Episode 5

Remy:- "Do you have your phone?"

Remy:- "Let's get you a ride."

Veronica fumbles her phone out of her bag and struggles to pull her rideshare app up with shaking fingers.

Remy:- "I can help."

When his hand touches her, she let him take the phone away to handle it.

Remy:- "Can you put your address in?"

She manages that much on her own, grateful for the privacy.

Her driver Leonardo pulls onto the street in the listed car.

Veronica:- "Thank you so much, Remy."

Remy:- "Of course."

Remy:- "Until we meet again, ma Cherie."

Veronica:- (Meet again?)

Something flutters in her stomach at the warmth of his smile.

Remy opens the car door for her.

When she's sitting, he leans in close...

And suddenly, his sweet smile turns into a knife-sharp smirk.

Remy:- "Veronica, what's this?"

He reaches into her purse and slowly, slowly draws out a string of pearls.

Veronica:- (The pearls from the jewellery shop!) 

Veronica:- (How did those get in there?!)

Remy:- "It looks like you're not as innocent as you seem."

Veronica:- (Neither are you, apparently!)

Veronica:- "Yes, I am!"

Veronica:- "I don't know why those are in my purse, but I didn’t take them!"

Remy:- "I hold on to these, you naughty girl."

He slides the pearls into his suit jacket with a conspiratorial wink.

Remy:- "People already think you're with the Gilded Poppy.”

Remy:- "It wouldn't be good if somebody found you with stolen goods, on top of that."

Veronica:- (I knew he was too good to be real!)

Before she can react, he shuts the door, and the car takes off.

In the car

The road ahead of her blurs as she tries to make sense of everything.

Leonardo:- "Are you okay?"

She glanced over at the driver. He has a good eye on the road, but the concern is clear on his face.

Scars crisscross his heavily muscled forearms.

Veronica:- (Dang, what are those from?)

Veronica:- (This guy looks like a storybook pirate, not a rideshare driver.)

Veronica:- "It's been a weird day."

Veronica:- (At least it hasn't been boring!)

Police sirens blare behind them.

Leonardo:- "And it’s not over yet, huh?"

Veronica:- (Oh no!)

Veronica:- (Is this about the Gilded Poppy heist or the planted pearls? Or both?!)

Veronica:- (That Remy guy could've pointed them right at me as a distraction!)

Leonardo sighs as red and blue lights flash in the rearview mirror.

Leonardo:- "Put your seatbelt on."

Leonardo:- "I have a lot of experience outrunning the police."

Veronica:- "What?!"

Leonardo:- "Trust me."

Leonardo:- "You don't want to go to jail."

She fastens her seatbelt automatically, and as soon as she does, he slams down the gas pedal. They race forward so fast it presses her into the seat.

Leonardo:- "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

Leonardo weaves in and out of traffic, jumps on and off the curb, ricochets around a corner.

She yelled, but he looks as calm as if he's sitting on the beach.

He puts an arm around her shoulders on another breakneck turn, protecting her from hitting the window with the force.

Leonardo:- "You know, you don't really look like a troublemaker."

He glances at her with wry amusement.

Veronica:- "Neither do you."

Veronica:- (But here we are, in a car chase with the cops and Leon's cool as a cucumber.)

Leonardo:- "Funny how that works."

Without a warning, he stops short, throwing out an arm.

She hit firm, warm muscle instead of smacking her face into the dashboard.

Leonardo:- "Haven't had to do this trick in a while."

With his free hand, Leonardo puts their selves in reverse and rockets backwards.

The police speed by.

He turns around and races in the opposite direction.

Leonardo:- "Got 'em."

For a while, she can only focus on her lurching stomach, but then the city lights fade and they come to a gentler stop.

Veronica:- (It's probably too optimistic to expect he brought me home, right?)

Sure enough, when she peeks out the window, they're at an air hangar.

Leonardo:- "Hang on."

He gets out of the car, then walks around the front and opens her door for her.

He extends a large, steady hand and holds deliberate eye contact.

Leonardo:- "Remember what I promised you: I'll keep you safe."

Leonardo:- "Whatever happens here, nobody's going to hurt you."

Leonardo:- "Okay?"

She doesn't even know how to answer.

Veronica:- (What's going to happen next?)

...★★★★★ TO BE CONTINUED★★★★★...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***