Page 38 of Into The Green

"You are going to live to regret this moment."

"Is that a threat?"

"Just a word of advice," I said and threw myself over the wall of the porch.

NINE

Cece

I hit the ground with a sickening thud, rolling onto my stomach, and immediately getting onto my feet. My side hurt, something bruised or busted, but I didn't have the time to think about that. I took off toward the trees faster than I had ever moved in my life, faster than the run from the tree line to the barn in the first place, because this time I knew exactly what kind of monsters were on my heels. My chest burned as I counted.

Ten. Eleven. Twelve.

Was it even possible to make it to the woods in twenty seconds? I wanted to look back and see if someone was chasing me, but that risked me losing my footing. And then it would all be over.

Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen.

They had to be following me, otherwise how would they get me if I didn't make it in time.

Eighteen. Nineteen.

Was I really safe once I broke the tree line? Or was this whole thing some elaborate ruse to watch me get hopeful, run for my life, only to be dragged back and laughed at?

Twenty.

My foot crunched a twig and I knew I had crossed the line. I turned back and saw three men. Freaked, I turned forward again and kept running, sure they were on my heels, needing to save myself, needing to lose them.

I had no idea how long I ran. It felt like hours, like days. Sweat prickled up all over my skin. My chest burned. My thighs screamed. But I had to keep going. If I didn't, they could get me.

I turned over my shoulder, needing to see, needing to know how much harder I needed to push it, and promptly ran into something. Someone. Both of us tumbled to the ground, a mess of tangled limbs, and I felt the defeat, the confirmation of my greatest fears overwhelm my system.

"No no no!" I shrieked, tears teasing my eyes. Why did I have to antagonize him? He had been letting me go pretty fairly for such an evil bastard. Why did I have to go and make him angry? "You can't take me back. You can't. He said I had twenty seconds. I made it. I counted. You can't bring me back!"

"Cece," the voice said, falling on fear-deaf ears. "Cece... Celestine!" he almost yelled. "It's me. Okay? It's me."

Then his hands were on my face, pulling it upward, forcing me to face him. "Doyle?" I asked, my voice a croak.

"The one and only. You're safe. Take a breath."

"We have to go. They're coming," I said, trying to scramble up.

"No, they're not," Doyle said, voice calm. "They stopped when you crossed the border. They can't come."

I looked past his shoulder, not quite believing. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, I watched them turn back before I realized you planned to run all the way to China and realized I had to stop you."

"I didn't think he'd stick to his word."

"Who?"

"Declan. Jasper's father," I added, not sure why seeing as Doyle surely knew a hell of a lot more than I did about Jasper's family.

"He came to you personally?" he asked, surprised. "And then let you go?"

"Yeah."

"He do this?" he asked, raising his hand and gently stroking it over my cheek.