“Where…am…I?” I whispered, seeing nothing but an endless pastureland for miles.
After I’d hit that monster on the head with the brick I’d wrangled free, I ran as fast as I could out the open door, his moans of pain growing more distant with each step. I’d been in a barn, I realized after I climbed the steps. I needed to get as far away from my kidnapper as possible, so I did the only thing I could do—I ran fast and hard.
Ignoring the pain in my feet and in my entire body as I ran over rocks, sticks, water, and through two storms. Twoviolentstorms. But I couldn’t stop. For all I knew, he was right behind me, only minutes away. I climbed over fences when I couldn’t get under them. I jumped over holes when I couldn’t see how deep they were. Nothing was going to stop me.
I ran for my life, until I could no longer run at all. Collapsing, I found myself on the hard ground, praying this wasn’t how I was going to die.
Until warm arms engulfed me. My heart thundered in mychest, and I wanted to call out in protest, but I had no energy to even utter a single word. I prayed it was a savior, and not my captor.
I tried to say something but was so exhausted, I couldn’t speak.
“Shh, I’ve got you. It’s okay.” He said these things as he carried me over to a horse.
Thank you, God. It’s not him.
His words were soothing, and seconds later, I buried my face against his chest as he had his horse ride a bit faster. His deep voice woke me as I started to doze back to sleep.
“We’re almost there. Hang on.”
The horse came to a stop.
“What in the hell, Liam?” I heard another man say.
“Bubba, get Moonshine into the barn and take care of him, will you?”
“Who is that?”
“I don’t know. I found her in the west pasture. Can you take her for a minute so I can get off?”
In my mind, I was screaming. I didn’t want someone else to take me. I wanted to stay wrapped in the warmth of the man who’d found me. But I wasn’t in the other man’s arms for long.
I managed to open my eyes when I felt him—Liam—taking me back again, and I looked at him briefly. All I could see was a black cowboy hat that was dripping water from the rain. He walked up some steps, and a door opened and then slammed shut.
“Get back, girl; I know we have a guest you want to say hi to, but we’ve got to warm her up.”
I tried to look around but could barely keep my eyes open. It felt like he was going up more steps with me in his arms.
“Ma’am? Ma’am, are you awake?”
Forcing myself to open my eyes, I saw the bluest gaze staring down at me.
“What’s your name?”
Frowning, I tried to remember my name. The monster had called me Mallory. Was that my name? I couldn’t remember anything the first time I woke up in the basement underneath that barn, a prison that was more like a dungeon.
“I think…” I whispered weakly. “I think…Mallory.”
Those five little words wore me out, and I felt the darkness coming again. The last thing I heard was the cowboy saying, “I’m going to take care of you, Mallory. I promise.”
##
The sun’s warmth on my face caused me to open my eyes. A large picture window with the most beautiful scenery I’d ever seen met my gaze.
The mountains had snow-covered tops and the sun was shining. The sun…God, I never thought I’d be so happy to see it. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or if it was real.
I rolled over and realized I was in a soft, warm bed. Instantly, the pain in my side nearly had me gasping. My ribs hurt so bad, but thankfully, I didn’t think they were broken. The ceiling also wasn’t old boards, but beautiful wood logs. The sound of a fire crackling had me attempting to sit up slowly. The room began to spin, so I halted until my head calmed down.
Managing to sit up fully, I leaned back against the pillows as I stared at a roaring fire in a massive fireplace. It was all rock, stretching from floor to ceiling, with a giant wood mantel.
