Chapter Six (Amelia’s Point of View)

“What do you mean ‘they won’t approve an RV’?!” I hear Ross say through the wall that separates us. He explained to me in a one-sided conversation why staying in an RV would be a wiser decision at this point. I hadn’t responded, but took the ignoring a step further by putting in my earphones and turning my music up as loud as I could bear. Then I just slid down in the sofa and closed my eyes. I heard Ross get up from his chair, and when I opened my eyes, he was gone.

He still hasn’t apologized for what he said earlier. Hearing him call me dumb to my face only moments after kissing me was like being startled awake from a sweet dream by a bucket of ice water. I wouldn’t drown, because it was tilted above my head just so, but it wasn’t any less of a shock. And being trapped in the car with him afterward was like being held tight while the water hit my face.

As I lay back in my bed while watching television, my head is propped up on so many pillows that I’m almost sure to wake up with a sore neck tomorrow. But that wouldn’t hurt nearly as much as the emotional pain.

I used to hate the kind of show I’m watching now, because I’ve never been a fan of drama, but it’s the best thing on at the moment. And after what happened a few hours ago, I’m actually starting to feel better. It’s reminding me that it was just one kiss and it’s not the end of the world. I feel even more ridiculous when I think of the fact that I only met him a mere three days ago, and yet he’s able to make me feel this way: blissful one moment and hurt the next.

Ross groans. “Just give the phone to Lance.” I can picture him rubbing his temples like he sometimes does when he’s stressed.

After the completion of a third soap opera, the bedroom door opens slowly. Ross pushes it open with his back, as his hands are full with two mugs of what I assume is coffee. I’m guessing the mugs are filled nearly to the top, judging by the way he walks into my room in a very careful manner. He just as carefully places the one in his left hand on the nightstand, and out of the corner of my eye I can see that it is, in fact, filled to the top with coffee… and a dollop of whip cream with chocolate syrup drizzled over the top of that. Where ever did he get that from?

“Half a teaspoon of sugar and extra cream, just the way you like it,” he says in a soft voice. Quite the opposite of the tone he used while on the phone, and with me earlier.

“Thanks,” I say quietly.

“Mhm.” Ross turns to leave and gets far enough to touch the doorknob, but, “Wait,” comes out of my mouth before I can prevent it. “Yes?” he asks, only turning his head to look at me.

“I’m sorry,” I say, my shoulders sagging and my eyes shut tight. “I’m sorry for the dumb choice I made by bringing my phone with me.”

“Amelia…” Ross sighs, then puts his coffee on the dresser beside the television and comes to sit at my feet on the bed. His eyes assure me that what he says next is true… that he really means his words. “I’m sorry for what I said to you earlier. I really am. It was rude and very untrue, and… I’m sorry.”

I know he really is, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to utter the three words I’m usually quick to say. But when I remember that I could have gotten us both killed today, I realize that I’m the one who should be apologizing still.

“I forgive you,” I say. “And I’m sorry for lying to you… I really hate lying.”

Ross nods as a sign that I’m forgiven, but he’s the first to look away this time. He’s probably remembering the time he lied to his ex-girlfriend regarding his whereabouts. “Now that the apologies are out of the way, I’ll go ahead and tell you the plans.” I nod once, silently telling him to ‘go ahead’. “Well, I just got off the phone with my supervisorand he arranged for us to be relocated to another hotel temporarily. Only untilhe’s able to get us the RV.”

“Okay.”

“Alright, well, start packing your things,” Ross says, getting up from the bed. “Another Marshal will be here shortly.”

“Wha…?” I say, my brows furrowed in confusion. “Does that mean you’re off the case? Did I get you in trouble?”

Ross smiles apparently half-heartedly, but I know he’s joking when he says, “You wish. Was that your plan all along?” I shrug sarcastically in response, then ask what he meant. He explains that the other Marshal will be coming to pick us up and bring us to the other hotel, which is about an hour away.

When he leaves, I sigh and plop down onto the bed, wondering why I have to be in this situation. Closing my eyes, I try to imagine what my life might have been like before the Mafia came in and ruined it. What was my dad like? What would my mom be like if it weren’t for them? Would she be less anxious than I remember? Would she have let me go out with my friends every now and then without having to worry so much about me?

I slowly slide of the bed and look around. I didn’t unpack much; I mostly just kept everything I wasn’t wearing and using inside the only bag I brought.

After I’m finished and have checked under the bed and in the bathroom, I walk out and find Ross standing at the door.

“How long were you waiting here?” I ask, catching him checking his watch.

“Not long,” he answers. “I actually just got here. Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah.”

☆⍟☆

The low temperature of the lobby makes me regret finishing my coffee so soon. I wish I’d brought it with me in my coffee cup that I never usually leave behind during long trips like these. I’ve never been on a trip before that involved going across the entire country. If we drove straight from Brooklyn, New York to Malibu, California, it would take us approximately forty-three hours. The furthest I’ve ever traveled was from Tennessee to New York when I was six years old… right after my mother and I escaped.

“Okay, he’s here,” Ross announces. He and I walk outside and into the chilly night air. The cicadas are really loud tonight; their sound very nearly gives me a headache, but I suppose the caffeine isn’t really helping, either.

Ross first opens the door of the black Escalade for me to get in. When I do, he slides in next to me. Nearly simultaneously, we buckle our seatbelts. Then I begin to rub my freezing hands together, hoping the friction will help them to defrost a little faster. Thankfully, hot air is being blown from the vents in this truck, including at my frozen toes. But still, goosebumps are spread down my arms and legs, and I continue to shiver while my teeth chatters.

The Escalade is coaxed into motion within seconds of our entry. Once I begin to feel satisfyingly warm, I move my heavy Ralph Lauren bag off my lap and put it on the empty seat to the left of me. It helped to warm me up surprisingly quickly.

I notice the way Ross is staring ahead into the rearview mirror, and the look in his squinted eyes makes me very uneasy. Not even at Hershey Park before he kissed me had he seemed as apprehensive as he does now.

Not wanting to look, I whisper, “What?” as nervousness causes me to tightly grip his arm. He doesn’t answer.

After slowly moving my eyes from his face to where he has his undivided attention, my breathing comes to a halt and my heart begins to race. It feels as if it will break out of my chest at any second, and I can almost hear it pounding. Fear grips me so tightly that I’m unable to move… I swallow hard as I stare into eyes I’m unable to tear my own away from.

A sinister smile breaks out onto the driver’s face, and then he directs his attention back to the road. “Well, well, well. I never expected my son to become the bad guy. I named you after myself in the hopes you would one day become a great man, like myself. You disappointed me, Romero.”

Did he just call my bodyguard his ‘son’?

Utterly confused, I turn to look at Ross’s face, hoping I can get some answers there. But all it does is pale all of a sudden, leaving me worse off than I was before in multiple ways.

The driver of this Escalade runs through a red light, then swerves around a tight right turn. My stomach threatens to send everything I had for lunch back up because of it. I know it’s also because memories are finally coming back to me, but now I really wish they wouldn’t.

Ross reaches beside him on the opposite side of me and pulls out a handgun I’ve never noticed from the belt around his waist. He keeps it hidden beside him, though, probably so the man won’t see. The sight of it dizzies me and makes it feel as if it was just yesterday that I had one to my head. I become even more nauseous as the memories come flooding back to me, threatening to take me under. I try hard to ease it by taking my mind off of the speed at which this vehicle is moving and the tight turns we keep making.

We approach a yellow light and the Escalade begins to slow, but I still feel glued to my seat as the whole scene plays out before me like a movie. But the only thing I don’t remember is the murder of my father … He must have been killed after I was shot.

“Amelia, you’re going to have to trust me,” I hear Ross say. His voice sounds so small and far away, as if he’s shouting from far off, but is whispering at the same time. “When I say ‘go’, we’re going to get out of this vehicle as fast as we can, and no matter what you do, do not hesitate!”

Though I’m having difficulty understanding what he’s saying, I nod several times. “Okay,” I whisper. Then what he says registers in my mind, and my eyes widen.

I’m sure that no amount of preparation could ease my racing mind, but Ross begins to count down from five in a quiet voice as his eyes move from me to the man in the driver’s seat.

Seeing a movement out of the corner of my eye, I look down and see that he’s only holding up two fingers. That means we only have two seconds left before doing the unthinkable.

“One!” Ross says, not bothering to keep his voice down this time. The vehicle driver slams on the breaks, and as soon as the car stops, Ross swings the door open and jumps out. I, however, remain in my seat, still paralyzed by fear and memories.

Suddenly, half of a man bent over the seats behind me appears beside me. He reaches for the door and successfully closes it. As soon as I hear several ‘clicks’ come from all around me, I also see the locks go down. Ross has turned around and is now banging on the window. His lips move, but I can’t hear a word. Then he disappears.

The light turns green and it immediately feels as if we start moving at around seventy miles per hour.

“Well, allow me to introduce myself, Amelia…” The way he says my name disgusts me. He says each syllable very slowly and dramatically, breaking them apart, making it seem hard for him to say. It sounds so gross coming out of his mouth. “My name is Romero Abato… the first. Major thanks to your friend... Ah, what’s her name…?”

“Raina, boss,” the man seated behind me says.

“Ah, yeah, Raina…” Romero says, nodding. “Thanks to Raina, we were able to track you down using your cell phone… Gotta love technology these days.”

The Escalade swings sharply to the left. My seatbelt is the only thing preventing me from jerking forward, as it suddenly tightens across my chest, holding me back securely to the seat. Branches reaching out of the darkness graze against the side of the SUV, making screeching sounds as they scratch down the length of the vehicle. There are no streetlights here; the only light come from the headlights.

Suddenly, a shot rings out. Three more follow in rapid succession. The vehicle swerves wildly, then slams into a tree on the side of the road. The airbags deploy on impact, and smoke fills the SUV. I hear a pained groan from behind me and see that Romero the First is hunched over the airbag as blood drips all over it. Then it seems as if even more of the night’s darkness seeps into the vehicle, clouding my vision.