Glad she’d accepted the exchange, I realized she had nothing else to bargain with to get her to leave with me. We sat in silence for a bit until I checked my phone. The battery wouldn’t last, and we’d be plunged into darkness once it died. I stood intending to get a fire going. Her head snapped my way. Undisguised fear plagued her features. That pleased me since it indicated a tiny level of trust.
“I need to get a fire started, or we’ll freeze to death out here,” I explained, and her face immediately calmed. “Unless you’re ready to come with me?” That blank stare was back in place. “Okay, we’ll stay here then.” I smiled before scanning the area around us for pieces of wood. Moving away from her, I gathered as many as possible, yet her eyes followed me each time I glanced her way. When I returned to where she sat, I realized I had nothing to start the fire. “I need to get a lighter from my car. Are you okay to sit by yourself for a minute?”
Although she nodded, her teeth worrying her bottom lip said otherwise. Not pushing her, I walked away. Back at my car, I retrieved the emergency lighter I kept in the glove box. When I turned around, it was to find her standing a few feet from me. Her hands wrapped around her body, my coat dragging over the green foliage, her face a mask of distress.
So fragile. So indecisive.
Regardless, it gave me hope knowing that small trust had somehow escalated. “Are you ready to come home with me,” I tried, keeping my voice a gentle persuasion. She popped a thumb into her mouth, glanced behind her for a moment, then brought her gaze back to me. “I won’t hurt you, love, but I can promise you a hot bath, food, and a warm bed.” When she said nothing, I added, “or we could just stay here and sit by the fire if that’s what you prefer.”
I’d seen people scared before, witnessed their distrust, and heard their pleas for help, but with her silence, this girl said so much more than any of those people could. It pained me that I didn’t know how to help her or what I could say that would make a difference.
Once more, mother nature came to my rescue. The wind picked up, and a roar of thunder blasted through the darkened sky. With a sudden yelp, the girl took off.
“Fuck.” Shoving the lighter into my trouser pocket, I chased after her. Despite the thick darkness and the heavy coat, she was fast. “Hey,” I called out. She didn’t look back. “Stop, you’re going to hurt yourself—” the words ripped out of my mouth in a heavy shout just as she tripped over something we both couldn’t see and went flying. “No...” I rushed to her fallen body, dropping to my knees. “Hey,” I whispered, breathing hard.
The moonlight from earlier disappeared behind thick rain clouds, hindering my vision. Hesitation lining my movements, I reached out a slow hand to not startle the girl and touched her shoulder. She didn’t move. Worried, I grasped her shoulders and, with gentle movements, turned her over. Despite the lack of light, I could see her eyes were closed and hear her hard breaths. Still, she didn’t move.
“Hey.” I tapped her cheek lightly. The sudden wetness under my fingers made me fish out the lighter and flick it on. “Fuck,” I cursed under my breath, my eyes latching onto the blood oozing from a gash to her brow.
Movements hasty, I dropped the lighter, untucked my shirt, and ripped the bottom end. I rolled it into a makeshift bandage and secured it around her brow, hoping it would help stop the blood flow. Done, I scooped her up in my arms and headed back to the car. With no light to guide my steps, it was slow going. Thankfully, I reached the spot we’d been sitting at. Grabbing my phone, I used the light to return to the car.
Once I had her tucked into the backseat, I slipped behind the wheel. Just as I reached forward to start the car, a sudden flash had me squinting through the windscreen, igniting my nerves. Realizing I was at a distinct disadvantage without Wilkes or his team, I glanced around the dense trees, but it was too dark to see anything. Adrenaline surged through me as I took a deep breath and turned the key. The second the engine purred to life, I floored the accelerator. While I drove, I dialed Juliette.
She answered on the third ring. “To what do I owe the midnight pleasure, Xavier?” she purred, her French accent full of sleep.
“I need you and your doctor’s bag at the mansion, Jules.”
Whether it was the urgency in my voice or my late-night request, her voice sharpened. “On my way.”
After she hung up, I flicked on the overhead light and glanced at the girl over my shoulder. My white shirt around her brow had soaked her blood. The sight spurred the crash of my foot to the pedal. “Hang on, love,” I whispered before returning my gaze to the road.
Chapter 12 – Xavier
As I the road leadingto the castle, thirty-five minutes later, my senses buzzed on high alert as I tried to stay focused. My heart racing, the beat heavy in my ears, I scanned the rearview mirror, hoping no one had followed me. And even though every one of my instincts screamed for me to call the police, adrenaline pumped calm into my body, guiding my movements.
The sudden drone of my phone had me glancing at the text on my screen.
