Escape Planners [on hold]

Chapter-10

Aura Finley

"What exactly do you want?!"

I shouted at Ben, the scammer, over the call. He had been calling me non-stop since midnight and after rejecting all his calls, I finally picked up, since his name on the screen angered me to insanity. 

"Do not shout, girl. Why haven't you been picking up my calls?" His gruff, croak voice almost had me groan in exasperation. His punchable round face flashed before me, making me fist my hands firmly.

I mentally went on a boxing bout where I almost knocked him out when his voice again brought me to reality. "And where the fuck are you?! My men can't find you at your place. Don't you dare think you can ever escape me, get that? I will dig your body out of your grave if you died without paying me my money."

His threat angered me to the core. "Wherever I am is none of your concern. All you must care about is your money, which I will pay in said time. And stop calling me every fifteen minutes."

He chuckled gravely. "You're right pretty girl, money is all I care about, and may I remind you, I can kill for that. Hope this will keep you from running from me. Will call you soon."

And he disconnected the call, which had me press my head on the pillow and groan. Damnit! That nasty frog ruined my morning.

After that short conversation and quiet walk back to our rooms with Kian, steered my senses to equilibrium, which had me sleeping peacefully without having my mind run to overthink before dozing off. After a long time, I slept without any worries about the world.

"Hey, you're still sleeping, Aura?"

I sat up in my bed at Vinnie's voice, who just entered the room. Looking at my disheveled self, she advanced toward me. "C'mon Aura, get up or we'll get late for everything. Everybody's almost ready to go out."

Yawning, I stretched my hands and scratched my scalp. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I'll be ready in ten minutes."

"You better be." She muttered while stepping towards her cabinet and began rummaging through it, probably looking for something to wear. 

Last night all of us had mutually decided to head out for breakfast. Although we were provided with three meals a day by Zoya, we had already informed her about our outing so no food gets wasted.

It took me ten minutes to freshen up and shower, and when I exited the bathroom in my bathrobe, I found Vinnie standing by her bed with her hands on her waist, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "Ten minutes are already over, girl." She said. She wore a turquoise knee-length floral dress and had her short hair pinned on one side.

I laughed sheepishly. "Sorry. I won't take much, I swear." With that, I rushed to my cabinet and sprinted back to the bathroom with my shorts and an off-shoulder top. I paired them with sandals, then I picked up my sling bag and we both went out. There, in the lobby, we found others waiting for us. Vinnie smiled at Joy, her boyfriend, and stood beside him.

My gaze switched to Kian whom I found waving at me; his always charming smile radiating neverending energy. I waved back at him, not wanting to come out rude.

Leo whistled out of nowhere. "Girls, ya'll look damn hot."

Kian, who could never resist himself from passing a comment, spoke, "Too hot that their hotness combined with San Francisco's heat is gonna melt us, boys, into liquid."

Cue to roll my eyes, but everybody's laughter broke me in one, too.

"So, where are we headed to?" Leo asked. Kian flung his arm across Leo's shoulder and added.