I’m tempted to go inside and put on my riding clothes and boots. But I don’t dare. Fuck it. I’ll be cold, but I’ll be alive. My phone’s in the trailer too, so I can’t even call the cops as soon as I’m free from this nightmare.
I make it two steps before Elias grabs my hands and pulls them behind my back, restraining me.
“Hey!”
“Get Ben on the walkie.” He’s speaking next to my ear but not at me. “Tell him to make sure the gates are closed. And to turn all the rides on. Music. Everything.”
“Let. Me. Go!”
I struggle to break free, cursing him, kicking back uselessly with my bare feet.
“What are you doing, El?” the magician asks with a low murmur. “You know what needs to be done.”
“I said I’ll take care of it, didn’t I?” Elias bites off. “When did you stop trusting me?”
The magician shakes his head. “Fuck. I trust you with my life, brother. But this pussy has you…”
“I’ll show you pussy,” I spit at him.
The knife thrower laughs gleefully. “This is going to be fun, I know it.”
The firebug chuckles. “Make her think she can escape. Devious, El.”
I stomp on Elias’s foot, but he doesn’t so much as flinch.
“Weirdos. Sickos!”
Suddenly, Elias lets me go. I fly forward, and I’d land on the ground for the second time tonight, but the strongman catches me. My hands land on his naked chest, looking pale against his mahogany skin.
Elias growls again. “Don’t touch her. She’s mine.”
“Still feeling possessive?” the strongman rumbles with a raised eyebrow, but lets me go after steadying me on my feet.
“Run, Little Sapphire,” Elias says so icily that I stop breathing altogether, as if he froze the breath in my lungs. Slowly, I turn around to face him. The look on his face is a mix of rage, want, and anticipation.
“See if you can hide from me in my own playground,” he continues. “See if you can escape the man pulling the strings behind the curtain. You’re mine to hunt.”
At first, I don’t move, feeling rooted to the spot. Then theknife thrower whispers in my ear: “What are you waiting for, Blue?Run!”
I spin around and sprint past the laughing men, the dark night casting ominous shadows over the tents and trailers as I flee for the exit.
11
JULES
I’m panting hard, my hand pressed against the stitch in my side. I should have taken that bootcamp workout class at the gym—I feel like a pet bunny dropped into the Serengeti. Only I’m not running away from lions.
Is Elias really going to kill me just because I found some files? I don’t even have my phone on me, so who would believe me anyway?
Fuck. Fucking fuck. How am I getting out of this jam?
Elias called to have the gates closed. I could try climbing the fence, but I’ll probably end up slicing myself up into ribbons. Why didn’t I put the rest of my clothes on?
Because you were hoping for round two with the crazy man and his magic dick, Jules.
Yeah, it’s not the first time my ovaries got me into half-naked morning-after regrets. But after this, it might not happen again. Because I’ll be dead.
I stop as a sob bursts out of my chest and bite down on my fist to muffle the sound.
