Veronica's Fallacy

9.

-HER-

"Do I die tonight?" I dared to ask.

"Yes, but not in a way you'd think," he replied with a wicked smile, which stunned me greatly. But more than that, it terrified me. I'd have taken another curt reply from him rather than that.

I stared at him wide-eyed, wondering what he meant by that. Was this part of the deal? Was this the payment for doing the deed? Suddenly, I felt claustrophobic in the car. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. It felt like my lungs were shrinking in capacity until I felt pain in my chest every time I breathed.

Gunner cocked an eyebrow at me before handing me something in the dark. It took me a moment to realize that it was my shotgun. What was that supposed to do? Make me feel better? Was he trying to make me feel better? Was this for assurance? Was this his way of stopping me from losing my mind? Because it didn't make me feel any better.

"What does that mean?" I asked. Knowing my chances of escaping were slim, I needed to know everything to prepare myself.

"You'd find that out soon," Another curt response just when I needed a full answer. This man frustrated and terrified me at the same time.

I stared out of the window, studying our route. It was dark, and I couldn't make out much, but I tried to memorize the route numbers.

We drove for a while, leaving the city behind. Soon, we left the highway and were travelling on a narrow road that threaded through dense woods. I noticed how the terrain slowly grew rocky. This meant one thing— we were travelling somewhere North, upwards a mountain.

I kept glancing at Gunner occasionally, but he seemed pretty relaxed tonight. He scrolled through his phone and texted away as if I wasn't sitting beside him, on the verge of losing my mind. He was in his tux, too, but the coat was missing. Instead, he was in his vest. Seeing him relaxed worsened my nervousness.

"How far is it?" I asked, and in response, he smirked.

"Not much," Was all he said. I kept staring out the window, looking for more landmarks or signs. As the car took another sharp turn, I realized we must have switched paths.

Soon, the vegetation cleared, and I could see the city in the distance as we climbed higher on the rocky terrain. I watched the city grow smaller and smaller with every passing minute.

I was too busy staring out the window, lost in my thoughts, to notice that the car had stopped moving. I snapped out of my anxious train of thought and looked around. Gunner stepped out first and opened the door for me.

The first thing I noticed after stepping out was a mansion on the other side of the road. It sat proudly on an elevation. Stairs were going up to its front door while its large garage rested at the bottom of the elevation. The architecture of the house was impressive. It was elegant and modern but had some classic touches— especially the windows. I'd have stopped to admire the mansion if Gunner hadn't told me that I was going to die tonight.

Gunner led me up the stairs to the front door. Meanwhile, I continued to memorize my surroundings. Just halfway through the stairs, I noticed a shadow move away from the giant windows on the first floor. Immediately, I knew we were being watched.

Gunner led me to the doorstep and said, "It's only you from here," He opened the door for me. Hesitantly, I stepped inside, and he closed the door behind me. I froze in the long hallway leading to the house's living room.

The house's warm lighting and minimalistic yet vintage furniture made it almost feel cosy, but I knew better. This was most likely the Lord's house.

I walked down the hallway and entered the beautiful living room. It had the same warm lighting, creme walls and high windows that perfectly framed the view of the city beneath the mountains. It was a breathtaking place, but I was too stiff with tension to look around more.

Instead, I decided to wait against the window, staring out. The front stairs were easily visible from the living room window. I watched Gunner descending the stairs before going back to the car. I watched him open the garage door before getting inside the car and parking it inside.

I must've been paying close attention to Gunner's parking skills because I didn't hear another presence enter the room.

"Miss Veronica Grant," An oddly familiar voice spoke behind me, almost making me jump out of my skin. I spun around on my heels to face the voice's owner, only to be practically knocked off my feet.

Staring back at me was none other than the man with the dark eyes and curly hair from the bar yesterday. His eyes were now much more intense than yesterday. Maybe it was the lighting or my shock of seeing him unexpectedly, but I was again compulsively going over his striking features— his thick eyebrows, his deep eyes, his slightly crooked nose, his sharp jawline and high cheekbones, but most importantly, his captivating lips.

My wolf rejoiced happily inside me, unable to contain her excitement. She had been mad at me for leaving him abruptly last night, but seeing him here almost instantly lightened her mood. I ignored her and focused more on the man before me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, composing myself and making my face illegible.

He bore a heart-stopping devilish smile, "I live here,"

~

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