I stroke her hair, swallowing the panic clawing up my throat. How much further? Where is he taking us?
Jason hums softly, drumming his fingers against the wheel. Like this is just another drive.
The headlights carve out glimpses of the wilderness—thick trees, tangled brush, endless darkness. My heart pounds with every mile marker that disappears behind us. No one’s coming. We’re too far.
After what feels like forever, Jason slows the truck, gravel crunching beneath the tires. A dark shape looms ahead: a cabin, small but sturdy, crouched deep in the woods. The porch light flickers weakly, barely piercing the night.
No neighbors. No roads. No escape.
Jason parks and turns off the engine. The silence is deafening.
“Everybody out,” he finally says, voice smooth, almost gentle.
Ella stiffens in my arms as Emma burrows deeper into me. I don’t move.
Jason sighs. “Mia, don’t make me repeat myself.” His hand drifts to his waist, where the gun sits holstered against his hip.
My stomach clenches. Not in front of them.
I force my body to obey, prying Emma off my lap and easing her out of the truck. She stumbles, and I catch her before her knees hit the dirt. Ella clings to my leg, her little hands shaking.
Jason watches us with something like amusement, then gestures toward the cabin. “Inside.”
I wrap an arm around both girls and guide them forward. One step, then another. Just get inside. Stay alive.
The door swings open, swallowing us into the dimly lit interior. The smell of damp wood and stale air clings to the walls. There’s no television, no photos, nothing personal. Just a worncouch, a wooden table, and a fireplace that hasn’t seen flames in years.
Jason shuts the door behind us, the lock clicking into place like a guillotine blade.
Ella whimpers, and I crouch, pulling both girls into me. “Shh, baby,” I whisper against their hair. “It’s okay.”
It’s not okay.
Jason leans against the wall, watching us like we’re some kind of prize he’s finally won. “We’re gonna be real cozy here,” he murmurs. His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “Just like old times.”
Emma’s breath shudders against my neck. Ella curls into my side, her small body trembling, her fingers clutching my shirt so tightly, I can feel her nails through the fabric.
My heart hammers as I stroke their backs, murmuring soft reassurances I don’t believe. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you.”
Jason watches us, his expression unreadable, but there’s something in his eyes—satisfaction, victory. Like he’s finally won.
I can’t let him think that.
My eyes dart to the window, searching for anything—an opening, a weakness. Instead, my stomach drops.
Outside, beyond the porch, I see them.
Men.
More than a dozen of them, spread out, some patrolling the perimeter, others stationed near the vehicles. Shadows move between the trees, figures shifting in the darkness. Armed. Watching.
Jason wasn’t bluffing. This isn’t just about taking us. This is an entire operation.
A chill slithers down my spine, wrapping around my lungs like a vise. How did he get this many people? Why?
Jason follows my gaze, then smirks. “Yeah, sweetheart. You’re not going anywhere.”
I swallow, forcing my face into something neutral, something that doesn’t show my rising panic.
