Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Anxiety kicks in, adrenaline pumps through my veins. My head is spinning, how could this happen? An hour ago everything was fine and dandy. But now, I've gotten Tom killed. He is gone, another person dying on me, and this time, it’s all my fault.
The back door opens, and I slide as far as the seat will allow, my back hitting the door. Tobias gets in next to me, and Theo jumps into the driver’s seat and tears out of the car garage. The car peels out as it pulls onto the main drag.
Tobias reaches for me, and I kick him in the shoulder.
He grunts and grabs my legs, pinning them to the seat.
“You killed him, you fucking killed him. Get away from me. You fucking monster,” I scream.
The car screeches to a halt, Theo slams on the brakes, and I’m thrown into the floorboard.
I try to pull myself out of the gap when Tobias grabs the front of my blouse and tosses me back onto the seat.
I peek out the window, and we are in heavy traffic.
He tries to clip my belt in, but I see his hands reaching for me at the last second and scratch his face, trying to get away from him.
“Fucking stop, Imogen,” he snarls gripping my arms in a bruising grip.
He pins me on my back on the seat and leans over me.
His canines slip out and I scream. My logic is that someone will hear me since we are stopped in traffic; I just have to be loud enough.
His hand pushes down over my mouth so I bite him hard enough to draw blood.
He rips his hand away, and I can see it bleeding, and for a second, with the way he raises his hand, I think he is going to slap me.
He drops his hand to the center of my chest at the last second, forcing me to remain on my back.
I kick my feet and swing my hands, hitting and kicking him as I try to fight this monster off.
But I may as well be a small child flailing about for all the damage it does him.
“Do something, Theo. I am about to fucking lose it!” Tobias's voice is a throaty growl. He isn’t lying when he says he is losing control.
Fur sprouts on his arms, his claws extend, digging into my arms where he holds them when he tries to stop me from punching him.
His sharp teeth come dangerously close to my face when Theo grips his shoulder and Tobias snarls, jerking his head toward him.
“Swap places with me,” Theo said calmly, while shoving the car in park and letting go of the wheel.
Theo jumps into the back. Tobias climbs over into his spot in the front seat.
Cars honk behind us because traffic is moving and the car has stopped.
I try to sit up during their transfer and reach for the door handle.
Theo’s hand shoves it back down before he grips my chin in his hands.
He leans in, trying to calm me with the fog, but I lash out and slap him across the face and kick him back with my feet.
Theo is a monster now, I don't want him anywhere around me.
Theo snarls before pouncing on me, pinning me with all his weight, his face barely an inch off mine.
Will he do what he managed to stop Tobias from doing?
“Stop fighting.” he growls through gritted teeth.
His warning is clear but I give zero fucks. I’m as good as dead no matter which way this went, no matter all the sweet lies they fed me, one thing is painfully clear and that is they plan on killing me.
“You killed him. I fucking hate you,” I hisses every word, hoping it hurts them as much as I’m hurting. I want them to be in agony.
His eyes blaze red burning brightly. “He isn’t dead yet, now stop or I will make you watch when I kill him.
” His voice is cold as ice and a shiver runs up my spine.
My heart rate picks up as panic sets in again and I tremble.
Hot tears form in my eyes and run down my cheeks.
Theo’s eyes soften before he loosens his grip but not by much.
The fog washes over me, every muscle in my body forced to relax beneath the weight of his compulsion.
I don’t fight it. I relax, allowing the fog to calm me.
I just want it to take my thoughts away.
Tobias continues driving, and when we hit the dirt road, I know we are out of the city.
Theo allows me to sit up and I scoot over, pressing myself against the door to stay as far away from him as possible.
When I see the bend up ahead that leads onto the side road before our turn off, I grip the door handle and wait for the car to slow down for the turn.
Just as the car slow, I throw the door open and launch myself out.
Theo screams, and he tries to grab me. He wasn’t expecting me to throw myself out and he is too slow to catch on to stop me.
They always make it look so easy in movies.
A simple tuck and roll and you'd miraculously be a little ball whizzing away to safety.
That is far from the truth. I fall out of the car face first, but I do roll, kind of.
I roll through the dirt and gravel, the rocks and pavement skinning me like a potato.
The air flees my lungs on impact with the ground, and try as I might, I can't suck in another breath.
I wheeze a pathetic gasp of air that burns my throat.
But it is sweet air. My wrist has snapped, I'd heard the crunch when I first fell, but it isn't until I’m grateful for breathing that the pain hits me like a freight train.
The car screeches to a stop, dirt and dust flying everywhere.
Using my good hand, I pull myself up on my haunches, I can't balance on my hands and knees after whatever I'd done to fuck up my wrist. Everything hurts, and I cry with the smallest movement on my wrist. My lungs burn as I cough and hack the dirty air, but at least I’m alive. For now.
A car door opens and gravel crunched under their feet, adrenaline shoots through me and I manage to stand, stumbling forward before I find my feet.
I take off running straight for the tree line, only I don’t make it far.
Pain makes me collapse onto my back. I want to keep going, but there is nothing left in me to keep me pushing forward.
The gravel crunches again, right next to my head, and a pair of feet appear by my head.
My good hand reaches out and clutches onto his pants leg and I try to pull myself up.
What a stupid idea this had been. Never believe movies again.
Fear makes me do some stupid shit sometimes, but this definitely takes the cake.
I should understand by now that I can’t outrun them.
I’m now paying dearly for that stupid decision, and knowing Tobias, I'll pay more yet.
He won't care how battered and broken I am.
Tobias leans down and picks me up from under my arms and places me on his hip like I’m a child and not a grown ass woman.
“That was the most idiotic thing I have ever seen you do,” his hand pinching my cheeks as he gives me a scolding look.
He clicks his tongue and his eyes turn sinister before he lets my face go.
My head falls heavily on his shoulder. My entire body aches, my face feels like it has gravel rash on it and my skin burns and stings.
Tobias places his hands under my ass to support and hold my legs around him before stomping through the tall grass back to the car.
He places me on the passenger seat before buckling in my seat belt and clicking the child-lock on the door. When he climbs in, he locks the rest of the doors before taking off again. I groan in pain with every shake from the vehicle.
“Why would you do that? You could have died, Imogen,” Theo snaps at me.
My whole body trembles in shock and I can't answer.
My tongue is thick in my mouth. Five minutes later, we pull up out front of the house and Tobias unlocks the doors.
Theo gets out slamming the door so hard the windows shake and I flinch.
He stalks around to the trunk. My heart beats faster, what are they going to do?
I remember Tom is still in there. Now that we have stopped, I can hear him banging around, very much still alive.
My hands tremble and I unplugged my seat belt and shove the door open with my sole good hand, I force my legs out of the car.
I use the door to help me stand, my legs felt like play dough and are barely supporting my weight.
I lean on the car for support and stride to the back when Tobias grabs me around the waist. Theo hauls Tom out of the trunk, and I have a perfect view.
Oh, God, no. Theo takes him by the front of his shirt, and I scream, trying to get out of Tobias’s grip.
Theo tosses him on the ground and Tom lands on his back.
My body thrashes in Tobias’s arms and I twist and bite his bicep, his grip loosens immediately, and I run to Tom, throwing my body over his to shield him.
“It’s ok, Imogen, I’m fine,” Tom says under me.
I don’t know if he is trying to reassure himself or me, maybe both.
Tobias takes me around the waist once more and yanks me off him.
My fingers hold onto his clothes refusing to let go and I ignore the pain in my wrist that screams for me to let go.
I’m doing more damage to it, but I don't care. I won't let them have Tom.
“Don’t hurt him, please.” I beg. Hot tears stream down my face.
Theo growls before he pries my fingers off Tom’s shirt.
I flail and kick when Tobias reels me back and pulls me against his chest. I only kick harder, my foot connecting with Theo's face just as Tobias pulls me away.
But it has little effect on him and only angers him more.