Lock You In My Heart Chapter 451
Lock You In My Heart
Gabrielle saw six black military jeeps parked outside the yard. It was incredibly safe because the glass was bulletproof.
She didnât want to think about how dangerous their trip would be at first. But now, she was anxious about it.
âLance, are we really going to be okay?â Gabrielle asked in a concerned tone.
If she were to die here, her biggest regret would be not being able to say goodbye to Westley.
She shouldnât have acted so rashly.
âTrust me, weâre going to be okay. If youâre having second thoughts, I can send you back right away. Youâre safer with Westley than with me.â Lance could see that she was feeling troubled.
If only he knew he would be targeted as soon as he arrived in the country, he wouldnât have taken Gabrielle to Thailand.
If anything happened to her, he wouldnât be able to live with it for the rest of his life.
âNo, Lance. Iâve come all this way. Thereâs no turning back now. Not until I see Bryce. If I die...â
âNonsense!â Gabrielle, youâre not going to die. Get inside!â Lance yanked the door open.
It was ominous to say something like that.
They were just starting and Lance was at a loss for words by what Gabrielle said.
Gabrielle sat down in the back as Lance got in beside her.
âLance, forgive me for saying this, but Iâm serious. If something really happens to me, please tell Westley that Iâm sorry.â She gave him a stern look.
Guilt washed over her as she hadnât told Westley about any of this. She had to leave an important message.
âYou should tell him yourself. I donât want to see him at all,â Lance uttered coldly and asked the driver to go.
Seeing that both the driver and bodyguard in the passenger seat were soldiers, she felt relieved.
âYou guys really donât get along. Iâll tell him myself then,â Gabrielle said.
Because of the bad blood between them, she decided it would be best if they didnât meet.
âWeâve still got a long way to go. Get some sleep. Iâll wake you up when we get there,â Lance suggested.
She wouldnât be able to overthink it if she slept.
If she slept, she wouldnât ask too many questions. It would also give Lance some time to think calmly.
âItâs fine, Iâm not that tired. I was just worried, thatâs all. Besides, I canât sleep now. What about you? Arenât you nervous? I guess I was making you anxious with all my questions.â Gabrielle was just too anxious to fall asleep.
Lance looked at her, speechless. Sometimes he thought she was too observant, making it hard for him to coax her.
âGabrielle, I...â I want you to trust me. I wonât put you in any danger. Weâll reach the forest safely.â In truth, Lance had been on edge since he handed her the bag of cl othes and military tools. She had plenty of reason to worry.
âI believe you, Lance. Weâll get through it.â Gabrielle didnât say anything else and gripped her phone tightly.
âItâs okay, weâll be okay. Westley... Iâll come back and explain everything. I promise. So please... wait for me.â
She thought of Westley as if he were beside her. It calmed her down a little.
âGo to sleep, Gabrielle. Youâll just exhaust yourself.â Lance reminded her.
Gabrielle hesitantly glanced at him before turning her head to see if they were being chased.
There were three black jeeps behind them. She was in the third car from the front.
âLance, do you think theyâll catch up to us?â Gabrielle fidgeted.
But they werenât being chased at all. Gabrielle mustâve been thinking too much.
âThey only know Iâm in the country. They have no idea where I am for the time being, but theyâll find out sooner or later. Thatâs why we had to leave tonight. Anyway, weâre safe for now. Get some rest,â Lance explained.
Hearing so, Gabrielle didnât hesitate any longer and covered herself with a blanket, then closed her eyes.
Even if it was a challenge, Gabrielle hoped she could fall asleep faster and free herself from her negative thoughts.
She gradually drifted off. She didnât know how much time had passed, but suddenly, gunshots stirred her awake.
âLance, whatâs going on? I heard a gunshot!â Gabrielle blurted out.
âCalm down, Gabrielle. Weâve been found by a few people but weâve taken care of them. The forest isnât far off now. As long as we hurry up, weâll be safe. These people know better than to break the rules and trespass on another gangâs territory.â Lance assured her.
âOh... Ah...!â
Gabrielle almost fell to the side when the car sped up. Lance immediately grabbed her shoulder.
âHold on, Gabrielle. Weâre going faster than before. We have to get to the forest before some other group shows up, or else...!â
Lance was visibly distressed.
He hadnât expected the situation would turn out this way. It pissed him off. Especially Gabrielle was with him.
âThere are others?! Lance, we have to fight back! You have all these skillful men. Besides, you taught me how to use a gun.â
Gabrielle simply didnât realize how bad the situation was.
âGabrielle, I taught you how to shoot so you can defend yourself when Iâm not around. Besides, there are only thirty people here in total. The first bunch that chased us was less than ten, who knows how many are about to come. Iâve told ten of my people to guard us. We need to get to the forest as soon as we can.â Lance had never put his life on the line for someone. Especially not when Gabrielle was with him.
As soon as Gabrielle saw the shoe-sized gift box, she wanted to refuse.
Gabrielle had already stood Westley up and followed Lance to Thailand. If she would accept his present, sheâd feel even more guilty for disobeying her husband.
âLance, I...â
âJust think about it first. You can open it later when youâre alone and see for yourself. I think this is going to be useful for you.â
Lance was quick to cut Gabrielle off because he knew she would probably refuse him.
Gabrielle gave him a hesitant look, even as she took the box from him.
âT-Thanks... Iâm sorry I didnât prepare a gift for you.â Gabrielle apologized.
âWell, youâre having dinner with me now. I think this is the best Christmas gift I can get.â Lance smiled. âAnd letâs go see Bryce after you get changed.â âHuh?â
Gabrielle looked up, eyes wide.
âLance, what did you say? Are you taking me to see Bryce after dinner?â âHadnât he decided to meet him tomorrow? Why the sudden change?â Gabrielle suddenly felt uneasy.
She knew Lance was a perfectionist when it came to meetings and schedules. He wouldnât move fixed dates just for something minor. There had to be a big emergency.
âArenât you eager to see him? Youâve been in a good mood this whole time, so I figured we can go meet him today. So, eat up because weâll be on the road for more than three hours.â Lance instructed. âIâm afraid youâd be tired on the way.â
Gabrielle heaved a sigh of relief. The sooner she met Bryce, the sooner she could go back home and apologize to Westley.
It was all in her favor.
âIâll be fine, Lance. A three or four-hour drive isnât going to hurt.â Gabrielle assured him.
She would meet Bryce and solve the problem as fast as she could. After that, sheâd go home and explain everything to Westley.
Rather than feeling tired, she was looking forward to it.
âAlright, but letâs not keep the food waiting.â Lance placed different kinds of dishes on Gabrielleâs plate.
Anticipating her reunion with Bryce, she worked up an appetite.
After dinner, Lance handed her a black bag.
âThere are clothes and shoes in here. Go get dressed, and donât forget to unwrap my gift.â Lance looked at her expectantly.
Even he couldnât control what kind of situation warranted the sudden change in their plans. In such a short time, all Lance could do was prepare tighter security and strengthen his defense. Protecting Gabrielle was the most important thing to him.
âLance, whatâs wrong? Why are you being so serious?â Gabrielle was a bit naive, but she could sense something was wrong. It felt like they were running away from something.
Did they offend anyone?
Lance ruefully smiled at her question. He knew she had always been smart and sensitive.
It seemed like he was making things obvious. No wonder Gabrielle tho ught something was off.
âEverythingâs fine, Gabrielle. I just want you to be comfortable in your clothes. You know how itâs like in Southeast Asia.â Lance patted her head.
Hearing his words made Gabrielle relieved a little bit.
âAlright, then, Iâll go get changed.â Pushing the doubts away, she went back to her room with the bag in hand.
When she opened it, she found a set of camouflage clothing, a bulletproof vest, military boots and a mask... It was a complete get-up for a special operative.
Gabrielle was frozen in shock, the uneasiness she felt earlier creeping back. She only hoped to see Bryce again, but what was all of this?
Tensed, she opened the gift box. At first glance, it looked like a normal set of jewelry, but as she picked a piece up, she found out the truth. She knew by then that it was a mini tracker.
She carefully removed the middle compartment and saw a small silver pistol with twenty special bullets.
Gabrielle was speechless. The situation was quite clear now.
It was not only for self-defense, but a definitive fight was brewing.
How could Gabrielle know anything about shooting a gun? Lance overestimated her.
Gabrielle hurriedly stuffed all the things back inside the box and thought to ask Lance about the whole situation. She didnât expect this could be dangerous.
âDid Lance bring me here to see Bryce? Or did he have another motive?â
When she opened the door, Lance was standing outside curiously playing with a sharp Swiss Army knife.
â...Lance, what...â Gabrielle was taken aback by what sheâd seen.
âI was supposed to give this to you.â Lance said.
âWait, I have a question. What are we doing here exactly? Why did you prepare all these things for me? Why would I need such things just to meet Bryce? This is insane!â Gabrielle roughly shoved the box into his stomach.
Lance swiftly caught the box in his hands and pulled Gabrielle into her room.
âGabrielle, listen. The jewelry is equipped with a satellite tracker. No matter where you are, I will always find you. Thereâs also a satellite phone. Itâs important that you keep it with you at all times.â As Lance spoke, he took out the gun. âAnd most of all, Iâll have to teach you how to shoot.â
Time was running out, so he had to teach Gabrielle quickly. Having a gun always came in handy in dangerous situations.
They had about two hours and that was hopefully enough.
âLance, youâre not answering my questions! Please stop scaring me. Letâs go back. I donât want to see Bryce anymore.â Fear had taken over Gabrielle. She was at a loss what to do.
She only came to Thailand for the chance to see Bryce again, but who knew things would turn out this way? âWhoâs the enemy?
Why do I have to fight?â Gabrielle had never felt so terrified in her whole life.