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This may be my only shot and that knowledge pushes me faster.
As I run, I give myself a short minute to grieve for the four new relationships that I allowed to overwhelm my heart with happiness. Things will never be the same. How could they?
I let them into my life, I foolishly trusted them, and they betrayed me in the worst possible way.
I’ll never forgive them for this.
Realizing that the more I think about them and their stupidly beautiful faces, my pace begins to slow. I shake it off, and as I hear the branches and bushes crunching in the distance behind me, I push myself to my absolute limits.
“You can’t outrun me.” Carver’s voice comes tearing through the woods, and with every single word he throws my way, my determination only grows. I’ve allowed the guys to rule over me these past few months, but not anymore.
The old Winter is back and I won't be backing down. From here on out, Elodie Ravenwood ceases to exist, just as it was always meant to be. From here on out, I own my shit, and I have four targets standing in my way.
I push myself faster for everything that’s right in the world, for my parents and for all the innocent victims of Dynasty.
I will be making it out of this alive, and when I do, I’m going to thrive, the boys be damned.
Five minutes turn into ten, and with every step I take, I hear Carver in the distance, quickly closing in on me. But all too soon, I break out into a small clearing with a beautiful log cabin that sits high at the top of a small hill, overlooking the wide expanse of woods around it.
It’s fucking perfect.
That slight glimmer of hope that resides deep inside my gut begins to burn just a little bit brighter as I race toward it, hoping to whoever lives above that I can disappear before Carver breaks out of the woods. It’s a slim chance, but I have to try.
I give it everything I’ve got. My legs burn from the run, but I’m not at the end yet. I can’t give up. I won’t. My life depends on it.
“WINTER.”
Fuck.
I look back over my shoulder to see Carver flying out of the woods, looking as though he’s just woken from a peaceful twelve-hour nap, while I, on the other hand, look like I’ve been squeezed through a bull’s asshole.
Carver has the stamina to do this all day and night, but I’m on borrowed time. I can’t do this much longer. I have to find an escape and I have to do it sooner rather than later.
I reach the log cabin a minute later and race around to the side, not willing to waste time going to the front door only to find it locked and impossible to break down. Without thinking, I scoop up a large gnome statue and launch it right through the back window and dive straight through after it, narrowly avoiding slicing a large gash through my thigh.
I scramble to my feet, only having seconds to save my fucking ass.
My eyes dart around the cabin and I can barely think over the sound of my heartbeat pulsing rapidly in my ears. I need to hurl. That was too much exercise for me, but I don’t have time for that. I need to hold it together.
I have all of two seconds to put a plan into place and I better make it good.
I run into the kitchen and wrap my hand around a knife before darting straight out again. He’s going to expect the obvious. Most people would hide in the bottom of the pantry or race up the stairs to the furthest bedroom and put themselves under the bed, but I’m not in the business of making things easy.
I run into the open living room and dive down behind the couch before crawling across to a small side table and folding myself inside the bottom part of the cupboard, a space that none of the guys could even dream about getting themselves into.
I close the door just as a loud BANG sounds around me and the front door of the luxury cabin splinters right off the hinges. I hear the wood slamming against the adjoining wall, and I peer out through the small keyhole, realizing how fucked I would have been had this little cupboard been locked.
An imposing Carver steps through the doorway of the cabin and I swallow back fear, watching as he comes to a standstill and slowly scans the empty room.
I hold my breath, not ready to be caught so soon. If he wants to fuck around and play twisted little games, then we will, but he should be warned that I don’t like to lose.
Carver steps deeper into the cabin and I shrink impossibly further into the small cupboard as I watch him. His eyes rake over the living room, scanning over each piece of furniture, knowing that I’m not as stupid as I look. I’ve been running all my life. I’m not about to make this easy for anyone.
