Healed By Love

CHAPTER 24

AUDELIA'S POV

"No. No. No." I chant as my irritation grows and I pass a sweaty, bloody hand through my tangled hair, coating it with blood. "Fuck."

The entire parking lot seems like a hurricane has just hit it. The few cars that remained were all wrecked- including ours. The alarms of the cars were blaring in the otherwise quite night. The windows were shattered. Doors had been removed. Tyres had been slashed. Bullets had perforated the metal. Some were on fire.

"We cannot waste more time. We need to go." Lorenzo says as he comes next to me, taking in the carnage. He takes my hand in his and chose our only option we had left.

To run.

We sprint out of the parking lot onto the empty street illuminated by streetlights equidistant from each other and the few lights from the few houses built around. We pick up our pace as the sounds of footsteps echo behind us. Car doors open and close. Engines are turned on. Tyres screech on the gravel. Headlights are fixed on us. Bullets fly in the air.

"My phone. Give me my phone." I say, wincing from the pain that keeps growing on my feet but gets overpowered by the mix of adrenaline and fight or flight instinct.

My hand shake uncontrollably as I switch it on, immediately dialing Valeria's number. The irrational thought of throwing my phone to the ground and shatter it to pieces nearly takes over as it goes to voice mail after the third try.

"We need to get out of plain sight but still be near the road." He says as I hand him back the phone which he pockets.

I simply nod as he pulls me to the side of the road, over the pavement. I come seconds away from pace planting the road feeling my legs nearly give out. "In there." I point to the open gate of someone's yard.

Not giving it any second thoughts, we enter the yard and thankfully the trees and unkempt bushes manage to conceal us slightly. "We need to jump." He says when we near the end of the yard where stands a fence.

"Ok." I let out a breath, mentally preparing myself. I jump, my hands clutch the top of the fence and easily pull my body up. As soon as my body is over the fence, I jump down on the other side and I cannot help the yelp that leaves me as my feet hit the ground.

"What happened?" He asks, his eyes darting between me and the road. I lean against the fence, taking deep breaths. "Are you hurt?" His urgent eyes meet mine.

"Nothing. Just my feet." I reassure him as I take in another deep breath.

"Are you sure you can walk."

"Yeah." I nod, peaking between the trees and see some men coming in our direction. "Let's keep moving."

We take off once again, running across the yard and I curse as the motion-sensing light lights up. "вон там" I hear someone call out and I have no doubt they are headed in our direction.

We jump over another fence, not bothering to look behind us. "Wait." I tug on Lorenzo's arm as I feel a light of hope light up inside me. "Over there." I point urgently across the street. "That's our only chance to outrun them."

"Fine." Jumping over the wall we get back on the main road and sprint across it towards the man on the other side about to start his motorcycle.

"Excuse me sir but we really need your bike. It is really urgent." I say between my breaths, my eyes darting between him and the road where headlights keep getting closer.

He laughs, placing his hands on his helmet that rests before him and leaning forward, looking me up and down.

"Listen princess-" He starts in a mocking tone.