Calvin stares into the distance, his eyes glazed from a deep thought.
“Calvin?” I question him warily.
“Mauricio is holding your mom back because of what she knows Olivia. Georgia has told him everything. I thought maybe she might have been bluffing but this confirms she wasn’t.”
I gasp in panic. I never gave it a thought to what Georgia had said, and I also thought she was bluffing for attention. Why didn’t I act on this!
“What will he do to my mom?” I don’t know why I’m asking such a question, shouldn’t I know? But truth is, I don’t. Calvin seems to know more than me.
He shakes his head pointing with his finger thoughtfully. “No. If he was going to hurt your mom he would have done it by now.”
“You want to hear my guess?” Mine and Calvin’s head snap towards Ashton, almost forgetting he was here. I nod, giving him the go head.
“My guess is that he’s keeping your mom tied down because he knows he’s losing her. He’s falling apart, with everything coming down around him. The last person he wants to loose is his trophy wife. She obviously knows everything and she’s the one who could rat him out. He won’t allow that to happen so he’s threatened her, blackmailed her. It must be with something big if she hasn’t tried to break free.” The way Ashton glances at Calvin is a tell-tale sign they know what he’s bribed her with. I think I know and the bile rises from my stomach.
“He'll have to go through me first.” Calvin stiffens up, his body tenses in anger.
“Me?” I squeak. “He’s bribed her with... me?”
Calvin stands firmly in front of me so my attention is on him. I can’t look at him even though he is trying to get me to. My stomach is cramping. “He will never hurt you Olivia, you got that? I won’t let him. Ever.”
I exhale through my nose, putting my hand up to my mouth in fear. I know Calvin will protect me but at what cost? Mauricio would threaten my mom with my wellbeing? I know my mom would never put me in any danger if she could help it. I bet he’s playing her like a puppet on a string. He will be loving every second of my mom being at his beck and call. Answering to his every whim and there is nothing I can do.
“You know, it’s lucky that I sent gran and granddad on a getaway. I have no fucking doubt they would have called there.” Ashton adds making my whole body tremble when he mentions Hazel and Gerald. My ears prick up. I turn on my heel slowly to face him as I pale. “What do you mean?”
Ashton face turns bitter, not towards me but to accommodate his choice of words. “Mauricio will want to make sure everything that me and Calvin love, is destroyed. You know that don’t you?” His eyes flicker towards Calvin quickly but I stare straight ahead. My chest rises up and down heavily. No. He wouldn’t. Would he?
“He wouldn’t touch your grandparents Calvin. Would he?” I ask hoping that Calvin would give me a positive answer. Thinking of Mauricio ever hurting his grandparents is excruciating.
“Olivia, my grandparents are fine don’t worry about them.”
“But have you called them? Call them now. Make sure they’re alright.” My voice is rushed and panic stricken.
Ashton speaks first, his voice is calming. “I speak to them almost every hour Liv’s. I’m actually getting on their nerves. Don’t worry yourself.”
That statement makes me feel a little better, but not fully.
“I’m going to go grab us some breakfast before we leave. I won’t be long.” Calvin nods to Ashton as he closes the door behind him but I get irritated. “Can’t we just grab something on the way?” I ask in haste pulling on my red duffel coat.
“When Ashton’s stomach calls there’s not stopping him.” Calvin shrugs apologetically.
Ashton’s back quicker than expected. I stand from the bed in haste noting the way he bolts through the door leaving it open. He doesn’t look at me but straight to Calvin, his eyes are wide with rage, but he reigns it in for my expense.
“You want to grab something on the way instead?” he says what I was thinking all along, but he gives Calvin a secretive gesture of his head. Almost like he was saying: We need to go. Right now.
Calvin nods in acknowledgment and grabs hold of all our things. Both men’s demeanor have changed. I know they’re hiding something. The tension has changed. Their body language more alert, but they’re trying to keep their features soft for me.
We walk fast paced out to Calvin’s car. He never lets go of my hand, grasping it tightly. My heart is thudding because of the amount of urgency they’re walking and talking with.
“What the hell is going on Calvin?”
He glances from me to Ashton with his mouth in a compressed line, giving nothing away. I narrow my eyes at the pair of them.
He opens the door for me to climb in, he’s quietly rushing me because I know Calvin opening the door for me is rare.
Now, I need to know what’s going on.
I slam the car door shut before getting in and turn back to Calvin folding my arms. "You want to tell me what’s going on before we leave?"
He groans irritant. "Just get in and I’ll tell you on the way, but we need to go. Now." He points with his hands enunciating the word now. I dig my heels in and lean against the car door not budging until he tells me.
"Olivia, please stop being stubborn and get in the god damn car." Calvin’s demand turns into a shout. I stare back at him impassively hating the tone he has taken. Why is he getting so mad all of a sudden?
He runs his hands through his hair getting frustrated while I glare at him for information. It’s so unlike him.
Ashton pleads me with supporting Calvin. "Trust us Liv’s, we just want to do what best for you. Now stop being stubborn and get in." He adds playfully trying to lighten my mood.
I sigh giving in, swinging the car door open myself. Calvin sighs deeply and relieved. He’s worried about something and he’s not telling me. I hate it.
As I put my seat belt on Ashton climbs in the back. Calvin puts the car into ignition and continues to head down the freeway. I have no idea of the destination and I don’t recall ever being on these roads before.
"Calvin where are we going? Why are you both acting shady? Stop keeping things from me. Jesus!" I’m angry with him now. I don’t like being kept in the dark about things, he knows this so why does he continue to do so.
He puts his foot down on the gas speeding up and tells me through gritted teeth and a tight jaw what I want to know. “They’ve found us Okay! So we need to move fast before they tail us."
Found us? Every hair on the back of my neck stands on end. My whole head prickles instantly. I feel the blood drain from my face as I pale in fear and fall cold.
"Who? Who have found us?" I manage a whisper.
“The bastards that work for your fucking dad." Calvin barks at me not taking his eyes off the road. My blood boils at the mention of Mauricio.
"He’s not my fucking dad." I scream making it crystal clear. I don’t want that asshole being associated with me any longer.
He has been following us? Has he no limits? How has he found us?
"Okay guys calm down, there is a time and a place for this shit and this isn’t it." Ashton tries to be peace maker but his tone is a command. I close my mouth not saying another word. I need to register what’s happening. We’re being followed so that can only mean one thing. It’s clear to me now that Mauricio has shunned me out of his life, which is fine by me, but what I don’t understand is why he can’t just let us be. Hasn’t he caused enough pain?
“He’s never going to leave us alone is he?” Tears spring free at the harrowing thought. My fear is made worse by the silence that comes over Calvin and Ashton confirming I’m right.
I hate that because of me, it’s causing the situation to become intensified. I know it must be extremely hard for Calvin and Ashton to be put in this circumstance, with me especially. I hate that they’re holding back because of me, not carrying on with their plans to ruin Mauricio because of me. Well, C
alvin is doing it for me, and Ashton is protecting Calvin. So there for it’s for me and my pathetic life. I know Calvin says with me in his life it eases the pain, it gives him something else to focus on in life, rather than avenging his parents and acting bitter but how can he ever get away from the fact Mauricio is still alive and he is the one who has caused all this. Why do I care if he’s dead or alive anyhow? He’s making our lives hell.
I keep looking back out of the rear window past Ashton in panic. Aston advises me to turn around and try to relax. Relax? How can I relax when I know we’re being followed?
"What if they catch up to us what do we do?"
Calvin speeds the up going over one hundred mph ignoring my question. He's swerving his way in and out other cars on the freeway while receiving quite a few honks and curses.
I hold on to the hand rail above my head, terrified for my life. My heart is speeding faster than the car. I am terrified of the situation we are in.
All of a sudden Calvin curses making me jump. "Fuck!" he yells,
I immediately turn to the back window to see what he sees. My stomach instantly swirls at the sight of a random black car that has suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it’s not far behind. It’s approaching with speed.
“Is that the car? Are they following us?” I’m panicking. I feel sick. My skin is burning up. Ashton looks from the back window towards me. “Yeah, it looks like. Get ready for a bumpy ride.” He smirks. What! A bumpy fucking ride. Is he kidding me?
I turn away from him not being able to comprehend his coolness then Calvin starts with the audacious behavior.
“Olivia, don’t worry, your safe with us.” He quickly glances my way.
I almost think for a second Calvin and Ashton are enjoying this. They are the Blake brothers after all. They live for this kind of thing. I however cannot relax when I can’t see a great outcome to this. What are they going to do with us? What do they want?
Calvin eyes glance into his mirror to see the destination of the black car, then speeds up.
I praying with every fiber of my being that they won’t recognize us, that the other cars around us, even though not many, will divert their intentions of doing anything drastic. I close my eyes taking deep breaths. I know everything that I just hoped will fail. They want us. They want to kill us. They are hunting us, so why would they spare us?
Out of nowhere I’m suddenly being thrown side wards forcing my eyes to fly open.
“Mother fuckers.” Calvin roars. My head snaps up looking towards Calvin and what I see is terrifying. The black four by four is approaching us on Calvin’s side just slightly behind us. The sight of the car sends me into hysteria. I try to breath but it feels like there isn’t enough air for me to cling on to. I feel my heart thumbing against my chest like it wants to spring free.
The vehicle slams into us once more forcing Calvin to swerve half way across the road. I'm again, thrown side wards in my seat from the impact. My head thumb's into the passenger window with a loud thud. Fuck that hurt. My hand instinctively holds onto my head nursing the bump. Calvin immediately regains control whilst shouting over to me to check if I’m alright.
"I’m fine just loose them." I yell at him, holding on to the side of my head. I’m not fine. I’m anything but fine. We’re being rammed off the road by a bigger car than ours and their obvious mission is to kill us.
I turn to look out of my side of the window and excessive terror instantly takes over me. The black BMW that I now recognize is gaining on us. They have switched to my side of the road. My stomach lurches. It is one of Mauricio’s Cars.
As quick as a flash Calvin’s car picks up speed, the BMW behind is also speeding up, catching us too quickly. We swerve in an out of the few cars we catch up to on the way. I keep my eyes tight together not be able to watch. But Ashton’s raging commentary keeps me informed to what’s happening. I wish he would just shut the hell up. I can’t take it.
Then that’s when I hear it, the next part that comes out of Ashton’s mouth is the most harrowing news.
"Fuck, they have a gun." Ashton curses loudly. I look over at Calvin in despair. I am petrified and there is nothing I can do.
He doesn’t look at me but continues to push through on the gas trying his best to lose them, his face stays hard and concentrated.
"Of course they’ve got a gun." Calvin hits back. Again we hear a loud bang where they persist on trying to knock us off the road.
I’m also scared for those others on the road. I couldn’t imagine innocent lives being hurt for this. But isn’t that what we are?
"He’s trying to knock us off the fucking road." Ashton shouts from behind.
"Mother fuckers." Calvin curses keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead speeding up yet again. I don’t think we could go any faster. The car is doing its limit surly? I hold my hand to my mouth to stop me from being sick. I can’t take it. My heart is banging against my chest bringing on extreme anxiety.
Calvin swerves over the other side of the road again making the car sound like its skidding. He then speeds up trying to get ahead, the BMW is only inches away from us. I keep praying they will give up but it doesn’t seem possible.
Ashton’s yelling all sorts of orders to Calvin and Calvin’s cursing badly and yelling back, they keep arguing. I can’t concentrate. My head is spinning.
"Calvin?" I whimper, looking over to him. I need to be told it’ll be Okay.
"It’s Okay baby, it’ll be Okay. I’ll lose them, I will. I will not let anything to you, do you understand?” I nod weakly understanding, but this situation isn’t in his control.
Our car gets hit again, this time from my side right next to my window making me cry out. The sound from the bang its causing is excruciating. My whole body is trembling.
Calvin regains focus. It’s taking his every ounce of energy and concentration to steer the car in the right direction and get us out of this mess. We speed up moving faster than they are.
This means Mauricio wants me dead? They’re knocking us off the road for one reason only. He knew that I’d be here. He knew there would only be one outcome to this. Someone who he once thought of as a daughter; he wants dead? He’s a fucking lunatic.
Calvin continues forward on the freeway. I look out of my side of the window and see the drop down the steep hill we would tumble down if they succeed to get us derailed. The contents of my stomach rises but I hold it in. I lean forward and tuck my head between my legs, not being able to watch this nightmare unfold.
All of a sudden we hear a gun shot. Instantly the car spins out of control. I scream holding my hands up in front of me. Ashton curses from behind me as Calvin does his best to keep the car steady and back in control. But we slow down.
"They’ve shot the back wheel." Ashton calls out after the piercing blow. "Olivia. Get down on the floor now...” Calvin orders me but I hesitate to do as I’m told. I’m stuck in a state of shock. My body won’t allow me to move. Calvin continues to drive the car with three wheels. I have no idea how he’s accomplishing it.
"Get down!" Calvin roars at me again. This time I do as I’m told taking my seat belt off I crouch down onto the floor space in front of my seat and go into a fetus position. I try to block everything out, holding my hands against my ears but the roaring of the cars, the two brothers shouting at each other is formidable. When will this end!
"They’re right next to us Calvin, you can’t speed up. You need to stop!"
"I see them Ashton, I see them. What the fuck am I meant to do? I’m doing my best here I can’t stop." Ashton and Calvin start to argue with each other, one not agreeing with the other. I don’t see this ending well. I don’t want to die, not like this.
I can’t think this this. I can’t think of the possibility of Calvin dyeing. Even Ashton. This can’t be it.
Moments later I hear the most agonizing sound that pierces my ears causing them to ring. Two more gunshots, the first smashes through the back window next to Ashton and the second is f
ollowed by Ashton’s agonizing cry out in pain. Calvin screams Ashton’s name and slams on the breaks sending the car spinning, skidding. I put my head between my knees, crying uncontrollably. The severe pain in both men’s voices are insufferable. I don’t want to get up. I no Ashton has been shot. The bullet has hit him but I’m praying it isn’t in a crucial spot. Oh please God, no.
The car slows down coming to a stop. I come out of my position on the floor. Looking through wet eyes, I slowly look out of the windows. I spot the black car speeding past us leaving the wreck behind.
I shakily look over at Calvin not wanting to look behind me. He doesn’t look at me but reaches over to the back seat trying to get at Ashton.
"Ashton, speak to me, they didn’t get you bad right?" The urgency and pain in Calvin’s voice is gut-wrenching.
I sit up, slowly forcing my head to look behind me at Ashton. As soon as I do I instantly wish I didn’t. The sight is like a horror movie. There’s blood everywhere, it looks like it’s coming from Ashton’s neck. He looks lifeless. Please God, please make Ashton be alright.
Calvin screams for his brother. "Ashton, answer me!" When Ashton doesn’t answer, Calvin wastes no time. He jumps out of the car and runs around to the back while I try to get my brain to function. My eyes are wide and stunned. My hands are unsteady. My legs have turned to jelly. I pull myself up trembling and open the car door to meet Calvin. My whole body has gone into shock. I must brace myself for what’s to come.
Calvin’s about to pull Ashton out of the car. "Calvin no, you mustn’t move him." I try to plead with him but he’s not listening to me. I try to take a hold of Calvin's arm.
"What the fuck do you suppose I do?" He yells at me, pushing me away from him. I stubble back away from him, holding my hand against my mouth. I can’t break down now. I need to be strong but the tears keep on coming. Calvin ignores my requests and pulls Ashton out of the car. Dragging him from under-neath his arms.
Confessions and Olivia (Olivia #2) Page 28