Blurred Lines 1: CHASE
Chapter 117

-Chase-

"Are you sure you weren't followed?" Sammy demanded, sliding into the seat across from mine.

Before lunchtime, I got a message from her through my secretary. She wanted to meet at a diner outside the city. She requested I lose the officers watching me. In order to do so, I borrowed Regina's red Honda Civic. My huge body was crammed inside that tin my secretary called a car. It was a torturous drive since my knees were f*****g kissing my chest. Her wheels badly needed a replacement. It kept swerving to the left, and I almost crashed into two cars on the highway. I took a mental note to give her a bonus for all the extra work I'd dumped on her.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" I groaned.

Sammy pursed her lip, removing the sunglasses concealing her eyes. She wore a Chicago Cubs baseball cap, a black fitted shirt, and jeans. Her blond hair was tied in a ponytail, tucked through the hole in the back of her hat. "Just being careful."

A server came to take our orders. I stabbed Sammy with a razor-sharp stare once the server left us with a promise of coming back quickly with our food.

"What happened to your face?" Worry wrinkled her forehead.

"None of your goddamn business." My molars ground.

Sammy paled, reaching for the glass of water in front of her. I was being an ass, but I was running on low fumes, and this woman deserves anything but friendliness from me. "Start talking, and don't f*****g lie to me. I talked to Kenzo, and right now, Eros is speaking with your father."

Surprise flashed in her big brown eyes. She leaned her elbows on the table, looking over the diner. "Samuel wants something from Nikos. He asked me to bug his place."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"I'm in no position to ask a question, Chase," she grumbled. "They have Cyrus, remember?"

Her story was passable for someone who doesn't know how his father's wicked mind works. "What did Samuel want with Nikos?"

We were missing a piece of this puzzle, and I knew Sammy and Nikos were at the center of it. I just have to figure out what.

Sammy's eyes did another scan of the diner. Five people were inside, including the cashier and the server fixing our food behind the counter. A man in his late sixties, with a cane hanging from the back of his wooden chair, occupied the table closest to the door and a couple lounging on the corner booth. We were far enough to have privacy, yet Sammy acted as if we were in grave danger.

I was sure that none of the people inside were a threat to us, nor were they eavesdropping on our conversation. This morning's visit from Derek woke me up from my stupid stupor. I ate breakfast before going to the office. Though it wouldn't make out of the previous day's combined deprivation, it was enough to get back my wits before meeting Sammy.

God fucking knows I need it. I've wasted enough time wallowing on my stupidity. It's time I started working to solve this puzzle.

Alarm bells rang in my head, and the longer I stared at Sammy, the louder they got. What kind of deep shit is Sammy in? I knew her tells, and the girl was not easy to rattle. She had been working for Samuel since she was little, mingling with dangerous people on a day-to-day basis. She even spied on Eros, for f**k's sake.

"Nikos..." she swallowed, worried hazel eyes connecting with mine. "He had something to do with your past."

"Me?" My brows knitted together.

Joe needed to work fast in digging deeper into Nikos Avlonitis. Who the fuck is that guy?

She nodded. "I don't know how, but since the beginning of my job, Samuel's aim was to build a connection with Nikos. Last night, I got a message from Kenzo. He said there's a parcel I am about to deliver to Nikos, and then I'm free from this shitty task." Mist blurred her eyes. She blinked it away, throat bobbing as she swallowed. "I... I can finally see Cyrus."

The way she kept rubbing her hands together, her shoulder quaking lightly as she bobbed her boots under the table, was a tell that she was nervous. Something was bothering her.

"What is it?" I asked out of curiosity. She seemed to be telling the truth, but not all of it, at least.

"I... I'm scared, Chase." She nibbled her lower lip. "There's this nagging feeling in my chest... I felt it since Kenzo's men knocked on my door that I won't get out of this situation unscathed." Her ponytail swayed as she shook her head. "Samuel won't be this lenient with me after I fucked him up."

"You think Kenzo will do something to Cyrus?"

"No. I know Kenzo won't hurt my son, but me..." hesitantly, she reached over the wooden table and placed her ice-cold hands over one of mine. I flinched at the contact. Sammy tensed, retracting her hand. "If I don't make it out, please take care of Cyrus."

I dropped my hand from the table, far from her reach. The server returned with our orders, taking her sweet ass time filling two cups with brewed coffee, asking Sammy where she got her boots. Sammy answered her kindly, giving her the store where she bought her ******g boots.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" the server batted her eyelashes at me.

"We're fine," I said through gritted teeth.

She finally got the hint and sashayed back to the counter.

"I'm not sure he's mine, Sammy." I jumped back into our topic.

"I understand, but I'm sure he's yours, Chase." Bold sureness shone in her face, a complete disparity with my uncertain one.

"I'd be a fool to trust your words, Sammy," I said blatantly. She didn't look surprised by my animosity. "The paternity test will tell me whether you're lying or not."Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on FindNovel.net. Visit FindNovel.net to read the complete chapters for free. I pulled out my wallet and dropped a few bills on the table. Rising to my feet, I grabbed the suit jacket draped on the back of my seat. I glanced down at Sammy; the bill of her cap concealed her face. Her lips were quivering, and a tear rolled down her cheek when she looked at me.

Not the fucking tears. I clenched my fist. I had to keep reminding myself that this woman betrayed her father to save herself. Who willingly sold her own blood for her freedom. She could do worse to me. I am no one to her. She cares about no one but herself but the f*****g tears and those eyes; she can't be faking this.

She hesitantly reached for my hand again; this time, I let her. "Please, Chase. If... If anything happens to me, promise me you'll still continue with the test. Cyrus is a good kid. My sins are mine and not his."

It helped her cause that I am a father to Elise. Sammy and I were in no different situation. Whether Cyrus was mine or not, he was Sammy's son. And who was I not to give this woman a chance to redeem herself when I had been given a second chance at happiness because of Sofia?

"Once you get Cyrus back, I'll handle the paternity test."

She released my hand, satisfied with my response. "Thank you. I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused between you and Sofia. I stayed away as best I could. Please know that."

I nodded, allowing a flicker of sympathy to slip through my stony mask. "Be careful, Sammy."