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CHAPTERSEVEN
The smell of hot asphalt and burnt rubber stings my nose as I lay flat against the warm pavement and wait for them to leave. I’ve tucked myself between a couple of parked cars on the opposite side of the parking lot, so I’m at a safe enough distance where they shouldn’t spot me, but I can’t be too careful.
From this vantage point, the cars I’m nestled between obstruct most of my view, but from what I can tell, all four of them have already made it back to the car.So, why the hell haven’t they taken off yet?
When I slipped out of the trunk, I didn't really have a plan in mind. I just knew that this could be my only chance to escape them and I needed to take while I still had the chance.
They may have saved my life, but it’s clear to me that the people in that car are dangerous. I was falling in and out of sleep for most of the drive here, so I didn’t hear every conversation they had, but the ones I did pick up on raised some serious red flags.
Just like I had initially thought, they weren’t at that house by happenstance. They were there with purpose. They’ve been following Dimitri for weeks. Tracing his movements up and down the coast. Tonight was the closest they’ve come to catching him and they would have succeeded had I not thrown a wrench into their plan.
I don’t know why they’re after him or what they plan to do to him once they get him, but I don’t really need to know. The fact that they’re involved with him tells me everything I need to know. They can’t be trusted.
Someone opens their door and my breath catches.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I can’t see who it is, but I can tell by the smaller size of their boots that it must be the girl.Damn it. She must’ve realized I left.
Her feet turn into a slow circle and even without seeing her expression, I can tell that she’s looking for me.
I hold my breath as she moves to scour the parking lot and when I see someone else step out of the car to join her, I roll myself under one of the cars.
Fuck.They aren’t going to let this go, are they?
After a few minutes of searching individually, the man joins the girl. I can’t hear exactly what he says to her, but whatever it is, it’s enough for her to give up the search and climb back into the car with him. I relax a fraction when I see their doors close, but it isn’t until they pull the SUV back onto the road that I let myself breathe a sigh of relief.
One problem down, a million more to go.
* * *
Cold water drizzles down my face, leaving my skin streaked with long dark lines of remnant soot. I dip my hands under the faucet again and splash some more, wincing a little as the icy water hits my tender flesh.
After drying my face with the roughest paper towel on the planet, I stare at my reflection in the mirror and can’t help but grimace at what I see.
The dirt may be gone, but I still look like shit.
It's the first time I've been able to get a good look at myself in days. And even without examining the rest of my body, it’s painfully obvious that Dimitri and his men did a number on me.
My face is red and swollen with blotches of deep purple and bright red bruises littering most of the left side. There’s a gnarly gash on my cheekbone that looks like it’s going to need stitches and my lips are so scabbed, it hurts to move them.
Most of my injuries look worse than they feel, but it’s my eyes that really concern me. They’re empty and cold, as if I lost the last bits of my humanity down in that hell hole.
Maybe it did.
I hear someone coming towards the restroom and I immediately snap my head down and pull my hood closer.I don't need to attract anyone’s attention right now.
A girl walks through the door and I can just make out her silhouette as she steps up to the empty faucet beside me. She looks to be around my age and from what I can tell, she’s dressed in black from head to toe. Her hair is tucked securely under her hoodie, but when she pulls her sleeves up and leans over the sink, I spot a curtain of long lavender hair slipping over her shoulders.
“Why did you run?” She asks, her voice only slightly louder than the water that’s splashing over her hands.
I chance a glance at her, but only catch a glimpse of her profile as she turns away from me to soap her hands. “Excuse me?”
“You left.” She clarifies, keeping her head down as more of her lavender hair falls into her face. “I’m curious why. You know you’re safe with us, right?”
“Oh.” I say, choking a little on my words.They came back for me. Why in the hell would they come back for me?“Look.” I breathe as I grab a paper towel off of the dispenser beside me. “I appreciate what you did back there, but I’m better off on my own.”
“No, you’re not.” She says, twisting to face me. “No one is.”
