Her laugh slices through the air. “No, he won’t. He’ll think you ran away. That’s what you do, isn’t it?”
My heart sinks.
She’s right. Fuck me, she’s right. Petyr asked me the other day, didn’t he? Why I ran in the first place. If I’d ever do it again. I thought he just wanted to clear the air, but what if he’s been worried? What if this only ends up confirming what he already thought I’d do?
What if he doesn’t even look for me?
But no. He’ll look. He has to. Whatever he may think of me, he knows I’d never leave without Lilia.
God, Lilia.Does Kira have plans for her, too?
I shut that thought out. I can’t let myself go there. I’ll flip out, and I can’t afford that right now. If I want a shot at getting back to my baby, I need to clear my head. Panic isn’t it. It’s just clouding my judgment, and I’ve already made enough bad decisions tonight.
But if she hurts my daughter…
… God fucking help her.
I can’t look at Kira for more than a second. My eyes dart to the windshield where the men stand waiting, silent shadows in the dim light. My stomach twists until I feel sick, but I push through.
My hand moves to the door handle. The men are already walking toward the car, two on each side. I count their steps.
One.
Two.
Three.
The handle clicks under my fingers. My pulse explodes in my ears.
The second the handle gives, I throw the door open and bolt.
Cold air hits my face. My feet barely touch the ground before I’m running, breath squeezed out of my lungs.
Gravel slips under my shoes. I throw myself into the woods.
I pick a random direction and hurtle that way. Branches slap at my arms and snag my hair as I run. I can barely see, but I keep going.
My breath is coming in ragged bursts now. The air tastes like rust and rain, and the ground is uneven, slick with mud. Not exactly ideal conditions for a chase into the wilderness, but I can’t afford to be picky. Like Bon Jovi said, it’s now or never.
I stumble on a root, catch myself, and keep running.
Behind me, shouts. Heavy boots pounding. The sound echoes, bounces through the trees. My body runs on fear alone, every step a fight not to fall. The night presses in, black and endless, alive. A beast. Every shadow looks like another hand reaching to grab me.
I crash through the brush. My lungs burn, the cold air slices down my throat. My heart beats so hard it hurts. I try not to think, not to feel. Just move.
Something snaps close behind me. I don’t look back—I can’t. If I look, I’ll slow down, and if I slow down, I’m done. Finished. Kaput.
I need to get back to my daughter. Warn Petyr about Kira.
I need to?—
My foot catches a root, and I fall.
Pain shoots through my ankle. I slam hard into the ground, scrape my palms on wet earth. The world tilts.
Then a hand clamps around my waist.
I scream and twist. “Get off of me!” I try to claw at the man, whichever one of my father’s lackeys he is, but it’s useless. No matter how hard I scratch at his face, he doesn’t let me go.
