Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
KAYLA
“ U gh, this rain,” I mutter, pressing my forehead against the cold bus window. The world outside is just a wash of gray, kinda like my mood. Nexus is looming ahead, this big, scary question mark. But hey, anything’s gotta be better than the personal hell I’m leaving, right?
We picked up Casey, then Jess, and finally Danica. I should be happy my friends are with me for this craziness, but I’m not so sure Nexus is the answer to all our prayers.
Jess is next to me, muttering a string of curses every time the bus takes a wild swerve. Her fingers are white-knuckling the seat, like she’s trying to hold the whole bus together. Danica’s across the aisle, flashing me a smile that’s more like a grimace. Poor thing. She’s gotta be freaked about the rain and everything with her dad dying in that car accident with her. And there’s Casey, staring out her window into nothingness, probably wishing she could teleport herself anywhere but here.
None of us are exactly jazzed about heading to Nexus. “Protected,” they say. More like caged, if you ask me. But hey, rules are rules. Once you pop as an Omega, it’s straight to the Omega pen for you. Yay for genetics.
Another crazy turn and my heart’s doing a bungee jump without a rope. I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the jitters.
This is my ticket away from Gary. And even though Nexus might pair me up with some Alpha brute, there’s no way he’s going to be worse than step-fucking-dad.
Part of me is secretly praying for a Beta miracle. Like, surprise, the tests were wrong! But who am I kidding? Omega is stamped in my DNA. No take-backsies on that one.
A flash of lightning splits the sky, followed by a growl of thunder. Maybe Nexus will be different. Maybe Mr. Alpha Match will be Mr. Right, not Mr. Right Hook.
It’s a thin thread of hope, but I’m clinging to it. Because the alternative—stuck in Gary’s twisted world—is a level of horror I can’t even. So, Nexus, bring it on. It’s gotta be a step up from the nightmare I’ve lived.
Why do the roads on this mountain have to be so windy? It’s like they were made by a drunk. All around us is a blur of steep slopes and jagged cliffs that the downpour isn’t helping. The bus hugs another death-defying curve. The rain’s relentless, but so am I.
Jess’s hand in mine is like an anchor, keeping me grounded. We’re all in this Nexus adventure together, and somehow, that makes it a little less terrifying. Together, we’ll face whatever’s waiting behind those walls. We have to.
Out of nowhere, something smashes hard into the rear of the bus. I’m thrown forward, my hands slamming into the seat in front of me just in time to save my face from a leather kiss. Jess crashes sideways into me, an “oomph” escaping her as we sandwich together. I glance across the aisle, and there’s Danica and Casey, looking like they’ve just been through a blender, eyes wide and freaked.
“What the hell was that?” Jess gasps.
Like I have any clue. Before I can even shrug, the bus takes a wild dive downhill, fishtailing as if it’s on ice. My heart’s doing acrobatics in my chest. We’re trapped in our seats, just trying to hang on as the world outside blurs past.
We’re tipping, and everything’s tilting.
Danica’s scream slices through the chaos, echoing my own panic. “We’re going to crash!”
Jess’ grip on my hand is like a vise, and I’m glued to the horror show unfolding around us.
The bus careens around a curve, and we lose it.
“Hold on!” I yell as the bus swerves. Jess’ nails are practically drawing blood on my arm, but who cares?
We’re trapped in a nightmare on wheels, the bus revving up as if challenging its limits. “Yeah, let’s break the speed barrier,” it seems to taunt, while my heart is trying to punch its way out of my chest.
Casey catches my eye, and man, the terror there is like looking in a mirror.
“Watch out!” I scream as the bus slams sideways into a tree, throwing us from our seats into the aisle. I hit the floor hard, pain exploding in my arm. The impact shakes me to the core, a brutal crunch that feels like it’s echoing inside my bones. Jess is right next to me, her scream piercing the chaos.
We’re tossed around violently. Each jolt and jerk of the bus sends shock waves through my body. I catch a glimpse of Casey’s ghost-pale face.
Peering at the front, I find the driver’s seat is empty, and the windshield busted open. Did he get thrown out? The bus, like some kind of driverless monster, jerks back onto the road, screeching down the hill. We’re hanging off the mountain like some disaster movie cliffhanger. My breath hitches.
“We need to grab the wheel!” I yell, panic edging my words. “We gotta control this thing!” But it’s like we’re all frozen, trapped in our own bubbles of fear. We’re squeezed between the seats, just trying to hang on as the bus hurtles forward, totally out of control.
Rain’s pouring in, hitting my face like a bunch of icy needles. Up ahead, the road takes a wicked turn. We’re moving way too fast. There’s no way we can make that curve.
Every muscle in my body is tense, ready for the worst. My mind’s screaming, “This is it. We’re done for.” We’re about to fly off the edge, and there’s nothing we can do.
My heart’s pounding so loud, it’s all I can hear over the roar of the storm and the scream of the bus tires.
We’re skirting way too close to the edge, I’m sure of it. I can’t see the drop-off from where I’m lying in the aisle, but the tilt of the bus, the horrified expressions on my friends’ faces, and the sheer force of gravity that pulls us sideways tells me all I need to know. I swear I can taste my last meal coming up.
This is it….we’re going over.
I risk a panicked glance toward the back of the bus. The two enforcers who were supposed to protect us are shoving open the emergency exit window, desperate to save themselves. One disappears through the opening, abandoning us, the second following him.
They’re gone. Those bastards left us here to die.
Fury briefly pierces through my terror. They were supposed to protect us, get us safely to Nexus. Instead, they’ve abandoned us to this nightmare.
“Shit,” I gasp, breathless as the bus scrapes against the tree. The sound is piercing. The bus scrapes against the tree on the side, and we’re thrown forward even more, skidding like crazy down the hill. It feels like we’re flying, but it’s the bus careening back onto the sloping road. The steering wheel swings wildly. We slam into something—hard. The impact sends a shockwave through the bus, and I’m thrown back, my head slamming against the window. Pain explodes in my skull in a white-hot burst. Everything is spinning, and I feel sick.
Finally, with a bone-jarring crash, the world grinds to a halt as the bus slides onto its side, and we stop. I force my eyes open, my heart sinking. The scene’s like something out of a nightmare—glass everywhere, seats torn apart. I can’t even process it, my mind reeling. What the hell just happened?
Escape is our only hope now, but with the enforcers vanishing, it’s up to us alone to find a way out of this death trap.
“Oh crap, oh crap!” I gasp as the front of the bus is a mini-inferno. Flames crackle to life like some kind of evil fireworks, and the smoke, it’s everywhere, thick and choking.
Danica’s shouting something about the back exit, but a quick look tells me that’s a no-go. Flames are doing a merry dance around the rear tires, turning the emergency exit into a fiery death trap. Great, just great.
The heat’s insane, pressing against my skin like I’m too close to a bonfire. Breathing’s getting harder by the second, each breath a fight against the smoke clogging my lungs. No way out the back. So what now?
“The bus is gonna blow!” I yell, my voice sounding hysterical. Yeah, no kidding, Kayla. I scramble up, panic giving me a jolt of energy. We need to move and fast.
Jess is right there, helping Casey up. She’s looking pretty out of it, but we don’t have time to be gentle. With the bus on its side and the rear exit being chewed by flames, we’ve got to find another way out. And the front window is a no-go, with flames crackling along the hood and black smoke oozing out from the crumpled metal.
My gaze locks on the emergency escape latch on the roof of the bus, our best option. With the whole vehicle lying on its side, the latch is easier to reach. I lunge at it, fingers scrambling for a grip, but it doesn’t budge.
“Come on, come on.” The cold metal under my fingertips is slippery and unyielding. Smoke wafting through the bus makes my eyes sting. “Open the fuck up,” I grunt, yanking at the latch. I grit my teeth, straining every muscle, and with a final yank, the latch groans. I push open the small plastic covering.
Yes, it’s open.
“Hurry.” I help Jess out, then Casey. Danica waves me on, and I squeeze out next, wiggling to get free. We’re all out, lunging for the ground and spilling onto the road. Up on our feet, we start rushing away.
Then the boom of an explosion pitches us forward savagely.
I’m thrown off my feet, launching me off the road like I weigh nothing. I crash into the dirt and roll to a stop, every inch of me aching. The rain stings my skin, a thousand icy pinpricks, as I watch the bus burn.
Ringing fills my ears, and I lift my head. The bus is a nightmare scene—black smoke and angry flames eating it up. And the smell… it’s sticking inside my throat, and my stomach’s churning.
I can’t tell if we’re all out as I’ve lost sight of my friends. Are they okay? Panic claws at me, but I stumble to my feet, barely registering the pain from the crash.
“Casey! Kayla! Jess,” Danica’s shout slices through the storm. I can’t see her through the storm and smoke, but she’s alive.
“Over here!” I shout, waving my arms so wildly, I might as well be flagging down a helicopter, except if I can’t see her yet, she can’t see me. My heart’s pounding so hard, I’m afraid it might burst out of my chest.
I squint through the rain, which is coming down so hard, it’s like standing under a waterfall. Jess and Casey call back, and their answers are like lifelines in this storm. A wave of relief washes over me, but it’s short-lived.
“Jess, watch out,” Danica yells, then there’s a pop sound, followed by a click-click-click.
Through The thick smoke, I see someone on the floor and one of the large enforcers standing over her. Fuck!
Taking a step forward, movement from my right stops me. The second enforcer marches toward me from my right with a taser in his hand. My gut clenches.
“You’re not going anywhere.” His gaze darts to the black truck. “Each of you is the property of Nexus.” He turns that sick grin on me.
It’s like looking into a twisted mirror of my stepdad’s face. I freeze for a split second, then reality slams into me. He’s going to freaking tase me. All of my instincts jerk into full-on terror mode.
“Run,” I scream, and then my feet obey. “Casey,” I get out because she sounded the closest to me. “Get away. Run into the woods.”
I’m dodging debris and wreckage, feeling like I’m trapped in some sick obstacle course as I dart around the back of the bus with the enforcer a breath away. That black pickup truck is there, ominous and silent, but I don’t stop. Can’t afford to.
The rain’s relentless, blurring my vision as I push through the trees. Branches slap at my face and arms, leaving stinging marks, but I hardly notice. My only thought, “Keep moving.” Good thing I was in cross-country track for school and that I didn’t pick softball. That would not help me right now unless I had a baseball bat.
My vision swims, but I have to keep going.
Behind me, the enforcer’s footsteps pound the ground. Fear propels me forward, even as my legs scream in protest. I run for what feels like an hour. My side burns, but I can’t stop. Can’t let him catch me, not after— My breath hitches. There has to be somewhere I can hide. Somewhere I can wait until it’s safe.
Glancing over my shoulder, I don’t see the enforcer and my steps slow. Maybe he gave up. I keep walking at a clipped pace anyway, the trees and forest around me thinning out. Soon, I spot an old, abandoned house, its windows like dead eyes. I make a break for it, but the door’s stubbornly locked. “Of course,” I think bitterly.
I peek into the windows that are boarded up and covered with dust and cobwebs. Still, I could break in, get out of the rain, and wait out the storm. I backtrack, picking up a thick stick from the grass and returning to the cabin. Then I cringe and whack the window as hard as I can, but the glass doesn’t break. I try again and again. Shit! Is this reinforced glass or something?
Suddenly, rough hands are in my hair, yanking me back. I spin around, face-to-face with the enforcer. “Thought you could get away, huh?” His grin sends shivers down my spine. “A pretty little Omega like you is worth a lot.”
Rage explodes inside me. I lift the branch to hit him with it, but he blocks my attack, ripping the branch from my grasp.
“Stupid bitch,” he says, pushing his body closer to mine, the cabin’s door against my back.
I claw at his face, my nails finding his skin. He’s taken aback but doesn’t let go, his grip iron-like as he starts dragging me back.
“Let me go!” I scream, thrashing, but he’s like a wall, and I’m pinned beneath him. Bile burns the back of my throat. I can’t do this. I can’t. I choke out a sob and shove against him with everything I have, but I’m no match for him. With my head pounding, I can’t do much of anything to fight him off.
“Love it when your kind fights.” He laughs. “It’s such a turn-on. Do it again.”
I spit in his face, and his hand comes out of nowhere, striking against my cheek, and I sob out a cry.
“That’ll teach you.” His breath smells of beer, and something foul fans across my face.
All those nights I had to fight off Gary rush back with bile in the back of my throat. I scream, kicking and punching. There’s no way I’m going to give in—not to Gary, not to this creep. Never.
I’m screaming so loud my throat is raw, but I don’t stop. My knee hits his balls, and he doubles over. I leap away from him, my heart hammering, but there’s no time at all before he tackles me. I fall into the mud, him on my back. I scream out a cry, twisting and clawing at the mud to get out from under him.
Suddenly, he collapses. Relief and confusion wash over me in equal measure. I scramble to my feet, gasping, then I see a shadowy figure standing over his body.
“Stay back!” I warn, my voice raw with fear and defiance. I’m not about to let my guard down, not now, not after everything.