Too Pretty to Be Your Backup novel Chapter 80

“Travis, you make me sick. I’m done with your games.”

Travis' face went pale, and his words came out like a growl.

“Amanda, I told you I’d never let anything happen to you. Why can’t you just trust me?”

Amanda shot him a cold, hard look.

“You also said you wouldn’t use me as a bargaining chip. How am I supposed to trust you? Travis, you have zero credibility with me.”

She turned and took off without looking back.

A storm of frustration flashed in Travis' eyes. Zero trust? If he was going to trade her, of course he’d make sure she was safe. Why couldn’t she get that?

He barked at the bodyguards, “Stop her!”

For the engagement party tomorrow, Travis had crowded the villa with security. There was no way Amanda could slip through.

Sure enough, four guards closed in ahead of her, and four behind. Amanda darted toward the northwest wall where a huge old tree stood.

She looked at the eight bodyguards and smirked.

“Watch out for that tree. You never know when lightning might strike.”

The guards didn’t take her seriously. They moved in, ready to grab her.

But then, out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning split the sky and slammed into the very tree Amanda had pointed at. It cracked, smoking, and crashed down, pinning all eight guards beneath its heavy branches.

Amanda sprang onto the fallen trunk, scrambling up the branches with quick, practiced movements until she reached the top of the wall. Good thing she’d never been ladylike. She’d always loved climbing. Dropping from a second-story window or scaling a wall was nothing to her.

Travis came running after her, yelling, “Amanda, get down from there!”

She just waved, then jumped over the other side without even hesitating.

David got out of the car and called to Travis, “Get in. Chad already sent the location. We’re trading her for Leila right now.”

Amanda dug her nails into Travis' shoulder, almost drawing blood. Her clear eyes met his, full of stubborn defiance.

“Travis, I don’t want to go. You know my power only works once a day. I can’t protect myself now.”

Her jinx only worked once a day. If she hadn’t already used it, she could have blown up David’s car when he hit her. If she’d saved it, she’d at least have had a card to play in the exchange. But now she was out of options.

Travis watched her, eyes cold and unwavering, but there was something deeper there, a thousand words he couldn’t say out loud.

“Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Amanda let out a bitter laugh and closed her eyes, loosening her grip on his shoulder.

She’d known it would end like this all along.