able to drive like that, but the fear of being caught, the fear of returning to that mansion as something worse than a sex slave, was the key element that kept me going.

I had to get away; I had to.

It had been like I was possessed by a version of me that needed to survive, a version of me I hadn't known existed. The moves and tactics to evade Daniil and his men had come sporadically and in the nick of time.

"I still can't believe you're alive," Tyler repeated, eyes fixed on the road. "What the hell is going on, Viv? Please, talk to me!"

I'd called him after he hadn't replied to my text. At the time, I'd just sped out of Daniil's mansion in that cop car without plans on where to run.

He hadn't known it was me because I'd used the phone I'd stolen to text him.

"I have to admit, when I got that text, I thought it was some expensive prank or something," he confessed.

I massaged my eyes, thanking the Lord that he'd picked up his phone when I called.

"Hello?" he answered on the other line, seemingly uninterested in whatever I was selling.

"Ty, thank God…."

"Listen to me, punk, if this is a prank…."

"Goddamn it, Ty, pay attention!" I snapped at him in a way he was very familiar with.

"Hold on, Viv? Is that really you?" he stuttered, amazed.

"Yes, now listen, I need your help…."

"How's this even possible…? I thought—the news said…."

"Focus, Ty!" I barked at him, my eyes fixed on the horizon as the speedometer needle climbed higher and higher, the numbers blurring together.

"Okay, okay," he replied, confused but trying to stay composed.

"I'm in real trouble. Some very dangerous men are after me right now, and if you don't help me, I'll be what the news says I am."

"Where are you? I'm coming over right now."

I told him that I didn't know the name of the place I was but knew where I was heading and asked him how fast it would take him to get there.

"Twenty minutes, give or take," he replied.

I could hear the sounds of his keys jingling, and I knew he was about to leave the house.

"I don't have twenty minutes, Ty. They're on my tail."

I heard him slam the door shut, and his boots rapidly clicked on the floor. He was running.

"I'll try to be there in fifteen minutes," he replied.

His voice was echoing, and his steps were pounding hard, so I figured he was at the staircase.

"Alright, but please, hurry. I don't have much time."

"You owe me an explanation!"

"I know I do. Just go there first," I said to him, my heart still racing with adrenaline.

I could feel the wind whipping through my hair from my open window. My senses were so heightened that every minute detail seemed etched into my brain like a razor-sharp tattoo.

"How do I find you?" he asked, starting his car.

I heard his engine roar to life.

"You don't. I find you," I replied. "Just make sure you get there in fifteen minutes."

"Copy that."

After I dared to fly over that ramp, I almost knocked down a drunk who was carelessly crossing the road. Applying the brakes, the car came to a halt mere inches from him.

He glanced at me, staggering with a bottle in his hand.

"Watch it, girl," he said with a belch and a hiccup. "I might be drunk, but that doesn't mean that I want to die yet."

I thought for a moment and decided to ditch the car. I was close to the meeting point with Ty, anyway, and I could finish up on foot. They could be tracking the car, so I had to leave it there.

The door opened, and I dashed out, rushing away from it.

"Hey! You left your car!" the drunk said to me.

"It's all yours, buddy!" I replied without turning back.

"For real?" He laughed and got inside. "The girl gifted me a car!"

I knew it was wrong to let him drive that car in his drunken state—he could have an accident and die—but then again, I had my own problems to deal with. Besides, if he survived, the car would be in motion, and Daniil would think it was me, and he would chase after the car. By the time he would find out that I'd played him again, I would've already gotten away with Tyler.

Getting to the spot, I saw him standing outside his car, tossing nervous glances over his shoulder.

I crossed the road between us and rushed up to him.

"Oh my, it is you," he said, embracing me.

The drunk guy was passing by in the car; he saw Tyler and me and waved.

"Thanks for the ride!" he called out.

Tyler frowned. "What's that about?"

"Let's just get out of here, please. I promise I'll explain everything once we're far away from here."

We rushed into his car, and he drove off.

"Vivian, what the fuck is going on here?!" he said, raising his voice.

Tyler only cursed whenever he was extremely pissed or nervous. He'd been asking me all manner of questions, all of which I hadn't answered. Now, his patience was wearing thin, and I didn't blame him. He needed answers, and I wasn't giving any.

"Just keep driving, okay, and please avoid areas with CCTVs," I replied.

"Goddammit, Viv! Answer me!" He snapped, "How the fuck are you still alive, and what in heaven's name have you gotten yourself into?"

I sighed, massaging my temples, unsure where to begin.

"Just say something, please," he said, his voice lowering as he pleaded with his eyes. "I've been driving for almost half an hour because you said that I couldn't take you home—but you haven't filled me in on what's actually going on."

"I'm sorry," I said to him. "I'm just not settled yet…."

Mentally, I was drained. All that running and driving had sucked the life out of me.

"I understand that you're not okay, but I need to know what's happening. Who are you running away from?"

I was quiet, watching him. I was afraid to say his name because I was traumatized, and I thought saying his name could somehow lead him to me. It was stupid, but I wasn't thinking straight. That man had eyes and ears everywhere; he could find anyone anywhere in the world, and that fear was still in me.

"Viv, talk to me," he begged, but I still couldn't.

I was trying to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.

"You know what, this looks to me like a case of kidnapping, so I'll stop by the nearest police station and—"

He was still talking when I interrupted him mid-speech, "No!"

I grabbed the hand brake so quickly that it startled him, prompting him to snap and swerve the car off the road in a trice.

Once more, I pulled the hand brake and brought the car to an abrupt halt, inches away from colliding with an oak tree.

"What the hell, Viv?"

"No cops!" I declared sternly, looking right at him. "He owns some of them, as well, and I can't risk getting caught again."

"Okay, now you're speaking in parables," he said. "Who owns the cops? Who's he?"

I finally summoned the courage to say his name. "Daniil Wolkov."

"You say it like the name is supposed to ring a bell."

"It's the man I told you about weeks ago," I said, trying to jog his memory.

"Wait, the Russian man from the runway show?" He raised his brows. "The one you said was hot?"

"Yes, him!" I replied. "Turns out, he's a maniac who's obsessed with me."

"Okay, less complaining, more explaining. Thank you."

"Daniil planned for me to be on that boat cruise because he wanted me to be there. The man sank the ship after he had me where he wanted; he did that so the world would think I was dead, and no one would think about looking for me."

"What do you mean, he sank the ship?" Tyler gaped, his eyes widening.

"It means exactly what it sounds like, Ty," I replied. "That report on the news…that was one man's doing, all because of me."

He let out a sigh, combing his fingers through his hair. "So, all this time, you've been with him?"

I nodded subtly.

"Fuck!"

"I need to get out of here, Ty. This man is very dangerous. He's well-connected, and he controls half of the city, so if I remain here, it's only going to be a matter of time before he finds me." I looked him dead in the eyes. "He can't find me, Ty."

He exhaled sharply. "He won't find you. Not on my watch."

I felt a glimmer of hope upon his words.

"I have a guy—don't worry, he's not dirty," he added before I could start asking questions. "He's well-connected, as well. We can get you a new identity, new looks, and some passports to get you out of the city. What do you think about going to Spain?"

"Ty…." I glanced at him; it sounded too good to be true. "This is a lot, and I know it will cost a fortune."

He bent his head in affirmation, though I knew he was being modest about how expensive this was.

"You're worth it." He smiled at me. "No one should go through what you went through."

"How are you going to pay for this?" I asked, concerned.

"Don't worry. I have my ways. Right now, you're my primary concern."

With a warm heart, I reached out and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Ty. This means a lot to me, and I promise I'll pay back when things are okay for me."

He smiled and started the engine. "Let's get you somewhere safe for now. You look like you need some rest."

He was right. I'd had a long night, and I needed to relax, even though I was almost certain that I wouldn't be able to sleep, knowing Daniil was still out there, looking for me.

Tyler drove me to a shabby hotel and pulled into the parking lot. He turned to me, saying, "You'll stay here for a while—just a couple of days until I've figured things out."

"Thank you." I smiled weakly at him.

Daniil had really gotten under my skin, and I knew I would spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder because I didn't know when or where he would find me.

I might have escaped him tonight, but I was certain he would come for me.