He sucks in his lower lip and bites it. I hate how I bite my own in response. “One, I’m trying to keep your ungrateful ass alive for some fucking reason. Two, the snake I’m about to show you.You seem to think that your situation isn’t very real. You live in a delusional place in your mind, don’t you? Where bad things don’t happen to people like you.”
I stop dead in my tracks, kicking up sand with the abruptness of it. Roman takes a few more steps before he stops and turns to look at me, lifting a brow.
I fist my hands at my sides and take a deep breath. “You think bad things don’t happen to everyone? You think you’re the only person that bad things happen to? Wake the fuck up. Terrible things happen to people every day. And you have no idea what I’ve been through. There’s no way in fuck you can tell by the way Ilook.”
Roman’s eyes widen, but I’m not done.
“I know dangerous shit is going down here in Bane Falls, okay? I’m not this clueless, stupid person you pin me for. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the reason I’m not crying and running off like a helpless little girl is because I’ve been through worse? I’ve been left for dead by someone much crueler than you. Sorry, Roman. You’re nothing.Nothing.”
His lips part, and he looks like he’s trying to think of something to say, but I don’t wait to find out what it is. I walk ahead without him, making quick work getting down to the beach where the others are waiting. Around the corner of the bay is a dock and a simple fisherman’s boat tied off at the pier.
John runs his hand through his perfect blond strands before glancing back at Roman, who has reset his expression back to being completely unreadable as usual. Jesus, does that man even feel things?
He’s the one who doesn’t have a sense of reality. I cross my arms, pissed off and annoyed that they dragged me out here on one of the last nice days of summer. I was going to sunbathe in the backyard and enjoy some of the wine I splurged on.
“All right, let’s go.” Gale tilts his head toward the boat. I firm my trembling lips.They won’t hurt me. Even if they have guns.
Taylor hops into the boat first and helps me in before the rest of them get on as well. We look like a normal group of people going out for a fishing trip. Either that or eager young adults heading to the opposite shore for a fucking gang bang.
“Why couldn’t you bring any of your other girlfriends?” I pipe up, feeling a little unsettled.
John and Gale look away. It’s Taylor who replies, “Because today is about you, sweet little Briar.” His smile is innocent enough, but I don’t like how ominous it sounds.
Bensen steers the boat using the motor in the back. The men seem particularly focused on the shores on both sides. They don’t let their guards down, and it starts to give me the feeling that we aren’t alone out here. The water sprays up at the edges of the boat and prickles me with cold drops. If I close my eyes, it feels like I’m back on the coast, the moisture in the air on my skin giving me a sense of nostalgia.
When we’re about mid-lake, Roman lifts his left hand and Bensen cuts the engine. I look up at them, but no one is paying attention to me except the king asshole himself.
“Why did we stop?” I ask. Dread seeps into my chest at how quiet they’re being. God, this really couldn’t be any creepier.
Roman offers me his hand. I take it and stand on uneasy legs as he nods over the edge of the boat. I hesitate. I mean, is it really that irrational to think that he might toss me overboard?
I swallow my fear and my grip on his hand tightens as I lean over the edge, looking down as he is.
An abrupt gasp tears out of my lungs.
There’s a dead man three feet under the surface.
It’s out of sight unless you knew exactly where he was. His eyes are open and staring up at me. His mouth gaping as if he’s trapped mid-scream. His neck has a two-inch puncture woundthat has long since stopped bleeding. A large chain is wrapped around his torso and legs, leading down as far as I can see.
I cover my mouth with my hand and try not to gag.
“Recognize him?” Roman’s voice is low in a whisper, drawing chills across my neck.
He’s the man I saw Grahm speaking with at the party. I know he saw me watching them because he looked right at me. He was at the farm last week? The blood drains from my face, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Roman pulls me away from the edge as I start to feel lightheaded. His hand is still tightly clasped with mine. It feels like an anchor, even if it’s to a horrendous man.
“Why?” I manage to mutter.
“Why did I kill him? Or why was he at your farm?” Roman asks indifferently. John breaks his focus from the shoreline and spares me a quick, concerned look.
I glance down at Roman’s side and spot the very combat knife he probably used. Another wave of nausea runs through me. He literally had that at my neck the first night we met. “Both, I guess.”
“I confirmed that you’re a target for them. He didn’t seem sure whether or not his little club was going to kill you or kidnap you, but either way, I’m not one for letting innocent women die…sometimes. Anyway, I needed you to see that this is real so that you won’t fight me on this next part.” He must be lying. I refuse to believe that Roman would doanythingin the name of someone being innocent. He fucking terrorizes me every time I see him.
Wait,next part? I frown. There’s more?
“We’ll be staying at the farm to protect you.”
