“If there’s a problem, I solve it. You were the problem, and I solved it.”
“With a gun? Are you insane? You could’ve called after me instead of shooting.”
“And you would not have believed me if I had told you the truth. Trust me, I’ve tried before.”
He’s not tried it with me, so I’d rather not think about what it means instead. I can’t even fathom the fact that he was helping them do this to us, let alone doing it to other women.
“I’d rather hurt you myself than let them do it. They’d hurt you in ways that you can’t imagine, and I will not let them touch my property.”
“I am not your property!” I tear myself away from his grasp.
“You were mine the moment that you stepped into my building. Now, come with me. Unless you want to die.”
I stare him down, contemplating if I could ever trust him again. I should’ve never trusted him in the first place, so why should I now? How do I know what’s the right choice?
“Sebastian!”
My eyes grow wide at the sound of a shrill and harsh voice calling out Sebastian’s name. Sebastian halts, his eyes skimming the forest like a hunter on the lookout for potential game.
“Who was that?” I whisper, following his gaze. “Is that the same guy from before? I recognized him.”
“Lewis. One of them.” He directs his attention back at me and holds out his hand. “Come here. Now.”
The way he talks to me, like I’m some sort of pet that he’s commanding, makes me seethe, but I hold my tongue and grab his hand. Right now, getting out of here alive is more important than prying information out of him, but I will definitely come back to this topic. I’m not done with him. Far from it. He has a lot of explaining to do, and I won’t stop asking questions until I find out the truth.
I struggle to keep up with his pace as he drags me along. We push our way through the dense forest, avoiding stumps and small rocks whenever possible but inevitable scrapes and cuts happen. Short bursts of pain to my legs and feet from running make me cringe, but I try to ignore them. Only the moon lights our path, but Sebastian seems to have adjusted quite well. His movements are hasty, without error, and I find myself questioning whether he’s done this —whether he’s hunted girls in the dark before.
However, now is not the time to think about things like that.
After what seems like an hour, we finally reach the road, but it’s midnight and there’s not a soul in sight. It’s then that Sebastian releases my hand and lowers his gun. “Stay here.” He fishes his cell phone out of his pocket. “Don’t move.”
I nod, wrapping my arms around my cold body. Shivering, I gaze at the trees behind us, expecting someone to appear at any moment.
“We’re here,” Sebastian grumbles into his phone, and then he checks a peculiar device that hangs from his neck, which I didn’t notice before. “Division road. The coordinates are 41.64 latitude and -71.59 longitude.” He puts his phone back into his pocket then sets his scorching gaze back on me. With a grunt, he grabs my hand and starts walking.
“Where are we going?”
He doesn’t answer as we keep walking down the road. Out of nowhere, a car seems to be racing toward us. For a second, I believe it’s coming straight at us for a hit and run, but then it stops and the car door opens.
“Get in,” Sebastian says as he hauls me to the door.
I step into the car as Sebastian walks to the other side and slides in. “Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.”
“Anything for you, Sir,” the man behind the wheel says.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sebastian urges. The driver nods and closes the blinds between us.
Suddenly, I’m aware of the fact that I’m alone in the backseat with the man who just tried to shoot me. I swallow away the nerves as he sets his gaze on me. The air between us grows thicker as the seconds tick by. I try to ignore it, but once he slips closer to me, it’s useless.
“Tell me where you’re taking me,” I demand, pressing my hands down on my lap as if it would keep him at bay.
I feel vulnerable, threatened, and stripped of everything that makes me human. Freedom has been taken away from me, but by God, I will fight to regain it. At the bottom of the well, there is only one way to go up, and that is by clawing your way out. I’ll do whatever is necessary to get back to my own life and help Ashley.
Anxiety storms through my head, causing irrational thoughts to take the upper hand. The urge to flee becomes too great. I move my hand to the door and start pulling on the handle. It won’t open, so I slam the window. “Let me out.”