Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
It takes me the better half of the day to get out of the contraption Zay left me in, and by the time I get back to the townhouse, Landon is gone. With a deep sigh, I head into the kitchen and grab a banana before heading into the living room and turning on the television.
A rotting day sounds great after the hell of the past two days.
A yawn tears from my mouth as I lie on the sofa, grabbing one of my fuzzy blankets and pulling it to my chin. It’s a gloomy day in Moriton, as usual, and if I don’t sit up, I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep before too… too…
My eyes close, and when they reopen, the sun has set. I jerk up in alarm, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I look at the clock blinking on the oven. 11:15.
Did I really fall asleep for that long?
I stand from the couch and pad over to the bedroom, peeking inside and frowning when I notice Landon still isn’t home. With a huff, I head back to the living room and grab my phone from the coffee table, my scowl intensifying when I notice a single message from Landon.
I went to the woods.
I go to type out a message and pause, my mind reeling. What the hell does he mean he went to the woods? Landon hates the outdoors more than an asthmatic, which can only mean…
Oh, God. Zay has Landon.
I’m not sure how, but I don’t have time to figure it out. I don’t even put on shoes before I’m sprinting out the door, my legs taking me in the direction of the Moriton Forest hiking trail. What if he’s dead already? What if I’m too late?
Why the fuck do I care so much?
The last thought almost causes me to pause, but I push forward, shoving it from my mind. Sure, Landon and I haven’t been very close lately, but I’ve still spent a considerable amount of my life with him. He knows me—at least, I think he does—the hazelnut situation did put some doubts in my mind. And he never did notice the cuts on my neck…
But despite anything I may feel, I can’t in good conscience leave a person out in the woods with a masked madman. I’m not that terrible of a person.
I race down the familiar path of the hiking trail, numb to the sharp rocks and sticks that cut my feet as I race into the mouth of the forest. The minutes feel like hours, but I finally come across a human-shaped form off the side of the path, seemingly bound by a piece of thick brown rope.
My heart stalls as I rush over, taking in the horrible welts along his exposed limbs, at the raw flesh on his wrists and ankles from the rope. For a few terrible moments, I’m sure he’s dead. But then, he raises his head, and I nearly fall over in relief.
“Landon!” I cry, crouching and starting to unto the heavy knots holding his joints together. “Oh God, I’m so sorry this happened. I never thought?—”
I stop, a sob working its way up my throat. I did know something like this could happen, and yet, I still let it. I’m horrible. Truly horrible.
“Just get me the fuck out of here!” Landon snaps, struggling uselessly against the restraints. “That fucking psycho could come back any moment!”
“Landon, I?—”
“Can you talk and work? Because if not, kindly shut up.”
His words sting, but I brush it off, attributing it to him being shaken by the situation. “Don’t worry,” I say, tugging at the second of many knots. “I’ll get you out of here.”
As I work, Landon recounts the story of what happened to him. He had gone for coffee and breakfast with the girl he met at the Neon Flamingo when I had stormed off to go jogging. He had gone to the bathroom at the coffee shop, and when he was washing his hands, felt a stabbing pain in his neck.
“I can’t remember anything after that,” he grumbles, wincing heavily as my fingernail accidentally nicks his skin. “Be careful! Anyways, the next thing I know, I’m hog-tied in a damn forest, my allergies flaring and my fucking phone missing.” He turns his eyes to me, a scowl on his handsome face. “Why the fuck did it take you so long to look for me?”
My face pales. “I… I took a nap.”
His eyes narrow. “And how would you know to look in the forest for me?”
I focus on untying the last of the knots, my tongue heavy in my mouth. What do I tell him? That I’ve been playing a dangerous game with a dangerous man, and now he’s the victim of my actions? “I just… had a gut feeling.”
The last of the ropes fall loose, and Landon sits up with a relieved sigh. Clearly forgetting our conversation, he gazes around at the shadowy forest, rubbing his wrists with trepidation written all across his face. “We should go… who knows when he’ll be back?”
I hold out my hand to help him up, and Landon shrugs it off, wobbling to a standing position. He grabs a tree trunk for support and I roll my eyes, taking off down the hiking trail toward civilization. I hold my head high, determined to show Landon his attitude has no effect on me. I’m so focused on this task, that I don’t notice the large rock protruding from the trail.
And that’s when I roll my ankle.
I curse my stupidity as I fall to my ass, clutching my lower leg as hard as I do my lip between my teeth to stop the cry of pain that wants to tear free. Fuck. This is not good.
A few moments later, Landon appears on the path, looking far less woozy than he was before. He rolls his eyes when he notices me on the ground, the cruel action accompanied by a deep sigh of irritation.
“Really, Lottie? What have you done now?”
I frown, fighting the tears in my eyes as I attempt to put weight on my right side. And that’s a no. I want to scream, though I know that will do nothing to help my predicament. So instead, I turn my eyes to Landon, my gaze a plea for help.
Of course, it’s at that moment the bushes start rustling.
Landon’s eyes widen for a moment before turning in the direction of the noise, his shoulders visibly shaking.
“What the fuck was that?” he asks, though he doesn’t look at me. “Do you think that was him?”
“I don’t know. Please come and help me, Landon. I just need help up—I think I can walk on my own.”
He shakes his head, still not looking at me. “I should… I should go get someone to help you. It’ll be faster if I go.”
The unmistakable crunch of footsteps rings out in the brush, causing a fist to clench around my heart. “Landon… don’t you dare leave me here…”
He finally turns to me, his eyes wild with fright. “I… it’ll be faster if I go get someone, Lottie. I have to—I need to go.” He takes a step backward. Another, and another. And then he turns and runs.
“Landon!” I scream. “Landon! Don’t leave me here!”
Just before his form disappears into the shadows, someone steps out of the trees, bringing a fist straight into Landon’s face. The force of the hit combined with the speed he was running sends Landon flying backward in the air a few feet before he slams to the ground, unconscious.
A gloved hand reaches down, fisting Landon’s golden hair and using it to drag Landon’s body back to me. He tosses his body next to me on the trail, and I fight a scream at the sight of the blood gushing from his temple.
“Your fiancé is a fucking pussy.”
I raise my gaze, my stomach clenching as my eyes find that horrifying red mask. Only, it’s not terror that has my blood heating. It’s desire.
Zay reaches forward, capturing my chin in his hand and leaning in close. He holds his wrist up, seemingly checking the time on his watch before a dark laugh fills the space.
“It’s 12:01, little rose.”
Before I have a chance to respond, there’s a sharp prick in the side of my neck, and everything goes dark.