Craved by the Wrong Volkov-Chapter 307: Almost there

Braelyn’s POV

The cold air hit my face the moment I stepped out of the station. It was sharper than I expected, the kind that slipped beneath layers of clothing and settled into the bones. My breath came out in faint white clouds as I paused at the edge of the road, gripping the handle of my suitcase.

It wasn’t a lie that people said coastal regions were colder. My eyes darted around my surroundings, trying to adjust to the chaos.

People moved around me in a constant stream to and fro the station. Some dragged their luggage toward the nearby bus terminal while others hurried into waiting taxis. A few were greeted by family members who had clearly been waiting for them.

Just a few steps away, a little girl ran across the pavement passing me. Her beaming smile and bouncy ponytail caught my attention. I found myself smiling as I watched her launch herself at a man dragging a suitcase from the station entrance. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Daddy!" she screamed, wrapping her arms around his waist.

The man laughed and lifted her easily into the air while a woman standing beside a car watched them with a tired but warm smile.

For a brief second, the sight tugged at something deep inside my chest. I quickly looked away before the feeling could settle.

My eyes returned to scanning the road.

There were several cars parked along the pavement. Some drivers leaned against their vehicles while others sat behind the wheel with the engines idling. The noise of traffic filled the night, horns echoing from distant streets while headlights swept across the pavement.

I kept moving forward, weaving through the passing crowd while dragging my suitcase behind me. My eyes searched each vehicle carefully. Finally, close to the bus station I spotted my ride.

A blue Honda Civic was parked near the curb a short distance away.

The moment I spotted the car, my chest tightened. I pushed through a small group of travellers crossing the pavement and moved toward it, struggling slightly with my suitcase as people brushed past me.

The driver was leaning casually against the side of the car. He probably sensed me and glanced over

The moment his gaze landed on me, his eyes flickered with recognition. A small smile spread across his face as he straightened slightly.

"Aurora James?" he said calmly. "You look like you had a long night. Mr James and the children miss you." the exact password said like a casual conversation.

Relief flooded through me immediately. I nodded faintly, not trusting my voice just yet. "It was a long ride indeed. " I said with a raspy voice.

The driver was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build. He wore a dark coat and a hat pulled low enough to cast a shadow over his eyes. Even with the hat, I could tell he was a few inches taller than me.

Without wasting time, he walked around the car and popped open the boot. He took the suitcase from my hand before I could protest and placed it inside before shutting it firmly.

"Let’s leave," he said simply. "Your family is waiting Mrs James. "

He slid into the driver’s seat while I moved to the back seat. The car pulled away from the curb almost immediately, merging into the late-night traffic. I fixed my seat belt and started staring at the busy night street while the street lights flickered past my face.

For the first few minutes, neither of us spoke.

I leaned slightly toward the window and watched the city move past us. Cars drove along the main road, their headlights streaking across the darkness. The town was still lively even at this hour. It was a commercial port town after all.

Soon the driver turned away from the main road. The traffic began to thin as we moved onto a quieter street. It was an intentional route to avoid detection.

The streetlamps here were sparse and some of them had stopped working entirely, leaving patches of darkness between pools of weak yellow light.

Still, I knew where we were heading. From a distance, faint ship horns echoed through the night air. The port was nearby.

I exhaled slowly and rested my head lightly against the seat. I was still feeling sleepy but forced myself to stay awake.

The ride felt long even though we were moving steadily. My nerves had not fully settled since leaving the station. Every passing car made my eyes flick toward the window.

Then the driver suddenly lowered his voice. "We are being followed." My body stiffened instantly as my heart literally jumped.

"What?" I asked quietly.

"I was not certain at first," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "But the same car has been behind us for three streets now." A cold feeling spread through my chest.

I leaned forward slightly and glanced at the rear-view mirror. There was a distant headlight. A dark car followed at a steady distance.

My pulse began to roar in my ears. The driver’s jaw tightened slightly as he adjusted his grip on the steering wheel.

"I am going to change the route," he muttered. He slowed slightly, preparing to turn toward another street that would loop around the port entrance.

But before he could move, a loud engine roared from ahead. A large cargo truck suddenly rolled out from the back gate entrance of the port, blocking the road completely. The driver slammed the brakes and the car jolted to a stop.

My breath caught in my throat. "What is happening?" I whispered. Real fear started to crawl up my spine.

Before the driver could answer, movement appeared in the darkness. Two cars pulled out from the shadows behind the truck. Another one slid across the road behind us. Within seconds, we were surrounded.

The driver cursed under his breath. "Fuck it. They were expecting us." He hissed gripping the steering wheel tighter.

My pulse exploded into a frantic rhythm as I looked around at the vehicles closing in on us from every direction. This was not random, it felt coordinated. They had been waiting.

My fingers curled tightly into the seat as panic clawed its way into my chest. Questions filled my mind.

Who were they?

It could not be Raphael. I had been careful. Everything about this escape had been planned perfectly. I didn’t handle any of the moves to avoid suspicion. Only a few people even knew where I was going.

My mind raced through the possibilities.

Who knew about this route?

Who knew I would be coming to this port tonight?

Genny and Adrien knew. My breath caught in my throat. I shook my head shoving away the suspicion. There was no way Genevieve had betrayed me.

Then who was after me?!