Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
JESSICA
He knows.
He knows. He knows. He knows.
I’m not sure how or why, but he knows I’m gone.
He’s out there, looking for me.
Matthew is out there looking for me.
Aiden’s malicious words squashed that surge of hope just as quickly as it rose.
I’m going to kill him.
There was pure evil staring at me from his eyes, mixing with a maniacal glee as he said it, almost like he was looking forward to doing it. Anticipating it. Craving it.
Over my dead body.
It doesn’t matter what I have to do; I won’t let him hurt Matthew.
That means I have to get out of here.
I bite the inside of my cheek as I rub my wrists harder, trying to get some space so I can slip one of my hands from the duct tape binding them.
“It’s all their fault!” Aiden mutters.
My head snaps up, thinking he’s here and I’ll be caught, but Aiden’s still pacing in the other room, his frantic voice coming through the gap in the door.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen this way! I wanted to do this right. Make Terry see that we’re perfect for each other. This time it was supposed to be different!”
Who the hell is Terry?
I don’t remember him mentioning that name once in all the time I’ve known him.
I listen intently, but his voice is low as he paces from one side of the room to the other.
Holding my breath, I bite the inside of my cheek as I scratch at the tape holding my wrists together.
The whole thing seems to take forever. At this rate, I’ll never get free.
Not that I have a plan on what to do with the handcuff that has my ankle bound to the bed or what to do if I manage to work past that.
No, there is no if.
When.
Because I will get out of here, either by my own means or Matthew will find me.
But I’m getting out of here.
First thing, though, I need to get my hands free.
Step by step.
I grind my teeth together as I feel a burning sensation when I pull some of the hair on my arms along with the tape. Swallowing hard, I refuse to let out a sound. I twist my wrists this way and that.
C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, Jessy.
My skin is raw and aching, but I won’t let that stop me.
Aiden’s been acting paranoid ever since he got that message that revealed the police are looking for him. He looks out the window every few seconds to see if they’re here, but you won’t hear me complain.
Do they know where he is? Are they on their way? Is Matthew coming to find me?
Hope and fear battle inside me. I want him to find me, but I’m also afraid of what Aiden might do to him.
I’m going to kill him.
Fuck that.
I can’t just sit around and wait to be saved.
I have to get out of here.
“Maybe Eva was wrong?” Aiden peeks around the curtain on one of the windows, his jaw set in a tight line.
Eva? How is Eva connected to—
He quickly lets it drop and turns around, his narrowed gaze zeroing in on me. “Why are you wiggling so much?”
Shit.
My heart starts racing faster now that his full attention is back on me, my palms feeling sweaty as I try to come up with some kind of answer.
“I-I… I need to go to the b-bathroom,” I stutter out, praying he doesn’t spot the lie in my voice.
His eyes narrow further as he watches me, and each second that passes intensifies the panic building inside me.
I’m screwed. Completely and utterly screwed. There is no way he buys th—
“Fine.” His nose crinkles in disgust. “I don’t need your urine stinking up this place.”
He walks into the room and leans down. His hand slips into his pocket, a soft click echoing when he unlocks the cuff on my ankle.
Before I know it, he grabs my arm and none too gently pulls me to my feet. The sudden movement leaves me dizzy.
I close my eyes for a moment, trying to brace myself.
“Move,” Aiden hisses. “Before I change my mind.”
He pushes against my back, making me stumble forward. I swallow hard, praying he doesn’t look too closely at my wrists. I can already move my hands better, and I know if I have enough time, I can get free.
“I can’t move faster,” I whisper softly. “D-dizzy.”
I keep my tone low and unthreatening.
I’m not even lying; my legs feel unsteady, my head heavy, but I fight through the grogginess.
I take in the main room the moment we pass the threshold, trying to take in as many details as I can.
It’s old and worn down like the bedroom. A couch that seems to be from the eighties rests against the wall. Remnants of what could have been a coffee table are scattered in front of it, and something that looks like blood stains the pieces.
Bile rises in my throat.
Whose blood is that? Is there somebody else in he—
That’s when it clicks.
The missing woman who turned up dead.
Was he the one behind that too?
The one who killed her?
I suck in a sharp breath through my nose as a shudder of unease runs down my spine.
Once again, I’m shoved between my shoulder blades.
“I said, move. I don’t have the whole day.
I need to make sure the cops aren’t onto us.
Turns out Eva is useful for something after all.
” He glances at me, a smug smile on his lips as he wiggles his brows.
“Show the bitch a little bit of attention, and she’ll give you anything you ask for. ”
I guess that explains why Aiden was suddenly so interested in Eva.
Does she know about him? About this? Does it even matter?
Focus, Jessy. Focus.
This is my chance.
Maybe my only chance.
I can’t mess it up.
There is no kitchen, just a couple of wooden chairs, one burner and a portable mini-fridge. The front door is locked, and the deadbolt in place.
Before I can give it a better look, he directs me to the other door that leads to the small bathroom, and shoves me inside.
“Don’t test me, Terry. I’m all out of patience.”
My tongue darts out, sliding over my dry lips. “You can still make this right, you know. Just let me go, and nobody will ever have to find out what happened. I’ll—”
“You’ll nothing,” he grinds out, grabbing my hair and tugging hard before slamming my head against the tiles.
My head rings from the impact, white dots dancing in front of my eyes.
“Now, either go and take a leak or I’ll leave you so you can do it all over yourself and marinate in it. Your choice.”
“I-I can’t…” I whisper. “With my h-hands…”
A twisted smile curls his lips, and my stomach revolts from the silent promise shining in his dark gaze, or maybe it’s the concussion showing its ugly face after having my head slammed so many times. The jury is still out.
“If you wanted to get me to take off your clothes, all you had to do was ask.” His hand slides down my torso, grabbing my breast and squeezing it violently before he moves lower.
He bends down so he can reach the hem of my dress that hits just above my knee.
“Hell, maybe I should take it all off and leave you naked.” His gaze lowers, the material slowly starting to rise. “Easier acces—”
I lift my leg up as fast and as hard as I can, my knee connecting with his nose. The loud crunching sound has my stomach revolting. Aiden screams loudly, his hands going to his face as he sways on the balls of his feet.
I use this to my advantage, and stomp on his foot with everything I have in me. He falls back, losing his balance.
You run back to me.
Matthew’s words ring in my head, as clear as they were that day he said them to me for the first time.
So that’s what I do.
I run.
My heart is galloping, breathing ragged. My vision is blurry, and the dizziness makes me sway. I twist my wrists as I run for the door, trying to get my hands free.
I stumble, my body crashing into the hardwood.
I can hear a commotion in the bathroom, but I don’t dare turn around.
Don’t slow down.
Don’t look back.
Don’t stop.
My wrists are still bound, piercing pain spreading through my arms from how hard I’m trying to get them free. The mix of pain and nausea is getting to me.
Run, Trouble.
I force myself to straighten. My hands are still bound, so I use my mouth to open the deadbolt and then I turn around, grabbing for the handle and praying it turns.
Just then, Aiden crawls out of the bathroom, his face bloody and a murderous look in his eyes.
“You’re going to pay for this!” he yells.
The handle gives, and I fall out the door, crashing to the ground. Blinding pain shoots through my wrist and into my arm, making me cry out. Yelping, I tug hard, the tape finally giving way. I lift my arms, cradling my right wrist to my chest.
Out.
I need to get out.
My muscles feel heavy, but I force myself to get to my feet and turn around.
The vastness of the woods surrounding me makes me want to cry.
You’ve come this far; you’re not going to give up now.
I put a leg in front of me and then the other.
It doesn’t matter where I go.
I just need to get out of here.
You run back to me.
The commotion behind me has me moving faster, slipping between the trees. I don’t know how much time has passed since we got here. It could be hours or days. Night has fallen, giving the space an eerie look.
“You can try to run, but I’m going to find you!” Aiden calls from behind me, his voice echoing in the night.
A branch cracks somewhere, making me jump. I look left and right, bracing for the impact, but there is nothing except my erratic breathing.
I slow down my steps, the need to not get discovered winning over running as fast as I can.
“C’mon, c’mon. Get out, it’s time to play,” he taunts.
Bracing against the tree, I walk away from the sound. For a second, I think I see a flash of light. I blink, then narrow my eyes, but it’s gone. Maybe I imagined it.
I take a step to the right, and a loud crack echoes from somewhere close by.
Fuck.
I look up, my eyes finding a dark shape in front of me.
It takes me a moment for recognition to set in.
Matthew.
Then arms wrap around me, and I’m pulled back against a strong chest.