Kelechi's fingers gripped the steering wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. The city was a blur as she sped through the streets, weaving in and out of traffic. Seyi was barely conscious, her breath shallow, her pulse a faint thrum beneath Kelechi's fingertips.
But it wasn't just the fear for her sister that made Kelechi's heart pound. It was the unsettling feeling crawling up her spine—they were closing in.
She had no idea who they were. Not yet. But she was certain that if she didn't get Seyi to safety soon, she would lose her forever.
The phone buzzed in her pocket again.
Kelechi didn't look at it. She couldn't. Every second was critical. But the call came again, this time urgent.
She yanked it out, silencing it without answering. She'd already made her choice. The past was dead, buried. She didn't have the luxury to revisit it now.
⸻
The road outside the city was empty, the quiet suffocating.
Kelechi turned the wheel hard, veering down a narrow alley, her tires skimming against the edge of the pavement. She couldn't afford to take any risks now, but the silence in the air made her skin crawl.
Then the first shot rang out.
It was so fast, she barely had time to register the noise before she felt the car jerk to the side. She cursed under her breath, spinning the wheel as the tires screeched against the road. They'd found her.
Kelechi's heart slammed against her chest, but she didn't flinch. She was done running. She was done being hunted.
She slammed the accelerator to the floor, pushing the car faster. The sound of another bullet hitting the side of the car made her ears ring, but she didn't stop. The headlights ahead of her flared as she raced forward, desperate for cover.
There was a warehouse up ahead. She didn't care if it was a trap. She was out of options.
Kelechi swung the car hard, tires screeching against the pavement as she aimed for the entrance. The vehicle screeched into the warehouse, and she barely had time to cut the engine before she grabbed Seyi, pulling her from the car.
Seyi groaned, her eyes half-lidded. "What… what happened…"
"Stay with me, Seyi," Kelechi growled, her voice tight. "Stay awake. We're not done yet."
Seyi's eyelids fluttered. "They're… they're watching us, Kelechi…"
Kelechi's heart stopped. They—who the hell was she talking about?
⸻
Kelechi shoved Seyi against the wall, trying to shield her from any more potential danger. She reached into her bag for the gun she kept hidden, fingers trembling as she gripped it. Her mind was working at full capacity now—calculating her every move.
But as she turned back to Seyi, her eyes froze.
There, in the shadows of the warehouse, was a figure she hadn't expected to see. A man. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His eyes gleamed in the low light.
Kelechi's breath hitched. "Ayo."
The man's lips curled into a smile, but it was cold—too cold.
"I told you, Kelechi. You can't do this alone," Ayo said, his voice carrying an edge of warning. "But now you've made your bed. And trust me… you won't be able to run from what's coming next."
Kelechi's hand tightened around the grip of the gun. "What do you want, Ayo?"
He took a step forward, eyes glinting with something she couldn't read. "I want you to realize you can't escape the consequences of your past. And you've already dragged your sister into it."
Ayo's words hit Kelechi harder than anything else. Seyi was already in danger, and now Ayo was involved. She had no idea how deep the rabbit hole went, but she knew one thing for sure: things were about to get a lot worse.
But then, just as Kelechi opened her mouth to respond, the lights above flickered—just for a moment. Then the silence was broken by the unmistakable sound of more approaching footsteps.
Kelechi's heart pounded. Her eyes darted to Ayo. They had company.