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Who the hell are they?
Are they after me?
A cold lump forms in my gut as I run through the possibilities. The men in town yesterday. I was so sure I’d lost them, but—
Oh, God!
It was me.
They must be after me!
They must have followed us after all. But how?
Another shot cracks through the air and Nikolai shrieks. I pull him closer to me, shielding him with my body as best I can. I know I need to keep us moving, but the danger is too close now.
“I’m scared,” Nikolai whispers, his small hands clutching at my shirt.
“Listen to me, Nikolai,” I say urgently. “We’re going to make a run for it, okay? I need you to be brave and fast. Can you do that for me?”
He nods, his eyes wide and wet with tears.
“Good. On the count of three.” I glance back at our pursuers one last time, gauging the distance. “One…two…three!”
I grip Nikolai’s hand tightly and we sprint forward, zigzagging between trees and shrubs as I work to get us out of sight. We run as if our lives depend on it because they most certainly do.
My chest heaves, my breath burning in my lungs, but I don’t dare stop. I can’t let anything happen to this child. I’ll have earned a place in hell if my fucked up world touches him in any way.
A shout tears the air behind us and I risk a quick look over my shoulder. My heart drops as I see several men turning in our direction. There are more shouts as one of them points toward us, and then they’re running.
Oh…shit!!
I yank Nikolai so hard, he gives a small cry. “Sorry, sweetheart!” I blurt, then without thinking, I haul him up under my arm, carrying him awkwardly as I pick up the pace.
“Scarlett!” he wails, but I don’t allow myself to pause to look at him.
“We’re gonna be okay,” I pant as I sprint toward the cover of a small grove of trees. I have no idea where it might lead, but at least it will give us a place to hide. And hiding is something I do well.
There’s another sharp yell. Something unintelligible. I can’t quite make out what they’re saying to each other, but that’s hardly surprising. My breath is rasping. My heart pounding. I can barely hear anything aside from the blood rushing through my veins.
“Scarlett!” Nikolai whimpers as I dart between the trees, my grip on him tight. “I’m scared.”
“Shh, it’s fine. We’ll be safe soon, I promise,” I tell him, my voice steady despite my racing heartbeat. But can I really keep that promise? The men are gaining on us, and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep running like this.
Oh, God, Anton!
Anton is still back in the house.
Or is he?
As we weave through the dense foliage, I feel a pang of regret for not telling Anton about the baby. He deserved to know – the man who has managed to captivate me so completely – even though it’s in a way I don’t understand. But now, all I can do is focus on keeping his son safe, along with the little life growing inside me.
I glance over my shoulder again and spot a flash of movement behind the trees. They’re still chasing us. Of course, they are. Men like that don’t just give up.
The shouts behind us grow louder. I look around frantically, trying to find a place to take cover. But there are heavy footfalls drawing nearer.
“Here!” someone yells.
Shit!
