Bound To My Mafia Stepuncles novel Chapter 160

Aria – First Person POV

My legs were shaking under the table. I held onto my drink like it was the only thing keeping me calm. The man across the mall was still. watching us. He hadn’t moved. He just sat there like he had nothing else to do, but his eyes… they never left us. Not once.

Chiara leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. “We have to move. I don’t like this.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay. Let’s pretend we don’t notice him.”

She nodded back and grabbed her phone. Her face looked normal, like she was just checking messages. I knew better. She was texting someone. Probably Dante. I hoped it was one of them. They’d know what to do.

I picked up my cup and took a sip I didn’t want. My mouth was dry anyway. I forced a laugh like Chiara had said something funny, and she joined in, a little too loud. It was fake but maybe good enough.

We stood up together. I made sure to smile as we walked past the café. Like everything was fine. Like I wasn’t freaking out on the inside.

I looked ahead, then sideways. I saw him stand up. He was following. I didn’t turn around but I could feel it. Like a cold wind at my back. My hand tightened on my bag.

We moved slowly through the mall, pretending like we were just two girls having a normal day. Chiara kept talking about how she wanted a new pair of boots for school, and I nodded along, trying to focus on her words. But every few steps, I felt this tight pull in my stomach, like something was crawling up my spine. I didn’t want to look back. I didn’t need to. I could feel him. That weird pressure on the back of my neck, like when someone stares too hard for too long. It was like we were stuck in a movie, and the villain was right there, just a few feet behind, watching and waiting. My hands were sweating, even though the mall was freezing. I kept my expression flat and tried to laugh when Chiara made a joke about buying heels she’d never wear. She clung to my arm, steering us toward the shoe store up ahead. Her voice stayed steady, but I could tell she was tense too. Her fingers were curled tightly around her phone like she was just one wrong move away from calling someone. The worst part was that no one else around us seemed to notice. People were shopping, laughing, living their lives, while my heart was racing like a warning siren in my chest.

“Turn left,” Chiara whispered quickly.

We slipped into a shoe store. Bright lights. Friendly workers. Loud pop music playing. It should’ve made me feel better but it didn’t.

We started pretending to shop. I picked up a random pair of sneakers. I wasn’t even looking at the size. I just needed to blend in. Chiara walked toward the clearance rack. I followed her.

She kept talking. “Grab something. Anything. We’ll use it to change.”

I grabbed a hoodie and a cap. She did the same. We went to the fitting rooms at the back of the store and quickly slipped into the new clothes over what we were wearing. I tied my hair into a messy bun and shoved it under the cap. Chiara wore her hood up.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the man outside the store window. He was pretending to be looking at shoes, but his head kept turning. Watching. Waiting.

At the counter, Chiara placed the hoodies down and paid. I looked at the glass doors. The man had turned his back. He was on the phone now. His other hand was in his pocket. My heart raced faster.

“Now,” Chiara said under her breath.

We walked out of the store like we were just two girls heading to the food court. But the moment we hit the crowd, we moved faster. Our steps picked up speed. I held onto Chiara’s arm. We turned sharply past a perfume stand. Then again past a candy store.

1/3

Chapter 160

That was when I heard it.

“Hey!” A deep voice. Angry, Close.

He had seen us.

“He’s coming,” I said, panic rising in my throat.

“Run!” Chiara shouted.

We ran.

We pushed through the people, bumping into shoulders, ignoring the stares. I heard someone yell behind us. I didn’t look. I just followed Chiara,

We ran past the main entrance, toward a side hallway that led to the back of the mall. The crowd thinned. Less people. More echo. My feet slapped the floor. My lungs burned.

We burst through a side door and ended up outside. The back lot. Quiet. Empty. Only a few big dumpsters and an old delivery van.

We stopped by the wall. Both of us breathing hard. I bent over, trying to catch my breath.

“I think we lost him,” I said, my voice shaking.

Chiara looked behind us. “Maybe. Let’s wait a minute.”

I nodded and leaned on the wall.

Then it happened.

A sharp pain shot through my scalp. Someone grabbed my hair and yanked me backward.

I screamed. My feet slipped on the ground. I almost fell but strong arms pulled me up. I saw the man’s face up close now. Cold. Angry. Focused.

“Let go of her!” Chiara yelled.

I saw her pull something out of her bag. A gun.

Before I could process what was happening, a loud bang exploded in the air.

The man groaned and stumbled, grabbing his leg. He didn’t fall.

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