Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 127484 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127484 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
She opened the door for someone heading in, smiling at the mother and small child in front of her as if she didn’t have a care in the world. As if she wasn’t hurtling toward some unknown location with a murderer. A monster. Me.
I had an urge, an almost overwhelming urge, to drive away, leave her here. Safe. As far away from me as possible.
But the problem was she wouldn’t stay safe for long. Stone would just send someone else after her. Likely Groves.
My hands clenched the steering wheel. Stone had strict instructions not to harm Piper, but I knew that Groves would do everything he could to circumvent that order, to ensure that he hurt her, took her in any way he could.
I relished in death. Pain. But only of those who deserved it. I did not like to take people apart just to see them hurt. Didn’t find joy in sullying those who didn’t deserve it.
Groves did.
He would not lay a hand on Piper. He would not even glimpse her. That was a promise I made to myself, even though there was no real way to keep it.
Eventually, I’d have to hand her over to Stone, untouched, her will broken.
The thought made me want to burn down the fucking world.
Piper
Our trip ended in the Appalachian Mountains. I’d spent a large portion of my childhood in these mountains. Some of my most treasured memories were made here. Before my father decided that he wouldn’t allow me or my sister to be away from him. Ash-filled memories that were previously coated in sunshine and smelled of morning dew against the trees.
Whether he knew about my bittersweet history here remained to be seen. How much he knew about my past remained to be seen. Stone had communicated just how much he knew about me, so I assumed he’d told his minion. I shifted uncomfortably, knowing he must have at least a rudimentary understanding of my life, my past, while I knew nothing about him other than he was highly dangerous.
Dusk was falling as we drove over bumpy dirt roads, climbing higher and farther into denser vegetation with signs of civilization growing sparse. Large trees surrounded us, encasing us in their embrace as we wove up the mountain.
Though I was plenty afraid, I didn’t think I was going to die. He wouldn’t have gone to such an effort in order to merely kill me. That could’ve been done in Central Park. Although there were plenty of other things a man could take a woman to a very secluded location for that weren’t killing her.
“Are you going to rape me?” I blurted, unable to handle the bubbling of that thought tearing away at my insides like acid. Was it better to know in advance? Probably not. There was no real way to prepare for rape, yet I asked the question, nonetheless.
His head whipped in my direction, the most attention he’s given me. The car even jerked a little, drifting precariously close to the edge of what was becoming a sheer drop to our right.
He righted the car quickly, eyes and head returning in the direction of the road.
His knuckles were pure white.
“No.” The word was heavy, settling like a weight in my stomach.
It could’ve been a lie. A man who worked for Stone was likely in the practice of lying, but it didn’t feel like one.
I rolled my lips against each other, my shoulders relaxing somewhat.
“Torture me?” I asked after a few more moments, the faint crunch of the tires against the dirt the only sound.
He didn’t turn so dramatically this time, as if the question was less egregious, or maybe he was prepared for it.
“No.” He said it quieter this time.
Though the tenor of the response was slightly different, it seemed just as sincere.
I clenched and unclenched my fists, tapping my fingers on my knees.
“No rape or torture,” I repeated. “Always a plus with abductions, though this is my first time. Being abducted, that is.”
He didn’t respond, I didn’t really expect him to. He wasn’t here to engage in conversation, after all.
The sun was quickly creeping behind the curtain of the woods, making me wonder if we would still be driving when it was completely dark. Sure, I didn’t know that much about my abductor—thankfully, not rapist or torturer. I had noted the manicured nails, the suit, the loafers. He worked for Stone in New York. It wasn’t a stretch to deduce that he didn’t have experience driving in the woods, the Appalachian Mountains. The roads weren’t reliable; turns often came seemingly out of nowhere, even in full daylight. The mountains played tricks on outsiders, as if they were sentient beings, aware of intruders in their realm. I’d always thought these ancient mountains were full of magic and wonder. With talk of dangerous, otherworldly beings roaming the woods after dark, a lot of people tread carefully there. The area had never scared me, not with the father I lived with day in and day out. Compared to him, faceless monsters were welcome.