Gage (THE GOLDEN TEAM #3)

10. Lori

10

Lori

“Do you hear that, Jasper? A car’s coming!” My voice wavered as I grabbed his collar. “Hurry—let’s get to the road!”

My heart pounded as I ran, my breath ragged by the time I reached the roadside. Desperation surged through me as I jumped up and down, frantically waving my arms to flag the vehicle down. Relief turned to terror when I saw who was driving. Them.

I bolted back into the forest, my legs burning as laughter rang out behind me. They were chasing me. Damn it. Why wasn’t I more careful?

“If you don’t stop running, I’ll shoot the damn dog!” one of them bellowed.

I froze, my chest heaving. “Fine! I’ll stop!” I turned to face them, my mind racing. “But I’ll tell you something you didn’t know. While these two were digging my grave, they talked about killing you.”

The leader’s face twisted with suspicion. “What did you say?”

“You heard me.” I kept my voice steady, trying to ignite the chaos I needed. “They said they’d kill you and take me for themselves.”

The tension crackled like a live wire. His eyes narrowed as he swung his gun between the two men. “So, you two want to kill me, huh? Take my woman?” His voice dropped, icy and menacing. “She’s mine. I told you—no one else can have her. Now, should I kill both of you or just one?”

All three of them started shouting, accusations flying. Each man’s gun was aimed at the other, their rage boiling over. Perfect.

I moved carefully, step by step, trying to stay out of sight as they argued. My fingers clenched Jasper’s fur for comfort. Almost there. But then—

The shot came out of nowhere. Searing pain erupted in my back, and I staggered.

“Why did you shoot her?” one of them yelled.

“Because she’s causing too much trouble!” the shooter snarled. “She deserves to die.”

“You idiot,” another hissed. “You don’t shoot unless I say so.”

My vision blurred, and my body trembled as I collapsed to the ground. Jasper whimpered and lay beside me. I forced my breathing to slow, willing them to think I was dead.

“You’ve done it now,” the leader sneered. “I’ll deal with you later. For now, grab her. We’ll bury her somewhere deep.”

Then we all froze. Sirens wailed in the distance.

“Cops!” someone shouted. Tires screeched as their car sped off into the night.

I stayed motionless, listening to the fading chaos. Only when I was sure they were gone did I let out a ragged breath. Pain radiated from my back, sharp and unrelenting.

Jasper licked my face, whining softly. “Good boy,” I murmured, my voice barely audible. “Can you get help?”

My head lolled back, and darkness tugged at the edges of my vision. Then I heard her voice—soft and familiar.

“Momma?” I whispered. “Where are you?”

“I’m right here, sweetheart,” she replied, her tone soothing. “I’ll stay with you until Daddy comes.”

I knew it wasn’t real, but it didn’t matter. Her presence wrapped around me like a warm blanket. I shivered, the cold biting through me, then burned as fever swept in. Time warped. My body felt weightless, drifting through a vast, star-studded sky. Momma was still with me.

Jasper’s frantic barking pulled me back. He nudged my face, his warmth grounding me. Pain surged anew, sharp and unrelenting. My entire body screamed for relief.

If you want to live, crawl.

The thought pierced through the fog. With trembling fingers, I dug into the dirt, dragging myself forward inch by agonizing inch. My nails scraped the ground as I clawed my way up the slope. Gravel bit into my skin as I reached the road.

And then—nothing.