Chapter 97

Luca shut his eyes, dumping himself back on the car seat, eyes now out of the window, calculating.

Derinem looked down at the phone, face blank and breath wavering, eyes on the phone, knowing the call was still ongoing, his thoughts flaring in all directions.

"He's playing with you," Luca told him; "he didn't shoot her."

He only hoped.

"Luca?" Damon's voice called out through the phone, "Aunt May passed on her smart genes, didn't she?" They heard a door jam shot: "Fortunately, our cousin is right."

"Damon..."

"Eight o'clock, Derinem, that's all I give you, the manor any minute after that," there was another loud shot. "Then you won't see your bitch anymore."

"And you promise you'll let her go?"

"Well, when I'm in a bad mood, I change my mind; I can't help it." Derinem heard the smile in his voice: "Make the right decision, brother."

Then the call ended, and Derinem covered his face with his two palms while breathing in. He knew t