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My dad swore. “You’re living here with two men, huh? That who’s buying you all this fancy shit?” His face grew red. “And just what fuck are you doing for all these fancy toys, huh? You some kindawhorenow?!”
He lunged for me, but I screamed and kicked out.
“Get thefuckaway from me!”
“Get in the car!”
I screamed as he grabbed me, stronger than he looked as he dragged me away from the gate.
“Letgoof me! Are youinsane!?”
“Quit being a bitch and listen to your father!” Stephanie spat, yanking the rusty back door of the car open as my dad dragged me towards it. I screamed again, kicking and lashing out, my heels digging into the dirt. But Stephanie jumped in too, grabbing me and helping my dad yank me towards the car.
“You can’t justtakeme like this!”
“I’m your father! You’re goddamn right I can!”
I roared, lashing out and catching him in the shin with my heel. He bellowed, swearing up a storm before suddenly, his hand came smacking across my mouth. I gaped, blinded by shock and pain as the stars danced through my vision.
“Stupid little girl,” Stephanie hissed, helping my dad shove me, stunned, into the backseat. They slammed the door and then jumped in front, the rickety engine choking to life.
I started to lunge for the door, but suddenly, Stephanie whirled, brandishing a shiny, gleaming, wicked looking blade.
“Sityour ass down, and be quiet!” she snapped. “You think you’re the only one who’s gonna get some free shit from that brother of mine?” She smirked, waving the blade at me. “Well, you ain’t.”
The car sputtered to life, peeling out of the driveway outside of the gate and racing away from the only good I’d ever known.
17
Wilder
Iglaredat the phone in my hand, feeling my pulse quicken as the call disconnected.
“Right to voicemail,again,” I muttered.
Lincoln’s eyes narrowed, his hand clenching the kitchen counter tight.
“Fuck.”
Fuck was right. It’d been six fucking hours since Kenzie had left for one of her walks in the woods. I knew she’d brought the phone I’d bought her, but the damn thing was going right to her voicemail on every call. It was starting to get dark outside too, and my nerves were starting tofry.
It wasn’t that I didn’t think Kenzie was capable of taking care of herself. And it wasn’t like I thought she’d gotten lost on the clearly marked trails that she’d walked on a bunch of times before. And it also wasn’t like we lived anywhere dangerous. This country town was safe as could be.
…None of that stopped my heart from racing or my mind from playing out every single worst-case scenario. I mean how could I not? This wasKenziewe were talking about. This was the girl I loved, who captivated me in so many ways. I’d sworn to her and to myself to protect her, and now here we were with darkness approaching, her cell not answering, and a million questions blazing through my head.
I glanced up at my friend, seeing the exact same fear and tenseness on his face.
“I’m going out looking,” he growled, whirling and storming for the door.
“Lincoln.”
He paused, shoulders heaving as he glanced back at me.
“This property is thirty fucking acres, and that’s before the trails cross into the public lands andyourdamn property.”
His jaw clenched, and I could relate that shitty feeling of helplessness I knew he was feeling too.
“Let’s get smart about this.”
