Page 103

“Fuck off,” I snarl, meeting his stare and he sighs as he pulls his hand back and backhands me. My head jerks to the side as pain rocks through my head but I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry anymore. Turning back to him, I narrow my eyes into a glare and he laughs.

“Oh, I can see why Streak is so whipped by you, baby. You’ve got fucking fire.” He leans down again and grabs my face again, holding me still as he brushes his lips over mine. This time, I can’t hold the cry back as I struggle to free myself, thoughts of Travis cementing themselves in my mind. When I refuse to give him what he wants, he releases me and jumps to his feet. As soon as I’m free, I roll to my belly and try to scramble away from him but he grabs my ankle and pulls me back across the ground before lifting me to my feet.

“That’s enough of that. Besides, we’ve got to get going if we don’t want to miss our flight.”

My heart jumps into my throat. “Flight? To where?”

“You’ll see,” he answers, flashing me a wide smile. My stomach drops and I struggle against him, pulling a sigh from his lips. “But I promise you’re going to love it, baby.”

“Rowan?” Travis’s panicked voice is my salvation and I look up, opening my mouth to scream to him for help but before I can, something round is shoved between my teeth. My head jerks back and I try to spit it out but Evan chuckles, holding it firmly in place, as he spins me around and secures it with straps behind my head.

A fucking ball gag?

Turning me back to face him, he grins. “Knew that might come in handy.”

“Rowan! Please, baby, where are you?” Travis screams, his voice closer than before and I spin around, my eyes wide and my heart climbing into my throat. Evan wraps his arms around my body, holding me back as I try to get away from him, screaming despite the gag in my mouth.

I won’t give up.

I won’t relent to Evan.

I won’t stop fighting to get to Travis unless I’m dead.

I turn to glare at Evan, hoping he can see that shining in my eyes. He studies me, a smile stretching across his face and I flash him a glare before I drop my head back and scream again.

“Rowan?!” His voice is closer again and a wave of calm washes over me. He’s almost here and he’s going to save me, I just know it.

“Son of a bitch,” Evan hisses, grabbing me around the legs and hoisting me up over his shoulder as I scream again. He takes off running in the opposite direction and the feeling of calm is quickly dashed out. My throat is sore from the smoke and all of the screaming I’ve already done but I keep going, hoping like hell Travis will hear it and be able to find me. The idea of never seeing him again pops into my mind and tears gather in my eyes as I watch as the forest floor races past my vision.

I should have told him I loved him.

Damn the consequences because if I die tonight or Evan manages to get me away from here, that will be my greatest regret.

After what feels like forever, Evan skids to a stop next to a giant oak tree, bigger than the one in the middle of Emma and Nix’s yard, and sets me back on my feet. My knees buckle and he catches me as he clenches his teeth and studies me, his chest heaving. Staring back at him, I see the moment something changes and all of the life drains from his eyes until all I’m left with are the cold, dead eyes of a mad man.

“You know what? I really wanted to keep you for myself… I dreamt of the life we could have had together but this is quickly turning into a no win situation.”

“Then go,” I try to say against the gag but I know it just sounds like gibberish. Evan glances back at the way we came, chewing on his bottom lip, deep in thought, before turning to me with a grin that makes my heart jump into my throat and my stomach churn. I stumble back when he steps toward me but he grabs me, pulling me back into his body.

“Guess I’ll just have to settle for second best, won’t I?”

I have no idea what that means, no idea what to say to him so I just watch him as he bends down and pulls a knife out of his boot. As the blade glints in the moonlight, I scream into the gag and struggle against his hold, desperate to get away from him but it’s no use.

“Shh, Princess,” he coos, gripping the back of my neck with one hand as I struggle against him. “I wish I could say that this will be over quickly but if I can’t have you, if I can’t keep this sweet little pussy for myself, then I want Streak to watch you die. I want him to see the life leave your eyes and know it’s all his fucking fault.”

He sinks the blade into my abdomen, just below my belly button and my eyes widen but I don’t feel a thing except for the punch of the handle hitting my skin and he pulls back before doing it again as I crumple in on myself.

What is happening?

Why can’t I feel it?

“There, there,” he whispers, taking the knife out of my body and tossing it to the ground as he holds me up and pets my hair with his blood-stained hand. He leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek before laying me on my back underneath the tree. “If I can’t have you, then the next best thing is to make sure Travis can’t either.”

Tears pour down my face and I struggle to breathe as pain begins radiating from the wound, white hot, and each second it seems to grow in intensity until I’m certain I’m going to pass out as I stare up at the stars peeking out of the tree branches above me. There is a tug on my wrist and I turn my head to watch Evan as he ties my good hand to the tree, pulling the rope tight so I can’t even move it an inch before he turns back to me and flashes me a sad smile.

“Oh, Rowan, it didn’t have to be like this.”

My brows furrow and more tears fall as I stare up at him, wondering what I ever did to deserve this. He kneels beside me and brushes the hair out of my face, combing his fingers through the long dark strands before he drags the back of his fingers down my cheek.