Her lashes flutter, confusion flaring in her gaze, as fear morphs into something that resembles desire as she leans into my touch. I don’t know if she’s conscious of her actions, but my grip shifts; it’s possessive now instead of punishing.
Her lips part.“P… Pl…”
She seems to catch herself. Instead of begging, her hands curl around my wrist, pushing. I admire her fight. I like that she doesn’t beg like Hayden, that even in the face of genuine fear, she meets me with resistance. She doesn’t rub at her throat when I ease my grip, doesn’t pull away into hysterics.
Instead, Aria steadies herself, staying still in my hold. She struggles to slow her breathing, inhaling deeply through her nose and exhaling through her mouth.
Good lass. There’s so much more to this woman.
“C don’t let all our secrets out. I like it when everyone thinks we’re just a bunch of big dumb muscles,” Thomas says, pulling me back to the moment.
With a last brush of my fingers against Aria’s skin, I release her. “True that,” I mutter, turning my attention back to Hayden. “If only the idiot had known that Troy is a certified Chartered Accountant, he would’ve thought twice before trying to fuck with our books.” I wipe my blade clean on Hayden’s shirt. Unlike Aria, Hayden is spineless, curled in on himself, whimpering. A disgusting coward.
“This was your test, and you flunked it big time.”
Hayden sobs. “Please... please, I have a wife.”
“Your wife deserves better,” I cut him off. “Get up. Let’s go.”
Aria rises, gripping her oversized bag like a lifeline, staring daggers at me.Interesting.
We lead Hayden out through the back of his rented house, the dense pine forest beyond offering the privacy we need for tonight’s work. Then, like a fucking idiot, Hayden stumbles, face plants into the dirt, and Aria takes off running. A flash of dark-brown curls, legs moving fast as she sprints toward the woods. Troy moves, pulling out his gun, raising and aiming. “Don’t shoot,” I shout.
In a split second Troy adjusts his aim as his finger squeezes the trigger. The bullet grazes a tree instead of her back.
My gut twists in unexpected rage. I almost lost her. “Troy. Sebastian. Bring her back,” my voice razor-sharp. “Don’t harm a hair on her head.” The foolish woman almost got herself killed! What the hell was she thinking?
Troy lingers for a second look at me, his brows creasing. He knows this isn’t my style. But loyalty wins out with one nod; he takes off. He and Sebastian disappear into the trees after her. I inhale, trying to quell the possessive fury boiling in my veins.Does she have a death wish?Did she think she could hide from me in Crescent Bay, it like Boston is my playground? “Lock Down the Town,” I say, dragging a hand through my beard. “Thomas, call Trent and Johnny; give them her description. If anyone sees her, pick her up.”
“Got it.” Thomas is already dialing.
“Collin, get Jake on the phone. I want everything on her.”
Collin raises an eyebrow. “It would be faster if we had her last name.”
I roll my shoulders, glancing down at Hayden’s pathetic form. “Not a problem.” I drive my boot into Hayden’s gut. He chokes and vomits. Another kick. Another strangled gasp as he coughs up more bile. “What’s her last name? Start talking, fucker, tell me everything you know about Aria.”
His breath rattles. “Aria Boschett, she’s... she’s an accountant...junior level...at J&G Accounting...”
I smirk. I have what I need, and now it’s time to hunt. “Run, run, Dove...” I turn toward the forest. “... but there’s nowhere to hide.”
Four
“Some cages don’t come with locks; they come with choices never given.” – Aria Boschett.
The sharp crack of a gunshot splits the night.
I don’t stop. Adrenaline floods my system, fueling my legs as I crash through the underbrush. I don’t look back. I can’t look back. Every breath burns, my lungs clawing for air, but survival is the only thing that matters now. My only focus: putting distance between myself and the men hunting me. I silently thank Hayden for tripping and falling. That cheating bastard might’ve just done one good thing in his miserable life. I have a head start, and I refuse to waste it.
I run faster, my chunky fall boots not slowing me down. The chill night bites my lungs. I can’t remember the last time I ran, but I push forward. Branches tear at my arms, and my footing slips on the uneven ground. My dress catches on twigs as I shove forward, deeper into the thick forest. I thought that was it for me when Cyan wrapped his fingers around my throat, that he would squeeze the life out of me right then and there.
But unlike Hayden, I knew better than to beg. That man is a monster; there is something wrong with my danger meter.How could I have been attracted to him when we met at the festival booth?I pause against a thick tree trunk, gasping for air, my heart hammering in my chest. Think, Aria. I need a plan. A safe place. A way to call the sheriff. But my phone, damn it. It’s buried deep in my bag. If I take it out, the light will give me away. A sound. A rustle in the underbrush. My heart slams against my ribs. Shadows twist around me, stretching long beneath the moon’s eerie glow. A twig snaps... closer this time. I bolt. I don’t see the fallen log until it’s too late. My foot catches on the uneven bark, my body pitching forward. A strangled yelp rips from my throat before I slap my hands over my mouth, muffling it. I hit the forest floor, landing hard on my side. Pain explodes through my side, shooting down my leg. My tote cushions part of the fall, but the silence is shattered.Shit… shit… shit.
“I heard something over here!” An unknown gruff voice says, too close for comfort.
“She can’t have gone this far,” another mutters, the irritated bite in his tone unmistakable, Troy. I press into the dirt, my pulse hammering in my ears. My dark green dress clings to me, blending into the foliage.Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me.Then, a sound from deeper in the woods. An unearthly howl. A high, agonized wail that echoes through the trees.
“What the fuck was that?”
