99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 150

My sudden hostility caught Lucien off guard.

He must have thought back to dinner, when he played his games, manipulating me while I was already emotionally vulnerable from being back in my family house. I’m sure he didn’t realize that I was aware of his pathetic ploy. Of course, he’d be surprised; as far as Lucien was concerned, everything had been perfect at dinner.

Out of annoyance, Lucien rubbed his brow.

“I see you’ve become ungrateful for my efforts. Looks like I made this trip for nothing. Since you’re going to be a jerk about it, I’m leaving.” He sighed.

Lucien flicked my hand away without a second thought and turned as if to walk away.

I instinctively glanced around the deathly silent street..

Several black cars were idling quietly at the intersections ahead.

The windows rolled down, and multiple pairs of predatory eyes locked onto me, gleaming with open malice.

My heart lurched.

This wasn’t good. Was this why my Uber was suddenly canceled? It had to be; it was too much of a coincidence.

If Lucien hadn’t come, whoever sent these people would have found me stranded and alone on the dark streets of the desert.

Almost without thinking, I seized Lucien’s wrist before it could slip away.

Yet the words that tumbled out were still sharp. “I’m not a jerk, Lucien Thorne! The real jerk is you-for using me, mocking me, deliberately watching me make a fool of myself, all while pretending that you-”

My voice broke. The bitterness burned straight into my eyes, blurring my vision.

But before I could finish accusing him, a powerful arm wrapped around me, yanking me into his steel-hard chest.

“Enough with the whining!” Lucien’s voice dropped low, filled with a severity I had never heard before.

“Claire, there are at least ten men in those three cars; half of them are rogues. Their target is obviously us. This isn’t the time for your petty tantrums. You can be angry with me later, but if you want to live-get in the car. Now!”

Fear crashed into my chest. I darted a glance toward the cars. Sure enough, the doors flew open, and dark figures surged toward them. The scent in the air was unmistakably rogue.

Lucien’s arm tightened, and I instinctively moved with him. Together, we bolted for the black sports car, moving as a single unit.

Heavy footsteps thundered behind us. I didn’t dare look back. I just ran. My lungs burned, but I couldn’t stop for even a second. I followed Lucien with everything I had.

Lucien yanked the door open at lightning speed, and we dove inside.

The engine roared to life. But as the car shot out of the space, our pursuers were already upon us.

Bang!

A bone-rattling crash struck the tail of the car. A thick wooden club had smashed down with brutal force, denting the body of Lucien’s car, while another shattered the rear lights.

Lucien’s face hardened like steel, his jaw clenched tight. He slammed his foot to the floor.

“Hold on, Claire!” he barked.

The sports car shot forward, the raw force slamming us back in our seats. But the danger was far from over. Several black cars stubbornly clung to our tail.

They looked like rogues on orders to kill, chasing us through the wide midnight roads of Calgary in a mad pursuit.

The speed was suffocating.

I gripped the handle so hard my knuckles turned bone-white. My heart hammered in my chest like it would burst through my ribs.

Pure terror drained the blood from my face. My body trembled uncontrollably as I realized just how terrifying Lucien’s driving skills could be.

Extreme drifts around corners. Threading through impossibly tight gaps. Precision at the very edge of madness.

Finally, the rogues trailing us had vanished from the rearview mirror.

By the time Lucien screeched the car to a stop after a sharp exit off the main highway, I felt like only half my soul remained.

I stumbled out, my legs so weak from exhaustion after the adrenaline wore off that I could barely stand.

The cold wind slapped me in the face, clearing the fog in my head for a fleeting moment, only to trigger a wave of violent nausea.

“Hurgh… urgh-!”

I lunged toward the railing, retching until my throat burned raw.

A large hand appeared in front of me, holding out an open bottle of water.

I grabbed it desperately, rinsing my mouth in a messy rush. The icy liquid soothed the sickness just enough to let me breathe.

Panting, I lifted my pale face.

Before me, the lake stretched dark and endless, calm waves surging beneath the night sky.

The strong wind whipped my hair and tugged at my clothes.

Lucien leaned casually against the car, his lips curved in a faint, mocking smile as he watched my ghost-pale face.

“I have to say, it’s rather impressive,” he drawled. “At this speed, and you’re already throwing up?”

“This speed?” I rolled my eyes. “You were driving so fast, we were about to take off and fly, Lucien.”

A low chuckle slipped from his throat. He reached out to brush the damp strands of hair from my cheek.

“Then don’t ride with me next time.”

“Fine!” I smacked his chest with my small fist. “I’m sure you’d be more than happy if they captured me, anyway.”

In an instant, his hand closed around my wrist. With a sharp tug, I fell straight into his arms.

“I see you’re still mad at me.” His voice dropped, husky, as his thumb grazed along my jaw.

“Who’s mad? What’s there to be mad about?” I squirmed. My ears burned crimson.

“No?” His breath fanned hot across my lips. “Then why’s your mouth jutting out like that-are you waiting for me to kiss it?”

My heart skipped a beat.