Secret Crown

XXVII. Twenty-Seven

Scarlett

The entire ride with Leo, I was gripping my seatbelt for dear life as multiple cars were following behind us. Bullets would hit his car with a loud clank as the bullet-proof glasses took the hits. "Please take me back to Adrián," I pleaded, tears clouding my eyes. "He needs medical attention! I can help him!" Leo kept his eyes on the road as he neared 130 miles per hour. "I'm sorry, Scarlett. But you can't go back there-not until all of this has cleared out. It's too dangerous for you now."

"I don't care!" I cried,He can die if I don't help!"

Leo was swerving in and out of traffic. "Adrián is used to all of this, and even then...he paused as he made a sharp turn onto an on-ramp to another highway. "Even if Adrián dies tonight, your life will be in even more danger than it ever previously was. You are technically a Leon now, and our name comes with a long line of enemies that we have, and then theres the matter of whether you are pregnant." He paused as he cut off a large white semi truck to exit the highway. "If you are, that child will need to be protected with our lives."

Pregnant. I thought to myself as my arms tightened around my stomach. Ignoring the loud noises of the highway and the sound of Leo's engine roaring below us, I did the math on when my last menstrual cycle was to see when I was ovulating this month. My grip tightened as I realized we had unprotected sex during my fertile window. Birth control was the least of my worries when I was busy and too lost in my own excitement to let Adrián know I wasn't on it.

Leo's car came to a stop at the end of what appeared to be the woods in the middle of the city. The streets were silent, and with Leo driving like he belonged in Fast and Furious, we managed to lose all the cars that had been following us. The floor in front of the car dropped in like a secret door, revealing a well-hidden drive-through where two men were waiting with their guns. Leo exited his car and walked over to open the door for me. "This is where we say goodbye, Scar." He smiled and said, "I need to get back to Adrián. These are Callum's men; they'll take you to my sister Natalia's house, where you'll be safe. Once we finish, Adrián will come for you."

The men walked over to greet us. "Ms. Leon," they said, "we will lead you into the house if you can follow us." The tall one said, "My name is Amir; I am the head of security for the Clarkes."

"Go with them, sis," Leo smiled as he unexpectedly gave me a hug goodbye. "Take good care of her, Amir, or we will kill you." He threatened as he pulled away from me and walked back to his car. Amir led me down the slanted road into the well-lit driveway. The earth above us had closed the hidden entrance. Amir sat in the driver's seat of the golf cart and began to drive down the fluorescently lit tunnel. It easily fit two cars side by side and felt like it led to an evil lair or Batman's hideout. We drove for what felt like over twenty minutes before we came to a stop at an underground parking lot that was stocked with luxury cars. There was a single elevator at the end of it with a family crest on its platinum doors. Amir hit a button on the elevator after we had loaded in. As soon as we reached our designated floor, we were welcomed by an elderly woman who looked like a librarian. "My name is Lana, Ms. Leon; it is an honor to meet you." She greeted me, "Mrs. Clarke will be with you shortly; she's tending to a guest and has instructed me to show you the bathroom in the mean time." She smiled. "Come along, dear."

We walked through the huge, silent house. It was beautiful, clean, and elegant, with long white hallways and huge windows that, for some odd reason, were covered with metal panels over the glass as if it were some sort of giant doomsday bunker. "Don't worry about the windows, dear." Lana smiled. "Mr. Clarke had these installed for safety reasons. Once the threat has been cleared, they will lift." She paused at a large black wooden door and said, "And here you are, the bathroom." She smiled before walking away from me.