There’s no point in hiding, I know he’ll find us either way. So I step forward, but make sure to keep Anastasia behind me.
“Brother,” his voice comes through my helmet as he spots me, probably in Anastasia’s too as I feel her body stiffen behind me. It’s not supposed to work that way. He'snot supposed to be able to speak through our helmets,but it doesn’t surprise me he managed to hack the system one way or another.
“Matheo?” Anastasia says, making me bite my tongue.Punishment.
“Anastasia?”
“Matheo!”she lets out on a bright tone I hate hearing. Then she almost runs toward him, but I grab her right in time.
Matheo doesn’t speak further, he doesn’t move. Because he doesn’t care about the woman struggling in my arms, he cares about me and the need to see me suffer. That’s the way he has always been.
“Matheo?” Anastasia’s voice breaks slightly, like she’s waiting for him to react, waiting for him to try and save her.
A smirk forms on my lips as she now learns the lesson the hard way, even though I told her just a few hours ago what kind of person he truly is.
I know him better than anyone else, so I know he won’t hurt her. He wants to hurt me, but he won’t harm her.
Now she’ll learn the hard way. So I let go of her. And then, I let herrun.
Chapter 13
Anastasia
I run the second he loosens his grip around my waist. I run like I never have before. Each step brings me closer to Matheo, each step brings me closer to tears. I knew he would come,I knew it!
“Matheo!” The screams leave me as I fall to my knees before him, my body giving up after holding together for so long.
But the man before me doesn’t react, he glances down at me, only to shift his focus back to his brother. Confusion washes over me then. Hasn’t he come to save me?
“Matheo?”
He doesn’t answer me. Instead, he takes a big step over me and slowly walks towards his brother.
“Go inside the house, Anastasia.” It’s Brian who talks.
“No, I’m going home with Matheo!” I cry out as my heart breaks, not understanding what’s happening.
“Go. Inside.”
But I don’t listen. I trust Matheo. He’s been by my side for the past six years, he has doneeverythingfor me. I remove the helmet from my head and scream his name again, hoping he’ll turn around so we can go home. And hedoesturn around, but with a gun pointed at me. Then, he removes his helmet too.
“Matheo?”
“Do you ever shut your mouth? I’m so tired of your needy little voice.”
“What?” I say as more tears build in my eyes.
“Not so fun when I’m the one holding the gun, huh?” His voice sounds evil. “Did Brian not tell you, Anastasia?”
My eyes dartbetween them, one watching me with anger and impatience, the other with hurt and sadness. What have I done?What have I done?
I lose all sense of breathing as my hand lands on my heaving chest, and the world around me seems to start spinning. Panicmoves through me at lighting speed, and before I get the chance to control myself, Matheo shoots.
I freeze in place as the bullet flies through the air and goes into the wall beside me, then a deep scream echoes through the forest. And it takes a few seconds before I realize that the scream belongs to me.
“Did he not tell you what kind of monster I truly am?” He comes closer to me, but my vision is blurry. He points the gun towards me again, and I run, my legs moving quickly as deep screams leave my lungs.
I reach for the door handle but for a split second I forget how to open the goddamn door.
