Away from Vaughn.
Away from the cage.
Away from the woman I was becoming under his careful, patient, devastating control.
I don't know how long I can stay ahead of them.
Don't know if I can even make it out of these woods before they catch me.
But I have to try.
I have to prove to myself that I can choose something other than the golden cage and the silk sheets and the pleasure that comes with a price I'm not willing to pay.
Even if that choice is impossible.
Even if I only get one day of freedom before he finds me.
I run deeper into the forest, branches catching at my clothes, undergrowth grabbing at my feet.
I don't look back.
Don't let myself think about what I'm leaving behind.
Don't let myself remember how it felt when Vaughn touched me.
Don't let myself want what I can't have without losing everything.
Just run.
Into the unknown.
Into danger.
Into freedom.
However temporary.
However doomed.
It's mine.
And no one can take it from me.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Vaughn
The call comes while I'm in a meeting with my CFO.
My phone vibrates on the conference table.
Callum's name on the screen.
He never calls during business hours unless it's an emergency.
I excuse myself and step into the hallway, answering on the second ring.
"Sir." His voice is tight. "We have a situation."
