As I go to put the car in drive, the weight of the situation crashes down. I fucked up. My heart is going to pound out of my chest as I stare down at the gear shift and realize I have no idea how to drive a manual car. Taking a deep breath, I press down on the clutch. It’s way heavier than I expected as my fingers grip the steering wheel tightly.
The second I try to put the car in whatever gear it needs to be in, it sputters but moves. I can’t help but smile as I drive the car down the driveway slowly. My line of thinking is that if I can be quiet until I get a tad further away, the better chance I have of escaping.
When I can no longer see the house in the rearview mirror, the smile on my face grows as I guide myself down the dirt road.I did it. I fucking got away!Now I need a phone so I can call someone. Bexley, maybe? Susie? A wave of doubt washes through my mind at calling her.
Pressing down on the gas, the car kicks forward and then starts to slow down.Oh fuck.I look down frantically, trying to figure out what the hell to do. I take my foot off the pedal and move the gear shift, but nothing happens. The feeling of freedom quickly fades the longer the car stalls, and before I can try to get the stupid-ass car moving again, faint lights shine through the rearview mirror.
“No. No. No!” I scream, my hands trembling uncontrollably.
It has to be either Carson or Emris, but regardless of whether I get out of here or not, I’m fucked. There’s no way Emris is going to play nice after this.
I press on the gas, and the car flies down the road, but then slows to a stop as it stalls again.
“Fuck!” I sob.
On the third try, the car moves, but not before the car behind me catches up. I press the gas, and the car lurches forward again, but I can’t focus on the road in front of me as my eyes keep moving everywhere but straight. The panic rising in me takes over, and I can’t catch my breath. Black dots cloud my vision, my breathing coming in shallow pants.
I can’t fucking breathe.
My hands grip the wheel as the car swerves toward the side of the road. The second the car behind me hits the bumper, I lose control of the steering wheel. The front of the car collides with something hard, and my head swings forward, hitting the top of the steering wheel and making my vision blur even more.
I close my eyes as I try to control my breathing, my hands shaking as I try to get my seatbelt unbuckled. Another sob leaves my mouth when shouting comes from somewhere close. I scramble, finally wrenching myself free from the seatbelt and lunging toward the passenger side to escape before Emris can get to me.
Halfway over, something wet drips down my face. I touch my forehead, and my hand comes away covered with blood. It runs into my right eye, stinging and blurring my vision.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I whisper shakily. “This can’t be fucking happening right now.”
When I finally get over the middle console and into the passenger seat, Carson’s voice sounds from the spot I just left.
“Brielle, come on. What the fuck are you doing? Emris is absolutely pissed. You really fucked up this time,” he says, tryingto reach for me. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Just come with me. You’re hurt.” I’ll give him credit for wanting to help ease the pain of what’s to come, but Emris is going to be livid.
“No. I can’t, Carson! You don’t understand. I can’t.” Panic surges through me as the door finally gives, and I tumble to the ground. Before I can push myself up, a pair of arms wrap around me. “No!” I yell, trying to get away, but it’s no use. I’m not strong enough against him.
Emris presses his mouth to the shell of my ear, his breath sending shivers down my spine. “He might not understand, baby. But I fucking do.”
22
EMRIS
I keepa grip on her as I pull her to my chest, but the second I see the blood dripping down her face, I pause. A sliver of the anger turns to concern as I drag my eyes down the rest of her to make sure there aren’t any more injuries.
Once I finish looking her over, I keep pulling her along until we reach Carson’s car. I hold the door open and wait until she’s inside before slamming it shut. Carson drives us back to my house without muttering a single word.
The world goes quiet as I yank open the door and pull her out. She resists, heels scraping against the ground, trying to slow us down as if she still has a chance.
“I swear to God, Brielle. I’m not in the fucking mood for this bullshit. Either walk willingly, or I’ll make you.”
Her eyes widen a fraction at my threat, and she finally starts moving.
The second we enter my room, I take her into the bathroom. The shower hisses as I turn the knob, steam crawling up the tiles while I wait for it to be the right temperature.
Brielle stands by the door, looking down at her hands that are caked in blood from touching her forehead. I close the distance between us and grab both of her hands. Her head shoots up,a mix of worry and caution crossing her face. She should be cautious of me, especially after the shit she just pulled. It’s going to take me ages to restore the damage to my car, but her well-being is more important.
I drop her hands and grip the end of her shirt and begin to slowly pull it over her head, careful not to scratch the cut on her forehead.
I move to her pants next, kneeling as I drag them down her legs and my cock hardens instantly. Fuck. I want to bite into her thick thighs, marking every single inch. She steps out of them, not even trying to hide from me. Even when my blood is boiling with anger toward her, I want her. She could ask me for anything right now, and I’d probably still give it to her. I slowly grip her panties around my fingers and lower them next, and her breath hitches the second my lips connect with the skin on her hip.
“What are you doing to me, Brielle? “ I ask, placing another kiss on her other hip where a bruise is already forming.
