Chapter 19
Lily
D o or die, that was the motto of the moment.
"Hand over Lily Thornbread and we'll go easier on you!" A voice bounced through the trees like it was being filtered out of heaven itself. "Do not do anything stupid."
Wait, they were here for me? I'd been rescued. Tears started streaming down my face and I fell to my knees, shaking. Not so fast... I was grabbed by my hair and pulled to my feet. I wailed in pain.
"Shut the fuck up if you want to live!" He snarled into my ear.
"You're never going to get away with this." I sobbed as he dragged me along.
"I said, shut the fuck up!" He bit. His eyes were wide as he dodged the floodlights dancing all around us.
"You're surrounded. You have a better chance if you let me go and run away. All they care about is getting me back alive, please." I negotiated.
"I'm not going anywhere without you!" He searched for direction.
"Why?!" I pulled back against his tight grip on my scalp. "They'll kill you if you don't let me go. Or you'll go straight to prison."
"I ain't going to no prison." He scoffed before turning around to look me in the eyes. "And right before they kill me, I'll kill you first." He warned. "So if you want to fucking live, you'll hurry the fuck up!"
"This is so fucking stupid! Why are you doing this? If you let me go, you can escape and continue your life. If you take me with you, what then? I hope you don't think that'll get you your 'hundred million dollars'?" I mocked, using air quotes and rolling my eyes. "You've already lost. You might as well kill me now."
"You know, that's not a bad fucking idea." He growled.
"It is if you consider that it'll only mean hell for you, after." I tried to convince him.
"I ain't got nothing to live for anyway. Go big or go home, I say." He pulled me closer to him.
It was fucking now or never. This man valued nothing, not even his own life. Nothing I said would convince him to even save himself.
But freedom was so fucking close.
Continuing to go along with him with my knees knocking together like clackers could mean the difference of not being reunited with my men again and risking my life to save myself.
I didn't have the opportunity before, because he was always in control. Now, there was fucking hope. These people were here for me, and I'd be damned if I wasted this opportunity.
With all the strength I had left in me, I pushed my body into him and sent him stumbling backwards. He released my hair to catch himself. His gun went off. I stumbled but managed not to fall. And I just started fucking running.
"Ay, get back here!" He faltered before he began to chase me. My eyes were focused on the lights and I almost saw THE light when a bullet whizzed past my head, so close, I felt the wind of it bite into my cheek.
I forced my legs to move faster as I ducked, weaving and bobbing, hiding behind the trees that took the bullets for me.
"Help!" I screamed. "I'm over here!"
"Go, go!" I heard someone in the forest say. Footsteps hurried up ahead of me and I could tell they were coming toward me. But behind me, my kidnapper's footsteps were closer.
I was crying and panting.
My adrenaline was running low since I hadn't eaten much in hours.
Another bullet burst into the leaves next to my feet.
Then I heard a hiss, a fuck, and his departing feet.
I didn't stop running until I met up with my rescuers, and dove straight into their arms.
"It's okay, miss." Big arms that reminded me of my men, wrapped around my trembling body and increased my longing for them. "You're safe."
Someone needed to give my head and heart the message, because they were still running.