Blurred Lines 1: CHASE
Chapter 112

-Chase-

A raging wave of emotions in Sofia's blue eyes knocked all the air out of my body. Losing my balance, I stride to where she sat. My steps were shaky. She gazed at me with so much agony, pain, and resentment. It seared through my bones, leaving me anxious and petrified for her reaction. "Sofia..." I reached for her face. She slapped my hand away and rose on her feet, pinning me with a stare that could melt steel. "Baby-"

Sammy chose that moment to step out of the bathroom; the staccato of her heels intensified the pounding in my chest.

Sofia's gaze slid to her, eyes narrowing as she took Sammy's barely clothed body. Tick tock, tick tock. The tension thickened as the seconds ticked by; it was suffocating me. I've never felt so terrified in all my life.

"I'll wait for you in the car." Sofia's voice was arctic.

"Sofia-" I reached for her forearm, but she snatched it from my hold.

When our eyes locked, I felt a fracture in our connection, growing deeper and wider, stretching between as she strutted out of the room. I don't fucking care about anything right now apart from fixing this rift between us. I shut out everything; Sammy calling my name, the people watching us with curiosity as I ran after Sofia, Nikos perched at the end of the hallway, smirking deviously.

I glared at Nikos.

I'll deal with that bastard some other time.

"Let me explain-" I caught up with Sofia at the bottom of the stairs.

"Don't cause a scene, Chase," Sofia said coldly, not slowing down her steps.

I kept my mouth shut and walked beside her. She smiled at the people who greeted her, but her anger bellowed from her skin in white smoke. We walked side by side until we reached the parking lot, my heart thudding in my ears, my heart crawling up my throat. Fuck. I've never seen Sofia this mad.

She hopped on the passenger side. I said a silent prayer as I opened the driver's side and slid inside. "Hear me out, please."

"I heard everything," she murmured slowly, fastening her seatbelt.

"Then let me explain-"

"You conversed in English, Chase. Last I checked, I have good English comprehension."

If our relationship wasn't hanging by a thread, I would've laughed at her statement, but none of this was f*****g funny.

Shoulder checking, I pulled out of the parking lot and took the narrow path out of Ruel's property.

"You weren't supposed to hear it like that," I grunted without thinking.

Sofia huffed, spatting an acid-laced chuckle. "How am I supposed to hear it?"

Good fucking question. Why was fate not on my side? I was still processing Sammy's revelation, still working on how to drop this bomb on her. Well, I f*****g didn't have to anymore. She already f*****g knows. How the f**k did she get inside the room? I was pretty sure I locked it. "How did you even get inside the room?" I wanted to smack myself in the face.

Sofia winced. Her head whipped in my direction. "Are you for real, Chase?"

"Don't you think it's fucking too coincidental that Sammy dropped the bomb that we have a son and you finding out about it the way you did? So yes. How the f**k did you get inside the room?"

We exited the narrow path, entering the freeway back in town.

"Nikos told me he saw you inside that room. The door was unlocked." She said, her face scrunching like she ate a slice of lemon. "I knew something was up. I thought...." she gulped loudly, "I prepared myself for the worst, but nothing could prepare me for what I heard."

"I didn't f*****g cheat on you. She happened before you came back to my life."

"But you made a fool out of me, Chase. She's the girl from our engagement party, isn't she?"

I pursed my lips. She got me there. "I was gonna tell you about her."

"You had too many chances to tell me, but you didn't."

"Sofia..."

"Don't, Chase. Just don't. I don't wanna talk right now." She folded her arms, angling her body towards the window.

The ride back home was no better. The temperature inside the car was winter cold. When we reached home, Sofia walked straight to our room, cleaned up, and changed into her nightwear. When I got out of the shower, she was not in our room; her pillow was gone. I went to Elise's room and found Sofia curled next to our daughter.

In our five years of being together, this is the first night we will be sleeping in different rooms under one roof.

I knew not to push her, but this was fucking breaking my heart. Sleep was far from my grasp. I laid awake all night. The bed felt so big without Sofia in it.

The following day, I went straight to the office without waiting for Sofia to wake up. I left a note in the kitchen, though. I made breakfast for her, apologizing for fucking up things last night. In my office, I called Joe, requesting him to investigate Nikos and Sammy thoroughly.

By lunchtime, I got a call from Carlota that she was back in town. She wanted to meet and get me up to date on their investigation about Kenzo. Alice's men were still following me, so I couldn't risk going to the docks. I shoot Sofia a message that I'll be meeting Carlota. Still receiving no response from her.

"You look like shit," Carlota said when I slumped on the leather seat across from her. We agreed to meet at a riverside cafe called Paseo. It was Monday, but my body was so tired it felt like Friday.

Carlota, on the other hand, had a bright smile; it was fucking blinding. I kept my aviator sunglasses on as we placed our orders.

"What?" I groaned, slumping back on the black leather chair, my legs spread apart, one arm draped on the back of the seat, the other flopped on the table.

Carlota grinned like a Cheshire. "Wanna share why you look like you didn't get your dick wet last night?"

"Fuck off, Carlota."

She replied with a hearty chuckle, shook her head, and gazed at the Honda Civic across the wide pedestrian riverside path. "Detective's men?"

"Isn't that fucking obvious?"

She threw her head back, laughing. My eyes narrowed, though she couldn't actually see through my sunglasses. The server came back with our orders. Carlota ordered Oreo s'mores and Americano while I settled for straight black coffee.

"So, wanna hear what I found out yesterday?" She asked, annoying the fuck out of me as she sipped her coffee.

"Why the f**k did you call me then? So we could plan a party?" I grunted.

"Gee... were you in dry land last night?"

"Carlota," I warned.

She raised her hand. "Okay. Okay, I'll stop teasing. Tell me what happened, and I'd let you come with me so we can knock on Kenzo's door and finally meet him in person."

A deep growl rumbled from my chest. "Didn't you get the memo I'm being followed?"

"Phew..." she dismissed my statement with a wave of her hand. "I could easily lose those assholes, Chase. I'm a bit hurt by your lack of confidence in my driving skills."

I took in what she was wearing. A white tank top, leather pants, and boots, a leather jacket slumped languidly on her side. Gazing out the window, a Harley was parked in the front parking lot of the cafe.

"I'll tell you after." I clenched my fist. "Do I get to punch someone?"

"If you want... but I think Kenzo will be cordial and prepare an exit party for us after I talk to him."

My eyebrows tilted up.

True to her words, Carlota lost Alice's men in ten minutes. She drove like a fucking maniac. If I was one percent doubtful of her driving skills, I would've jumped off the bike for my dear life. Once it was safe that we were not being followed, she finally drove towards the familiar road to Oakwood Creek. Throughout the drive, I thought of how every lead we got pointed us to this particular part of Pinehills. Even Nikos had mentioned this place last night.

Oakwood Creek was on the skirts of Pinehills, encompassed by rolling mountains and the coastal area on the other. It was a perfect spot for transporting illegal goods and shipments, and the mountains provided an excellent hideout for any contraband. This was also the reason Loco chose this place. He had escape routes on the coast and the mountains.

It was late afternoon when Carlota parked her Harley in front of a pub. The parking lot was swarming with big bikes, and the Wild Vipers insignia was painted on each bike like a warning signal to stay away from this place.

This woman wasn't kidding when she said we'd knock on Kenzo's door.

"I don't have a weapon, Carlota," I said, hopping off the bike and removing my helmet.

She handed me a dagger. My brows arched. "Oh, come on, Chase."

"You know armed men are watching us right now, right?"

A devious smirk stretched her lips, wiggling her brows. "Don't you miss the old days? We were an unbeatable tandem in hand-to-gun combat."

I took the dagger from her and hid it in my sock. I was dressed in black slacks and a white dress shirt. I had already discarded my suit jacket, but I still looked f*****g out of place as we walked inside the pub.

Huge glass window allowed daylight inside. Pale orange overhead lights casted a warm glow over the bar, expensive liquors lined the shelves behind it and the barstools in front of the counter were empty. Men in black shirts, jeans and the Wild Vipers cut occupied the booths wedged on the walls. I counted fifteen - all bulky, bearded, tattooed and pierced - excluding the bartender and lady behind the register. Silence fell over the pub as we walked inside. Your Song by Elton John drifting from the karaoke machine on the small platform in the corner.

Carlota smiled at the bartender, hopping on a barstool. "Whiskey, neat," she ordered sultrily.

The bartender said nothing, tending to Carlota's order. I sat beside her, the hair on the back of my neck raised in attention, feeling the weight of the sixteen pairs of eyes watching us like a hawk eyeing their prey.

"Thanks." Carlota placed a bill on the counter, smiling sweetly.

"You're not from around here." The bartender crossed his arms in his middle, biceps bulging through his sleeveless black top.

Carlota leaned forward. "Damn, what gave us away?"

The bartender smirked, extending his arms wide, gripping the edge of the countertop. "No local would enter this place with a gun and a dagger, little girl."

"Yeah?" Carlota twirled a bunch of her chestnut curls, batting her lashes. "What are you gonna do about it, big guy? Are you gonna frisk me? I also have a grenade hidden on my boobies." She leaned forward, wiggling her breast like a fucking tease. The bartender didn't like that. He was two seconds away from belching smoke from his nose and ears. Eyes narrowed to slits, he reached over the counter to grip Carlota's neck. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on FindNovel.net. Visit FindNovel.net to read the complete chapters for free. With lightning speed, Carlota slid a dagger concealed on the sleeve of her leather jacket. She slammed the bartender's hand on the counter, the dagger piercing through his skin and flesh, pinning it on the countertop.

Fifteen guns clocking accompanied the bartender's pained groan. A sixteenth gun clock echoed from the register. The skinny blond chick raised a shotgun, her hands shaking. I shook my head in her direction. Her lips quivered, but she tried to keep a straight face. "What the f**k are you guys waiting for?!" the bartender bellowed. "F*****g shoot this bitch!"

Carlota turned, looking every guy - triple her size - in the eyes with amusement. "Come on, take a shot... oh wait, you already know who I am."

"You're the Oliviera bitch," the bartender guy removed the dagger from pinning his left hand down, hissing as blood dripped from his hand. "Seize her." "Nuh-uh," Carlota wiggled her forefinger. "Try and touch me, and Keiko will be fucking dead."

Every guy inside - except for me - stilled. They eyed one another, contemplating their next move. "Do I want to know who the f**k is Keiko?" I grumbled. "Kenzo's kid."