Make Me Moan, Daddy-Chapter 64

REINA

I was pretty sure we were about to die. Or be kidnapped. Or... I don’t even know.

My heart was beating crazily against my ribcage as I kept glancing at the black car through the rearview mirror, as my hands gripped the steering wheel like my life depended on it—because apparently, it did.

Tessa was beside me, half leaning over the console, half screaming into her phone.

"911? Yes! Hello! Um... two women... possibly in danger... a car is following us! Maybe a criminal? Maybe robbers? Probably a very scary one! I don’t know!" she babbled, waving one hand in the air while the other kept pressing buttons like she could summon help through sheer panic.

I could barely focus on driving. "Tessa, slow down! Don’t... don’t panic! You’re all over the place. Just... just tell them we need help!"

"I am telling them!" she shouted back. Her voice wavered somewhere between hysteria and pure terror, which I was barely containing mine. "I’m terrified! We’re... okay, we’re being followed, please send help!"

I swallowed, trying not to hyperventilate. The black sedan that had been tailing us since we left my apartment had stayed right behind us like a shadow. Every turn we took, every lane we changed, it mirrored us perfectly. Whoever was behind the wheel clearly knew what they were doing.

Which was dangerously terrifying!

"You think they’re gonna... shoot us?" I asked, my voice trembling despite myself.

"I don’t know, maybe! Kidnap us! Hold us for ransom! Who knows!" Tessa shouted back, gesturing wildly with the phone. I tried not to imagine what a ransom note for me would look like.

Who would they even write to? My aunt? Or maybe Paolo. Fuck!

What will I do if Paolo or even Domenico refused to pay and my Aunt can’t come up with whatever crazy amount the kidnappers wanted?

I couldn’t help it... I started laughing, a high, nervous sound that I tried to smother with my hand.

"Stop laughing!" Tessa hissed, glaring at me. "Do you want them to know we’re scared? Or do you want them to know we’re laughing as we get kidnapped?"

"Both?" I offered.

"Not helpful, Reina." She waved her phone like it was a magic wand. "I’m trying to save our lives here!"

I fumbled for my own phone. Domenico. I had to call him. He had to know. He had to save me.

Since Paolo wasn’t around, it was only fair I call his father. Calestino won’t be the right choice.

"Tessa," I said, trying to sound calm, "I’m calling Domenico. He’ll know what to do."

Tessa’s eyes went wide, practically bulging out of her head. She blinked hard, shaking her head. "You’re calling him? Now? While we’re literally being followed? You think he’s the best option? You really think calling him is going to save us?"

"Yes! He’s my only option. That’s why I need him!" I yelled. "He’s Domenico! He’s rich, and knows a lot of bad guys. He might help us talk to them. Or maybe threaten them or something."

Her mouth fell open, clearly debating whether to argue, and then she rolled her eyes. "Fine! Call him! Just... make sure we don’t die, okay?"

I dialed quickly, fumbling as my hands shook. My heart hammered in my chest, and I imagined him answering calmly, like everything in his life was a chessboard and I was just a piece he needed to move safely.

"Domenico," I said breathlessly when he answered, "I... um... we... I think we’re being followed! There’s a car, I... I don’t know what they want! They might be criminals! Or... or murderers!"

There was a pause on the other end. His voice was calm, steady, but I could sense the sharp edge of worry beneath it. "Princess, calm down. Explain. Slowly."

I tried to calm myself. "Okay, okay. We left my apartment, and this black sedan started following us. We’ve tried turning, changing lanes, everything, and it just... it’s still there. And I... God, I don’t even know!"

Tessa groaned beside me, waving her free hand like she could will the situation to improve. "Rei, you’re explaining it worse than I did! They’re probably laughing at us already!"

"I don’t care if they’re laughing! We’re alive! For now!" I yelled, hands gripping the wheel so tightly my knuckles were white.

Tessa’s eyes narrowed, then she suddenly leaned closer. "Reina. If God helps us survive this, promise me something."

I blinked, startled. "Uh... okay?"

"Promise me you’ll never sleep with your father-in-law again."

I froze, and then the words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. "I... I promise!"

Maybe it was because of the bad things I had done in the past, maybe that was why this was happening to us.

Tessa nodded solemnly. "Good. Because if we die tonight, at least one of us dies morally upright."

I laughed through the panic. Tears rolling down my cheeks. "Moral upright? We were literally being stalked by a car!"

"Exactly!" she said. "So. Promise. And I promise you something too."

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh-oh."

Was this some kind of confess your sins in the presence of the lord before you die so you could make heaven or something?

"I promise I will never sleep with girls again. And I will never, under any circumstances, involve myself in a threesome with Shane and Tripp again. Scout’s honor." She sniffed.

I almost swerved. "Hold on... what?"

Her eyes widened, tearful but defiant. "What what?"

"Tessa, back up! You... sleep with girls? And... you’ve done threesomes? With Shane and Tripp? Shane and Tripp? Your friend slash roommate and his boyfriend?"

"Yes! I am serious! And terrified! But yes, deadly serious!" she said, voice rising in hysteria and sobs.

I slammed on the brakes, the car jerking hard enough to make the seatbelts tightened around me. "Okay, okay, wait. I need a second to process this. Are you actually serious right now?"

"Yes, Reina! Dead serious!"

We sat there, stunned. My pulse hammered against the steering wheel. Then—because of course it had to happen—we both started laughing. High-pitched, breathless, ridiculous laughter that filled the car until it hurt.

Two best friends in sequins and heels, possibly minutes from disaster, making morally questionable confessions like it was judgment day.

"We are insane!" Tessa gasped.

"Yes!" I wheezed between giggles. "Absolutely insane!"

I risked a glance in the rearview mirror, expecting the black sedan to still be there—but it was gone.

Tessa collapsed back into her seat, laughing through leftover tears. "Oh my God. We survived! We’re... alive! And not kidnapped!"

I laughed so hard I nearly cried. "We just... got scared for nothing!"

"Nothing!" she repeated, wiping tears from her eyes. "I just confessed my sins for nothing. Woe is me."

Then it hit both of us. "The phone!" I gasped, looking at Tessa.

She looked horrified, then glanced at her phone. "Oh. Oh no."

I realized my own phone was still in my hand, Domenico still on the line. He had been calling me repeatedly while we were shouting, laughing, and making ridiculous promises.

When did I even hung up on him? I could have sworn I was still on call with him before we started the whole confession bullshit.

"Domenico!" I yelled, flailing a little. "Hi! We’re fine! Alive! Not kidnapped! Just... you know... almost morally compromised!"

He let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Reina... explain. Slowly. What the hell happened?"

I covered my face, laughing and groaning at the same time. "We were being followed by a black sedan! We panicked! I called you! Tessa, my friend, called 911! I made a promise about... about not sleeping with you again if we survived! And she made a promise about... girls and Shane and Tripp! And... and then the car left!"

Domenico’s voice was calm but you could hear the tension in it. "You... both survived... and made these promises?"

"Yes!" Tessa shouted from beside me. "Absolutely! We survived! We are alive and hysterical!"

Domenico let out a deep grunt from the other end. "Please tell me where you are right now, I’m coming to get you."

I laughed so hard I could barely keep the car on the road. "We’re alive! We’re safe! We’re ridiculous! But we survived! Please don’t worry about us."

I quickly ended the call before I could give me more reason to worry about me... Or us.

For a moment, we sat in the car, laughing until our sides hurt, letting the adrenaline fade into pure, absurd relief.

Finally, Tessa groaned. "Okay. I think we should... never do that again."

"Agreed," I said, still shaking with laughter. "No more panic driving. No more weird promises. No more..."

Then, simultaneously, we both remembered.

"911!" I shouted.

"Oh God," Tessa groaned. She quickly ended the call, looking mortified. "Oh my God. That poor dispatcher probably thinks we’re lunatics."

My phone started ringing again.

I glanced down at my phone. Domenico’s ID flashing across the screen. "And Domenico..." I muttered, groaning. "He’s not going to let this go, is he?"