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“Where am I?” I whispered, trying to remember the events from the night before.
After my argument with Hunter, I’d gone up to the rooftop, lain back, and watched the stars. They weren’t as bright in the city, but the quiet up there was better than listening to Hunter slur obscenities. I texted Emma and Frankie that I went home, but I spent the rest of the evening on the rooftop. Guests left, the party settled, and then long, striding footsteps along the tarred rooftop drew shivers up my spine. I hoped it was Hunter, but I couldn’t see the man approach in the night. And he spared no extra breath when he covered my face with a chloroformed cloth.
Fuck.
My glasses were gone, and while my eyes were adjusting to the darkness, it was nearly impossible to see anything in the room. I rolled to my side and slowly inched my feet off the mattress. The ground was concrete and cold.
“Hello? Is anyone here?”
The sound of my voice was lost in the room. I stood up and shuffled to the wall, where soft foam covered the surface. The room was soundproof.
Heavy footsteps sounded, and my head flew up.
Maybe not completely soundproof.
I hopped back to the mattress. Something cracked underneath my sole, and I banged my shin on the bedframe. A door clicked open, then shut. Another door squeaked and closed. By the time a key twisted in the lock, I didn’t know whether to hide or attack, and I chose the latter.
A light switch flicked on, and I launched myself at a man, bringing him to the ground.
“Ahhh!”
He fell with a grunt, and I kneed him in his crotch. He groaned in pain, and I kicked my legs like a seal, thrashing in his hold. His thick fingers gripped my arm, digging in until it hurt.
“Stop kicking and calm down, Grace. ”
The familiar voice sent a wave of fear through my body. “Let me go!” I bit into his forearm.
He pushed me aside. I rolled to the concrete floor and flopped like a fish. The zip ties around my wrists further cut into my flesh, burning.
“Help me! Somebody help me!” I bellowed from the back of my throat. He stood up, removed a switchblade from his pocket, and set it against my neck. I froze mid-swallow.
“I said fucking shut up, or I’ll make you shut up.”
My body went into shock as I stopped breathing and moving.
“Are you gonna be quiet?”
My gaze flew to his, and I blinked past the fear, meeting my biological twin brother’s eyes. They were identical to mine, yet devoid of emotion. He withdrew the blade, lifted me by my arm, and set me down on the mattress.
“It’s good to see you again, Grace.”
“You’re not Rick.”
He stepped closer, and I shrank back against the wall.
“Don’t worry, Grace. I won’t hurt you. You’re very important to me.” He tilted his head to the left. “I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced.”
I eyed his extended hand and the dirt underneath his fingernails.
“Chad Wagner, your twin.”
I rolled my eyes and twisted sideways to show him my tied hands.
“Right, I’ll get that off as soon as we leave.”
“Why don’t you save yourself the trouble and let me go before Hunter finds you?”
He laughed. “Your boy-toy doesn’t have a clue you’re missing, sweetheart. He doesn’t know I’m free, and we’ll be long gone before he realizes you’re not coming back.”
