END

J O L I E N

I woke up to a steady shaking. Dazed, I opened my eyes.

It took me a few seconds to realize where I was, almost simultaneously the memory crashed over me and I intuitively grabbed the door handle.

"That's not going to work." I leaned toward the familiar voice, frowned at Harry for a moment, and then let my gaze wander through the windshield. He drove over the cliffs, toward Silverside—that is, away from the Dakarias' estate .

"Stop! stop the car Now!" I shook the door again, it remained locked. They had activated the child safety lock. "Honey, calm down." Camilla put her head back and I couldn't believe that she was actually asking me to do that .

"Your son is out there!" I yelled angrily as I tugged harder and harder on the doorknob. As if that would change anything. As if I would suddenly develop superpowers and rip the entire door off its hinges.

"Please. Stop." The anger turned to desperation and I fought back the impulse to scream and burst into tears.

"We can't, Jolien. We have to go, I left my husband too." I let out a cold laugh - because everyone in that car knew their love was a joke. It was in no way in competition with ours.

We had fought. I had cried so many times, questioned this relationship and now I just wanted to be by Malio's side.

Tears of anger ran down my face and I banged on the window pane in desperation.

"Do you want to jump out the window? Girl, what's this gonna be? It's pouring rain. I need to focus on the road." Harry complained. I was just about to vent my anger, but now that he said it I was actually thinking about it. "Never mind, the glass is burglar proof." I met Harry's gaze through the mirror and rolled my eyes.

My head was working overtime, but I couldn't see a way out until an idea suddenly came to me. An idea that couldn't have been sillier. I already heard Malio's voice, which would surely punish me for this foolish behavior.

Without thinking, I swung myself between the front seats to grab the steering wheel. Harry was so surprised that he lost control of the car for a split second.

We skidded on the wet surface, Camille covered her face with her hands and Harry sent a prayer to heaven. I leaned even further into the cab to unlatch the rear doors when Harry finally snapped out of his shock and slammed on the brakes.

The car squeaked to a halt on the driver's track, just inches from the cliff edge.

"Are you out of your mind?" Harry snapped as he took his trembling hands off the wheel so he could run them through his thinning hair.

I curse this street. The second time I had barely escaped with my life, even though I had fully consciously summoned the accident.

"Sorry, you gave me no other choice," I gasped, holding onto my side, my face contorted in pain as the sudden deceleration had slammed me against the driver's seat. But the adrenaline rushing through my veins numbed the pain .

Without giving another thought to whether I might have injured my ribs in the impact, I groaned and pushed myself back into the backseat and opened the door.

The rain lashed my way and it only took a few minutes before I was completely soaked.

I didn't know how far we were from the Dakarias' compound, but since I could still see it, I didn't estimate the distance that far. But even if I had to walk all the way to the moon, I would.

Blue lights and sirens shot past me and I quickened my steps. When the fourth car whizzed past me, I ran. My heart was beating uncomfortably fast and my lungs were about to burst when I saw the open gate with the dark coat of arms.

I've never been so thankful to see that gate as it meant the property was only a few yards away.

Determined, I scraped together the last of my strength so that I could cover the rest of the way to the house at an incredible pace.

The training with Malio had probably paid off after all. I haven't been in such good shape in a long time. Even so, the ten-minute stretch demanded a lot from me, but fear for him kept chasing me. Step by step. meter by meter. Until I got there

Countless squad cars were parked in the driveway and I spotted paramedics tending to gunshot wounds.

My eyes fell on the lawn next to the house and panic was added to the fear pumping through my veins when I spotted the black sacks. Big enough to fit a grown man in there. body bags.

"You can't go in here!" A policeman caught my arm and rushed to try and get a closer look at the sacks, but I needed to know if _he_ was one of them.

"Let go of me!" "You can't-" "Yes I can and I will!" I interrupted angrily. When he continued to prevent me from leaving, I reached out and punched him square in the throat , just like Malio had always drilled into me.

He immediately fell to his knees and gasped audibly for air. Without giving him another look, I slipped under the barrier and rushed toward the house.

I didn't know what to expect. But at that moment I was prepared for anything.

I was almost there when firm arms wrapped around my chest. For a moment thousands of butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's not here anymore." A sentence that dashed all my hopes.

Ivan pulled me away and although I fought back with my hands and feet, his grip didn't loosen an inch. "Let go of me, Ivan!" I forced out with an effort, my arms flailing wildly and I swatted at him blindly.

He roughly threw me onto the floor. The impact knocked air out of my already burning lungs while mud spattered my face.

For a split second, my body gave in to the enormous strain, then my fighting spirit kicked in and I got back to my feet.

I made another attempt, scurrying past him and sprinting off, but he easily stopped me again.

"Stop doing that. He is not here. Are you listening, Jolien!" I didn't want to hear it, even though the words were clearly echoing in my head. So loud and devastating that I gave up on resisting.

"Where is he? Ivan, where is he? Don't tell me he's dead!" Hysterically, I pounded my fists on his chest, but it didn't seem to cause him any pain. He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly and letting me fall for a moment I completely lost my temper, I screamed, cried, and countless punches landed on his chest.

He gently stroked my back and waited until I had calmed down somewhat - at least until he was sure that his next words really got through to me.

I could feel the tears running down my burning cheeks. Ivan sighed and stroked my cheek, just looking at me for a second before saying in an almost pitiful voice, "You've got him. You've got him." The Chinese have it."

My treacherous heart quickened, sensing a hope somewhere deep inside that I couldn't even explain. A stupid part of me was relieved because the news meant he was alive, after all. They would find him and bring him back!

But when Ivan grabbed my shoulders to push me slightly out of his arms so that he could look at me intently, his gaze nipped that hope in the bud.

"Jolien. You do not understand this. They got him because of Lynn." His expression became more serious. "They have an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. He wants revenge and will torture Malio to death."

END

That was Volume 2! Continue with: BOY WITH A DEADLY SENSE.