Page 85 of Serena
“You bitch.” She swings her hand, but I grab it and push her back.
“Move on,” I tell her and exit the bathroom. I hear her screams. I know Ian is waiting for me back at the party, but I need some fresh air.
I make it outside and find a labyrinth. The foliage is accented by a variety of colored roses; it's breathtaking. I inhale the scents in the hopes their calming effects will help my current mood. There’s a clear sky. I can hear the waves crash into the rocks. I take a walk around, taking in the view. The ground is concrete; I hear the tap of my heels with every step I take. I walk and stop to admire the roses, and that’s when I hear footsteps coming from the same direction I came. The uneasy feeling of being watched comes over me again. I start to move, and the echo of someone moving follows me. They don’t sound like heels; no, they are dress shoes. There’s a mild odor that I can't put my finger on. I’m so caught up in my own thoughts that I’ve somehow strolled into the labyrinth. I speed up, and so does whoever is behind me, so I pull out my phone. My finger fumbles as I dial Ian’s number.
“Ian.”
“Serena, where are you?”
I try to stay calm, but my panic is setting in. “Outside in the—” I hear him.
“Pretty girl.” No, it can’t be. This can’t be real. They’re dead. Both of them are dead!
“Pretty girl.” He sounds close. I look at my phone. The call dropped. Fuck. I quickly take off my heels. “Xmarks the spot." I’m being hunted. “Pretty girl, I thought you were dead.” He’s close.Respira, I tell myself. He screams, not caring who hears. “How’s the scar!?” I look around and take my chance. I turn right. “Oh, pretty girl,” he singsongs.
I'm not sure where to go. “Serena!” It's Ian. I hear my name again.
“Ian,” I scream out for him. My knife. My hands fumble as I dig through my clutch. “Ian,” I scream out again. The smell. He’s close.
“Serena!” I don’t reply; I don’t want to give away my location. I hear him close.
“Don’t worry, pretty girl. I’ll see you real soon.” And I know he’s gone.
My legs give out. My vision is blurry. “Serena!” I hear Ian.
“Ian!” I cry for him. He gets on his knees and wraps me in his arms. “Ian, there was someone else that night.” I cry into him. “He-he was there. There was someone else there.” I turn and vomit.
I hear Gabe shout out orders. “Check everywhere.”
“Shut it down,” someone else yells. Everything is turning hazy.
“Serena, stay with me. Baby, look at me.” His voice is stern. “I said look at me.” I look into those dark-green eyes. “Good girl. Did he hurt you?”
“No.”
“We’re going to go home. I’m going to call the doctor to take a look at you. Okay?”
“Okay,” I repeat.
“No one leaves this fucking building until they’re cleared.” I’m running to the car with Serena in my arms. Goddamn it. I knew we shouldn't have come. I went against my better judgment for her. That will never happen again. “Get Veronica out of here, and get the doctor to my penthouse now!” I yell at my brother. All I'm doing is barking orders. “Tell Elias Lobo to meet me.”
I was searching the party for Serena when she called. I heard the panic in her voice and knew something was wrong. I pulled up the tracker and rushed to her. I could hear him taunting her. “Pretty girl” is what he calls her. She was smart. Kept quiet by removing her heels to stay hidden. My blood boils at the sound of his voice. “How’s the scar?” is what he screamed.
I take off my suit jacket and wrap it around her. She’s cold but alert. “Serena, look at me.” She follows my orders. Good. “I have you.”
“He was there.” That statement is playing in a loop. Augustus gets us to the penthouse in record time.
He turns to me as I exit the car. “What can I do?”
“Shoot any motherfucker that tries to get up to the penthouse. If you don’t know them, put a bullet in their head.”
“I can do that.” Augustus isn’t just a driver. He’s an ex-army ranger. Being my driver is his cover. You give him an order, and he’ll carry it out.
I enter my living room and place Serena on the couch.
“Ian, he wants to kill me.” It’s not a question. She isn't crying. She isn’t yelling. She's just there. I can see her spiraling. Her walls are going back up.
“He will have to go through me. Do you understand?” She doesn't answer. The doctor finally arrives. After he examines her, he comes to me.
