CHAPTER 57

~If obstacles threatened to block your path to success; grind them like popsicles ~

~Mina.

TYLER'S POV

It's liquid-nitrogen cold. I could hear the clattering of my teeth as the cold wind blew. Despite being covered, my insides felt as though it's been stacked with ice. Remind me again who gave the dumb idea to hide behind elephant grasses in such adverse weather.

Either Christophe or Dane, only these two come up with the unique yet dumbest plans in the operation.

"Guys, I'm freezing." Rowan's voice shivered through the cochlear implant. I mentally rolled my eyes at him before going back to checking the perimeters with binoculars.

"And I currently have iced grass pressed on my groin. You think you have the worst condition." Scott scoffed and series of low chuckles followed after.

"Oh shit, Courtney's calling." Mark cursed.

"Hey, babe!!." A slurry voice shrieked, making me audibly wince. I hope Mark realises he still had on the cochlear implant.

"Yup, definitely stoned." Scott chuckled.

"Court, I'm in the middle of s...

"Remember that one time you said we were going to use whipped cream and cuffs." She giggled. Say what.

"Oh purr." Dane snickered. I almost laughed but tucked my bottom lip inside my mouth to avoid temptation.

"Babe, I'm gonna hang up now okay. You're kinda d...

"Oh, you're with another bimbo. Nigga,  ain't no bitch  gon' compete with this avocado." She hiccuped. Let's just pretend I didn't hear that.

Mark, instead of replying, only hung up and awkwardly cleared his throat. Dane and Scott were in hysterics, openly making fun of him.

"Avocado, huh." Dane teased.

"Shut up," Mark grumbled.

"Nigga, ain't no bitch gon' compete with this avocado. " Rowan imitated in a girly voice, making us crack up.

"Dude, you've got two chicks about to literally fuck you up. You're officially screwed." Scott laughed.

"Two chicks? you're polygamous or something, bro." I snorted.

"He's referring to your girl, man." Mark clarified.

"What has Phina got to do with this?" I questioned, sparks of jealousy igniting my insides.

"Remember I lied to get them to Zara."

"Oh."

I mentally scolded myself for overreacting as realisation dawned on me. How could I forget I devised the entire plan?

"Bro is whipped." Rowan chuckled.

"Can't deny man." A small smile crept up my lips as I reflect on memories of the mixed-race beauty. Trust Seraphina to distract me in situations that call for all-out focus.

"How are you going to win her back? It's gonna be tough you know, with the new boyfriend and all."

I smirked and adjusted the binoculars.

"Seraphina is the least of my problems, Scott."

My biggest fear was her falling in love with the other guy, but now that I knew their stance, the rest is child's play.

"I don't think she loves that dude. I mean, they're hardly spotted together in school. Makes me wonder if she isn't  just using him as a rebound." Rowan asserted.

"She is using him as a rebound. I feel sorry for the poor guy though. Dude is so in love with her." Dane sighed.

"That's Seraphina for you. She makes guys run head over heels for her without the slightest effort." Mark lowly chuckled.

"For real man. I don't even know how Bia got ranked as the prettiest girl, bro Seraphina is a drop dead." Scott argued.

"I'm gonna ignore y'all talking about my girl like I'm nonexistent. "

"Bro, she ain't your girl." Rowan mused.

"Yet, but she'll be in hours," I smirked.

"Your ego astounds me," Dane murmured.

"Tyler, it's time," Mark announced.

"Alpha team, 381 do you copy?" I whispered into the smartwatch.

"Copy." Marcus, the leader confirmed.

"Beta team, 088, do you copy?"

"Copy." Diego's deep voice came through.

I cautiously removed the implant and dialled my cousin's number.

"You're late." She snapped after the first ring.

"Chill out, Miss. The vehicles are just zooming in now."

"Okay, we're on set too."

I hung up and returned the phone in my combat boots before pulling out my sniper rifle.

Kill or be killed.

SERAPHINA'S POV

"This place is giving me chills." Leila shivered.

"I can see you're still with the fears, Leila." Zara chuckled.

We didn't waste a second in the creepy house when Tyler called and were now embarked on this life-threatening quest in different vehicles.

Together with Zara's bodyguard, I was riding with Leila, Maya, Bia and Zara herself. The rest drove in Asher and Enrique's cars respectively.

It was 6:40 pm, twenty minutes to the appointed time and we've barely covered a kilometre.

I was about to connect my AirPods to kill time when something in Zara's hand grabbed my attention. Without thinking twice,  I lifted her hand and inspected the delicate ink.

"You got a tat."

"Yeah my, I mean Tyler got it done. He just finished with his forearm when I begged him to do one for him, after endless begging and protests."

I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as she talks about Tyler. Although she assured me that they kept everything platonic, I still can't evacuate the sickening feeling that she's hiding something. If there's one person I know better than myself, it's Zara.

Girl, you've got a boyfriend for crying out loud. What's the gig with Zara and Tyler's relationship. Enrique, yeah right. How could I be so selfish?

The tattoo entailed an archer surrounded by chocolate cosmos petals.

"Sagittarius. " I mumbled with a small smile.

"You remember?" She smiled, looking shocked. I'm a real one, girl.

"I'll  never forget."

I gently dropped her hand and went back to my phone, trying to locate a suitable song. One calming and soothing, contrary to the atmospheric mood.

"He still loves you." Zara blurted.

I removed my AirPods and switched off my phone.

"Too bad I don't feel the same way. " Lies. I was actually in a huge dilemma, torn in between two guys. One I was definitely in love with, and one I can't decipher my feelings for.

"You can still give him a chance. "

"Too late for that." Another lie.

Maya, Bia and Leila might appear very engaged with their phones but believe me, their ears were more perked than those of bunnies. My friends and eavesdropping have a better relationship than rabbits and carrots.

"Neither do I intend to come out meddling nor offensive, but Zara I've got to admit, it's unfair of you to bring Tyler in the picture when it's been Enrique for over two years, almost three. Again, I'm sorry if you feel offended."

Maya stated.

"I agree with Maya. Enrique's been nothing but supportive and loving to Sera. I get it that it wasn't Tyler's intention to hurt Sera, but we also have to respect the fact that the heart isn't immobile when it comes to seeking love." Leila added.

"The mistake you guys did was cutting off all ties with Sera, and those beef, although justified were the last straws on the camel's back. That was all Sera's heart needed to move on." Maya cautioned.

"It is what it is." Bia shrugged.

"I understand, I do. It's really selfish of me to ask such a huge favour from Seraphina when I've been nothing but bitchy to her. But hey, everyone wants the best for their family."

"Family?" Maya pulled the words right out of my mouth.

"Tyler's my cousin." She declared.

Leila's eyes visibly widened and just when I was about to speak, Zara's phone rang.

She raised a finger to us before receiving the call.

"What!!. Okay, I'm on it right now, alert James." Zara spotted a look of terror as she jerked forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder.

"It's a false alert Ben, turn around, we're driving back." She rushed in a panicked voice.

"What do you mean?" Leila whimpered.

"The cars they saw were occupied by auto-mobile dummies. No human was found inside. They played us."

Zara furiously typed away on her phone, rolling the window down.

However, the bodyguard continue driving. My guess was, either he didn't hear Zara or was playing deaf.

I guessed Zara must've noticed too, for she momentarily looked away from her phone and gave him a questioning look.

"Ben, I said turn the car around and drive back. It's a false alert."

"I no more work on your orders." His gruff voice barked.

"What?" Zara murmured, completely dazed.

"You heard right. I don't work on your orders anymore." He reiterated more audibly and curtly.

"Whose orders do you work on then?" Leila snapped.

"Mine."

The voice I was least expecting to, spoke up.