“Aiden,” I sob, and roll him onto his back.
He blinks rapidly, his eyes glassy and unfocused. He clenches his bloody teeth and grimaces as he draws in a ragged breath that sounds more like a pained groan.
I kneel beside him, and our eyes meet as he clutches his chest, blood seeping through his shirt and between his fingers.
“Someone help!” I scream. I cover his hand with mine to apply pressure to the wound.
Aiden’s chest rocks beneath me as he struggles to breathe. Tears run down his cheeks, and he moves his lips to form words,trying to say something to me, but nothing comes out except for loud rattles.
“Please, pretty boy. Don’t leave me.” I sob and push harder on the wound to stop the bleeding.
Screams from inside the cabin swell above the music’s deep bass. I suck in sharp breaths, feeling myself hurtling into a panic attack as everything around me closes in.
Boots thump on the ground, heading straight toward us. I raise my head right as a man in black fists my hair and drags me away from Aiden.
“Sorry, princess,” he says, though his helmet muffles his words. “This wasn’t personal.”
My stomach drops, and my body goes limp from shock. “Brandon?”
“I know you said we could play later.” He yanks my hair harder and shoves my head against the ground. “But I’m an impatient man, Nova.”
Digging my elbows into the pines and dead leaves, I push myself up, only for Brandon’s boot to smash into my shoulder. Blinding, hot pain shoots through my body and closes my throat. My back bows, and my mouth opens with a silent scream.
“You’ve been quite the busy girl, haven’t you?” Brandon’s boot digs into my shoulder, and he makes a noise in the back of his throat like he’s disappointed. “I didn’t mean to shoot you too, but I couldn’t pass up the perfect opportunity to take your brother out.”
I claw at the ankles of his boot and glare at him through my tears.
He tilts his head, dark eyes piercing my face as he watches me squirm. “There was a moment I liked you, you know. When you told me you were in love with your brother and how sorry you were for hurting my feelings. I’ve never had that before, where someone felt sorry for causing me pain.” His head turnsin Aiden’s direction, and then he returns his focus to me. “Then I watched your brother fuck you against that tree.”
“You’re sick,” I say through clenched teeth.
Brandon chuckles and pushes his boot harder into my shoulder. “You shouldn’t throw stones while living in a glass house. After watching the show you two put on, I understand why there’s a hit on your brother and his friends. Just a bunch of sick freaks that need to be taken out.”
He lifts his foot and points the barrel of his gun at my head. “If you move, I will paint the ground with your brains. Do you understand?”
I sink my teeth into my bottom lip to silence my pathetic whimper.
Brandon kneels beside me, holding the gun toward my head, and hooks his finger under the hem of my dress.
“Why are you doing this?” I sob.
He tilts his head as he considers my question. “What if there isn’t a good reason?”
“But there has to be.”
“Oh, there is. But if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.” His gaze trails down my body and settles where Aiden’s cum is cooling on the inside of my thigh.
“Aren’t you planning to kill me anyway? That’s why you have the gun.”
His gaze snaps to my face, and he lets out a dark laugh. “Maybe.”
I dig my nails into the ground when all I want to do is swing at him. Precious seconds to save Aiden’s life are being wasted because this pervert can’t stop himself from looking at my pussy—or at least trying to.
Where the hell is everyone?
Why isn’t anyone rushing out here to help?
Movement behind Brandon catches my attention. I look past his shoulder and up at the ghost mask the man is wearing. He drags a large blade out of his pocket and lifts a gloved finger to the mask’s screaming mouth, silently telling me to keep quiet.
