I whirl around, my heart ricocheting around my rib cage as I see Rowan standing a few steps away from me.
His skin looks dewy, with rain and sweat mingling over his features. My eyes trail to the splatters of red across his shirt and jeans. At his side, he holds a massive machete, the blade dripping red, in one hand, and a black tactical gas mask in the other. I take in the cans of tear gas strapped to his waist, my mind working overtime.
“I told you to stay in the room,” his dark tone reaches me, causing my skin to prick.
I hold the gun up, leveling it at his chest. “You…” I can’t find the words. There’s too much going on for me to formulate a sentence.
His head tilts tauntingly. “I tried to tell you, Sunshine—”
Hearing that nickname has disgust washing over me. My lips turn down. “Don’tcall me that!”
He drops the machete, and it clatters over the gravel as he holds a hand up in surrender. “Easy, Sunshine. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Quick breaths escape past my lips as I use my chin to motion to the man lying dead behind me. “Just like you didn't hurt him, right?”
Rowan sighs, looking away from me as his eyes scan the forest. “It’s complicated, Addison. I did try to tell you.”
“You keep saying that,” I bite. “But how was I supposed to know it was the fucking truth?!”
He shakes his head, those dark blue eyes staring right through me. “I didn't expect you to, but now that you know, you need to go inside while I finish this. Okay?”
That’s it?
He thinks I’ll just walk away and listen to him? He has the wrong one.
I steady my hands and harden my features. “I’m not listening to a killer.” He takes a step, and I shove the gun in his direction. “Come any closer and I’ll shoot!”
He stops, giving me a warning look. “If you shoot me, Addison, Iwillhunt.You.Down. And you won't like the outcome. Drop the gun, and let’s talk about this.”
I swallow, my throat thick with emotion. “No. I’m not talking to a—”
“To a murderer, yes, I know. You said that already. I’m giving you the chance to make the right decision.”
The threat in his tone hangs in the air between us, and for a blink, I think of dropping the gun. There’s no telling what this man could do to me.
Then I remember my mother’s second rule.
Don’t let them see that they get to you. Your first mistake is showing fear or weakness.
I grit my teeth, “No. We’re done here.”
Rowan’s head rolls back against his shoulders as if he’s stretching. “Addison, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and drag you kicking and screaming back to the room if I have to. My job is to keep you safe, and I never fail.” His eyes, low-lidded and predator-like, shift to me, pinning me where I stand.
“Who says I won’t shoot you and scream for help?” I do a great job of keeping my tone from wavering with the adrenaline coursing through me, but Rowan doesn’t seem to care about my bravado as he crosses his arms, the gas mask cupping his elbow as he levels me with a withering look.
“You don’t have it in you, Sunshine.” He holds his free hand out to me, closing and opening his fingers. “Give me the gun.”
My eyes ping pong between his hand and his face. “No. I trusted you once—”
“You didn’ttrustme,” he grits. “If you did, you would still be up in our room, oblivious to what I'm doing—”
“Killing people!” I shout over the rain. “You’rekillingpeople, Rowan!”
“Yes!” He shouts back, his voice rising with the storm. “I’m killing people! I’m keeping you safe. It’s my fucking job.”
A job.
He sees me as a job.
