Bittersweet Heroine (4 page)

Love will make you do crazy things,
I thought to myself with a chuckle.

About forty five minutes into our drive we were in the heart of the city, only to be leaving it fifteen minutes later.

“Where are we going?” I asked him curiously.

“To your
girlfriend
,” he said, gritting his teeth on the last word.

“You know where she is?” I asked, leaning forward in excitement.

“In that house on the hill,” he said using his index finger to point.

“I really appreciate this,” I said, pulling the side zipper on my backpack open. I reached in and pulled out a twenty dollar bill, not knowing what it would exchange to in Euro, but figured that would be a nice tip for his driving me to where she was.

Ten more anxious minutes passed before we reached the house on the hill and he pulled slowly up the driveway before stopping the car in front of the door.

He got out to open my door and I handed him the money.

“Thanks. I didn’t catch your name, by the way,” I said, hoisting my backpack up my shoulder.

“My name is Kerstan,” he replied with a small smile. “I appreciate the monetary gesture, but all the payment I will need is when you knock on that door and retrieve Lie—Amity,” he said.

“She a friend of yours?” I asked curiously as I walked up the three small steps of the home.

“Something like that.”

Hmm.
I shrugged and knocked on the door waiting patiently. When there was no response, I knocked again and this time heard the sound of rushing footsteps coming toward the door.

It flung open violently and a man with an angry look on his face stepped out. I watched the familiar face as the anger gave way to shock.

“Smith?” I asked in disbelief.

“Theo?”

“And you’ll find Amity inside. Now we’re even,” he said to my little brother, before he got into the car and drove away.