Stay(93)

“Don’t touch her,” Jackson said. His hands curled into fists.

Zane laughed. “Get the fuck out of the way,” he ordered. “Unless you want me to shoot you. Again.” He reached behind him and extracted a small, black handgun. Using it as a pointer, her flicked his wrist. “Over there. Now,” he said to Jackson.

“No,” Jackson said.

“Very well,” Zane said and flicked off the safety. His eyes moved to where Phoebe lay. He let out a heavy sigh. “I really don’t feel like dealing with two bodies. Last chance. Move.”

Not breathing, I stared at Jackson. Move, please move. I couldn’t handle losing anyone else, especially him. Finally, his tense shoulders sagged and he stepped aside.#p#分页标题#e#

“Get dressed,” Zane ordered me.

“What?” I asked, shaking my head.

“Are you deaf?” He leaned forward and I jumped. “Put something else on.” He recoiled, wrinkling his nose. “I don’t want to be seen in public with you. When was the last time you showered?”

It hadn’t been that long, but I didn’t tell him that. I didn’t say anything as I glared at him, heart thumping in my tight chest. Was I being put to work again? I stood there, in a tense stare off with Zane, until he growled and lunged forward, taking a hold of my wrist. He dragged me with him, up the stairs and into the kitchen, muttering about how slow I was

“Lou,” Zane called.

The man Phoebe referred to as Zane’s new friend lumbered into the room. I let my eyes trace over his body. He took up the entire doorframe and had to duck to get into the kitchen. He boasted large muscles that were shown off under a tight-fitting white t-shirt. His head had been shaved, and his dark skin was gleaming, looking as if he had recently rubbed oil over it. Tattoos covered most of his exposed skin. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a fitness magazine.

“Watch her,” Zane said to Lou. “I have to talk to Nate.”

Lou leaned against the counter and crossed his arms, purposely flexing his biceps. He looked me over, raised an eyebrow, and shook his head. My eyes had to be red and puffy from crying. I was wearing Jackson’s clothes. My hair was a knotted mess around my face. I looked behind me at the basement door. It was ajar, and I could hear Jackson shuffling around with Phoebe’s body.

I turned my attention back to Zane, who was in the living room talking to Nate. I heard him mention Phoebe’s name and something about not having time to make me look presentable. Fuck. Fear prickled through me. I was being forced to work again.

Nate stood in the middle of the room, repeatedly checking his watch. He flicked his eyes to the kitchen, pressed his lips together, and shook his head.

“She’ll have to get ready there. More trouble than she’s worth,” he scoffed, looking in my direction and moving a few steps closer. “There’s no time to clean her up. She’s your responsibility. I don’t want her associated with me.”

He was wearing another custom-tailored blue pinstriped suit with a thin, black tie held in place by a silver tie clip. His dark blonde hair was perfectly tousled. He turned his wrist in again, shaking his head when he saw the time. I noticed that his nails were perfectly manicured. “She’s your responsibility,” he pressed to Zane, who responded by rolling his eyes. “Jackson!” Nate yelled. “If you put one toe over the property line, I will tie your precious Adeline to the bed and make you watch her get fucked over and over.”

My blood ran cold, and my head spun. I wanted to shout out to Jackson that it was still worth the risk, that he still needed to try and leave. I pressed my lips together, knowing that saying it out loud wouldn’t end well for either of us.

Nate punched a code into the keypad and opened the door. Zane, of course, shoved me forward. The warm, spring air surprised me. Had that much time really passed? Zane took a tangle of my hair and dragged me to a black Mercedes. I got into the backseat.

My breath clouded on the cold window. I clicked the seatbelt into place and stuck my hands under my legs. Nate waited a minute, allowing the engine to warm before putting the car into drive. I felt like I was drowning in darkness again. Icy hands gripped my heart, squeezing harder and harder as the tires spun. I frantically turned around and watched the old house disappear from view.

I had never been in the car with Nate before. Where were we going? My fingernails dug into the leather seat. What the hell was going on? Was he finally fed up with me and was taking me to some secluded place to dump my body? No…that couldn’t be it. Zane wouldn’t want me to get dressed nicely for that.#p#分页标题#e#