AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Prologue
Igrabbed her shoulders, piercing her with an intense stare. “Run, Lyndsay!”
“I can’t leave you, Jacob. I won’t.” Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she clung to my arms. She shook her head, her blue eyes wide with fear.
I gathered her in for a hug, and her petite body trembled against mine. “You have to. We’ll both die if you don’t go. Now.” I rubbed her back, hoping it would give her the courage she needed to save herself—to save us.
The dogs barking in the distance were closing in on us fast. Our time was running out.
She threw her arms around my neck and sobbed into my shirt. “I love you. I’ll bring help and come back for you, I swear.”
“I love you, too.” I tilted her chin and placed a kiss to her mouth. “Go.” A lump lodged itself in my throat as she turned and ran for her fucking life. She had to make it. She had to come back for me. She was my only hope, especially now that I’d helped her escape. But if we made one mistake … our lives would be over.
Fear scraped its sharp talons down my spine as I whirled around on the heel of my black boot and ran in the opposite direction. I tried to pick up my pace, stumbling over the ground that was thick with brush and sticks, only the pale half-moon to light my way.
The sound of dogs barking pricked my ears. They were close. Too close. “Fuck,” I breathed into the frigid air. I slowed and listened, then realized the best way for me to ensure Lyndsay’s escape was to stop the guards. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I ran in the direction from which the mutts were barking.
It wasn’t long before I met the three guards. This time, the dogs weren’t hunting for food. They were hunting Lyndsay and me.
“It’s just me, Jacob.” I held my hands in the air, surrendering. “I took a walk when I couldn’t sleep and got lost.”
“Where’s Lyndsay?” one of them asked, jerking on the leash as his overgrown pup snarled and jumped toward me.
I backed away slowly, not wanting to be shredded to death. “I don’t know. I had no idea she was outside, I swear.”
“You two stay with Jacob. I’m going to search for the girl,” the dark-haired man said, eyeing me suspiciously.
Shit! I had to stop him from going after her.
“I fucked her,” I spat, with more venom than I thought possible. “She’s no longer a virgin.”
Gilmore, the lead guard, growled. “What the hell did you say, boy?”
The three stepped toward me, and I backed away with my hands still in the air. I had to keep stalling, even if it cost me my life. I would gladly give mine for Lyndsay’s freedom.
“Lyndsay and I love each other, and there’s no way I would let the elders fuck her.She’s mine.”
One of the guards threw his head back, filling the air with his maniacal laughter.
“Boy, you’re the one fucked now. You know the consequences for defiling a young girl.”
My nostrils flared and my hands fisted. There was no way this would end well for me.
“I love her.” My voice held steady, even though my legs were anything but.
Another guard gave his leash to the other, then approached me.
“We’re taking you to the elders, and they can decide your punishment for disobeying the law,” he snarled.
“You have to catch me first, you fat piece of shit.” A rush of adrenaline flooded my system. Not once in my fifteen years had I ever considered talking back.
Instinct kicked in, and I hightailed it away from the guards and in the opposite direction Lyndsay had run.
“Little punk.” Footsteps followed me as the cursing drew nearer.
At least I had speed on my side. One of the elders loved a game called football, so he taught the kids how to play every day there wasn’t rain or snow. I’d fallen in love with the sport, and he worked with me one-on-one. I was the running zigzag king, and if I could see where the fuck I was going, I could outrun anyone here. But the one thing I’d counted on to keep Lyndsay and me safe that night had just turned into my enemy. It was so dark I struggled to see more than a few feet ahead, which slowed me down.
A strong hand grabbed my arm and jerked me back. I glowered at him over my shoulder, projecting an air of confidence that wasn’t feasibly possible at the moment.
