by J. P.
Instead of answering her, Tyler lunges towards Sarah. He grabs her around the middle and tackles her to the ground. She tries to break free from his grasp, but he’s too strong. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out handcuffs before rolling her over and forcing her on her stomach.
“Get off!” Sarah screams.
Tyler ignores her as he turns her back over after securing her arms behind her back.
“Let me go, you disgusting—” She stops speaking when Tyler pulls a syringe out of his jacket. “Get that away from me!”
“Are you afraid of needles?” he asks, trying to suppress a laugh.
“Shut up!” she screams as she struggles even harder.
“Goodnight, Sarah. Have a nice nap,” Tyler says before he sticks her with the needle and flushes, what I’m guessing is, a sedative into her system.
As soon as her eyes flutter shut, Tyler climbs off of her and pulls me off the ground, into a hug. I relax into his arms, so grateful to see a familiar face. He releases me after a moment and scans me up and down.
“Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”
“I’m fine,” I answer, but I feel myself shaking.
“Do you know where Emma is? Did Sarah take her too?” Tyler asks.
I try to think of how to break the news to him.
“Emma was working with Sarah,” I finally blurt out. “She brought me here, thinking it was all a prank. She just helped me escape, and I told her to run. She’s probably still out there somewhere,” I say as I gesture around the woods.
Tyler’s eyes get wide before he fishes his phone out of his pocket. “I have Nina. She’s okay. I was able to get Sarah too. I sedated her.” Tyler nods a few times while still on the phone before he hangs up. “Your dad wants us to bring Sarah back so he can question her,” he says as he leans down next to Sarah.
“What about Emma? She might still be out there.”
Tyler looks from me to the woods and then back to me before he hoists Sarah onto his shoulder. “I’m sure she’s fine. Nothing else is out there right now. I’ll come back for her later.”
“But—”
“Right now, I need to get you back to your house.”
I can tell just from his tone that I won’t be able to sway him. I would try to fight harder for Emma, but I’m sure she’s okay. I’ll insist that she’s rescued the second I get back.
Tyler takes my hand and leads me to the parking lot.
As soon as we get to Tyler’s truck, he throws Sarah in the trunk. He slams it shut and meets my eyes as I lean against the outside of the passenger’s door.
“I can’t believe Emma was involved.” Tyler strokes his chin. The gesture reminds me of my dad.
“She didn’t know,” I say. I don’t know why I’m defending her. I truly believe if she knew what was actually going on, she would’ve never been a part of it.
“Everyone has been going crazy looking for you.”
“How long has it been? A day or two?”
“Nina…it’s been five days,” Tyler says gently.
I feel my eyebrows raise. Five days?
“We should be getting back to the house.” Tyler turns to his truck.
As a cool breeze passes, I feel an involuntary shiver ripple through my body. I guess the holes in my clothes aren’t helping.
“Here,” Tyler says as he slides his jacket off of his shoulders.
I hesitate before I reach out for it. I don’t really know how I’m supposed to be acting around Tyler right now. I’m so grateful that he saved me, but that doesn’t erase what happened a few days ago when he cheated on me.
As soon as I take the jacket in my hands, headlights illuminate his truck. I look to my left, and there is another car pulling into the lot. The car parks in the middle of nowhere, in no particular space, and the driver gets out. He runs a hand through his dirty blonde hair, and his blue eyes lock on mine. He strides towards me, his arms swinging at his sides.
“Luke,” Tyler says, not sounding particularly happy to see him.
Luke ignores Tyler as he reaches me. He wraps his arms around me. “Are you okay?” He pulls back and takes my face in his hands. Concern crosses his face when he sees the state of my clothes and the blood stains all over my body.
“I’m okay,” I assure him with a nod. I shiver again, and Luke shrugs off the black bomber jacket he’s wearing.
He wraps the jacket around my shoulders before he takes Tyler’s jacket from my hands and gives it back to Tyler. “There’s been a change in plans. Aaron wants you to do another sweep of the woods and try to find Emma while I take Nina home.”
“I was just on the phone with him. He didn’t mention that.” Tyler looks suspiciously at Luke.
“Fine. We can sit here and waste time while you double check your orders, but when Emma dies out there because you weren’t trying to find her…” Luke starts, and Tyler throws his hands up in the air.
“Fine,” Tyler snaps. He glances at me as if waiting for me to say something. He then looks to Luke and takes a step closer to him. “I swear if something happens to her—”
“You really think I’m going to let something happen?” Luke laughs.
“I’m serious. I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Luke challenges.
I roll my eyes as I step between them. “Can we go now?” I ask Luke.
The second his eyes meet mine, his expression softens. “Yeah, let’s go.”
We climb into Luke’s car, and before I buckle myself in, I slide my arms into Luke’s jacket and zip it up to my chin, suddenly cold.
I glance over at Luke and find him staring back at me. I’m not sure what to say to him, and he looks like he doesn’t know what to say to me either.
“So,” Luke begins. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
“Way to keep things light,” I say, trying to ease the mood.
“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
His stare is so intense that it makes me shiver.
“Sorry, here.” Luke reaches over and turns the heat up.
“No, I’m okay.” I bite my bottom lip. “You’re just looking at me like I’m a sick puppy.”
The right side of his mouth pulls up to a grin. “You just scared the shit out of me.” He shakes his head as if pushing away a memory. He looks at me, waiting to see if I’ll say anything else. When I stay quiet, he turns to the steering wheel and puts the car in drive. I glance back at the woods and find Tyler watching us drive away.
“I’m glad we finally got Sarah,” I say, breaking the silence. “She kept popping up and started to ruin everything.”
“I think that was the point,” Luke says as he glances over at me. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” I ask.
“She was going after you because of me. Because I picked you over her.”
I start laughing. “I don’t think it’s as simple as that.”
Luke’s face lights up. “I missed your laugh.” He reaches over and takes my hand in his, pulling my hand over to his side of the car. “How is it not that simple?”
“She was probably also motivated to prove herself to Ethan. Everyone wanted to find me,” I explain.
Luke shakes his head. “It was more personal for her. Trust me, she was only torturing you as much as she was because of me, and for that, I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
Luke glances over at me and flashes me a smile. He brings our hands up and kisses the back of mine. “How’s your hunger?”
“It’s okay now. I was so hungry before, I thought I was going to bite Emma.”
“Did you?” His eyes get wide.
“No, I got away from her and ate some rabbits.”
“Good.”
Silence fills the car again as Luke pulls onto a busy road, rush hour traffic everywhere. I sigh, annoyed. I want to be home already.
“Did I miss anything while I was gone?” I ask.
“Oh boy,” Luke says with a frown. “Your dad was freaking out and pulled all of us out of school to help look for you, and you know how he feels about appearing normal, so it was kind of a big deal. Sean, Mason, and Ben were at the house twenty-four hours a day trying to help. Jake got super serious, like didn’t crack a joke the whole time. Tyler was really focused. I don’t know if he slept in the past five days. Paul remained optimistic. He kept insisting that you would be okay.”
I feel bad that everyone went through such trouble. I would’ve done the same for any of them. “What about you?” I ask after noticing that he left himself out.
Luke’s eyes meet mine again as he looks over at me. He sighs as he stops for a red light. “I lost my damn mind. I felt like I couldn’t breathe knowing that someone took you and wanted to hurt you. The house felt too small, so I left and tried to find you myself. The cabin was next on my list too, and when Tyler called saying he found you…” he trails off as he stares into the distance, reliving something. “I’m just happy you’re alright.” He gives me a grin before the car behind us honks their horn, telling us to drive since the light is now green.
I squeeze his hand as I lean back in my seat. I cannot wait to get home. I am so ready for a hot shower.
“When we get home, I’m not leaving my bed for a full twenty-four hours,” I tell Luke, and he laughs.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m being serious.”
“Can I hang with you in bed?” he asks.
I feel my heart rate spike as I glance over at him. He smirks at me, and I smirk back. “Maybe.”
“Sounds like a yes to me.” Luke winks at me before he turns back to the road. “You can sleep for a little until we get home. It looks like there’s some traffic.”
“I might take you up on that,” I say with a yawn. I curl up on my side as I face Luke.
Luke pulls our interlaced hands towards him and kisses mine again before he lets go and grips the steering wheel with both hands.
I watch him for a few seconds more before I smile to myself and shut my eyes. I’m so grateful that I’m okay. I can’t wait to get home and see Dad, Jake, and Paul. Hopefully, life will be a lot less complicated for a while. I can get back to school, and maybe I can try to mend my friendship with Emma. It all sounds like exactly what I need.
I wake up to the sound of the ignition shutting off. My eyes flutter open, and I watch as Luke opens his door and climbs out. I stretch out my back as I sit up, and that’s when I notice that we aren’t at home. Cars are scattered everywhere in the large parking lot.
I jump when my door opens next to me. I look to my right, and Luke is standing there, holding the door.
“Thanks,” I say as I climb out. “I thought we were going home.”
“Yeah, change of plans.”
His tone is weirdly cold. I furrow my brow as I study Luke, who’s looking everywhere but at me. He starts walking through the parking lot, a few steps in front of me.
“Hey, what’s going on? Is everything okay?” I ask as I hurry to keep up with him.
“Yeah.”
“Where are we?” I ask as I look around, trying to figure out exactly what’s happening. I notice a crowd of people shuffling into a crowded building. It isn’t until I see a large airplane taking off right over our heads that I understand. “Where are we going? Why are we at an airport?” I put my hand on Luke’s arm, and he stops.
Luke looks down at me and presses his lips together. “Our flight is in an hour.”
“Where are we going?” I ask. I think back, and finally, something pops into my head. I think about our conversation at the club in Laguna Beach. I told Luke I wanted to get away for a while for some peace and quiet. “Are you taking me to a tropical island?” I ask to confirm. “I really appreciate the thought, but I really need to see my family right now.”
Luke sighs as he takes a step away from me. “We’re going to headquarters.”
“You found out where it is?” I feel my eyebrows raise.
“I always knew.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell my dad?” I ask.
“Nina.” Luke gives me an even stare. “We’re going to headquarters to see Ethan.”
3
“Why would we do that?” I narrow my eyes as I try to understand what’s going on.
Luke sighs as he places his hands on his hips. “Do I need to spell it out for you?”
“Are you being serious?” I ask, as I feel my stomach sink.
“Let’s go. We have a flight to catch.” He nods his head towards the airport.
“Wait.” I refuse to move as I try to sort this all out in my head. “You’re telling me that you’re betraying me right now?”
“Sorry, Nina.” He smirks down at me. “Looks like you trusted the wrong person.”
Chills creep up my arms as I shake my head, refusing to believe this is real. “What’s going on?” I demand as I take a step towards him. I feel like smacking him to try and snap him out of it.
“I already told you.” He reaches for my arm, and I jerk away from him.
I stare at him, waiting for him to tell me he’s joking. A sinking feeling in my stomach is telling me that I’m missing something.
“If it isn’t me, they’re just going to send someone worse,” Luke says as he takes my arm again.
I feel like he just slapped me in the face. “Is it just me, or have I heard that before?” I glare up at him.
He rolls his eyes as he gives me a gentle tug towards the building. “Let’s go.”
I hold his stare for a second before I pull my arm away from him again. I start to run, but after two steps, Luke catches me around the middle. “Let me go!”
“If you make a scene, it’ll only be worse for you,” he says in my ear.
I drop my head in my hands. I feel completely defeated. Suddenly, he’s standing too close, and his arm is still around my waist. I shove him off of me, and he actually stumbles back. I guess he wasn’t expecting it. Luke reaches out quickly and takes my arm again. He starts to walk towards the airport, and I follow beside him.
I feel tears slipping down my cheeks as we make our way through the crowded airport. I glance down, curious why no one has called the police considering my outfit is covered in blood, only to find that I’m still wearing Luke’s jacket, which hides a considerable amount of blood.
I can’t believe this is happening right now. I just want to go home and see my dad and brothers. My mind can’t process that Luke is the one betraying me. I’m pulled from my thoughts when Luke stops in front of a woman.
He pulls two slips of paper out of his jacket pocket and gives them to her. The woman does a double-take when she notices that I’m crying.
“Miss? Are you alright?”
Luke pulls me closer into him. “My girlfriend is just upset. Our dog died this morning.”
“Miss?” the woman asks again, ignoring Luke.
I glance at Luke, and he’s urging me with his eyes to go along with it. I could tell this woman that I’m being kidnapped right now, but then what would happen? She would call the police and rescue me, I would be sent home to my family only for Luke to tell Malum where we are, and then everyone is in danger all over again. I need a better escape plan.
“My dog died this morning,” I finally mumble.
The woman gives me a friendly smile. “I’m so sorry to hear that, miss.” She scans our tickets and then gestures for us to make our way onto the plane.
Luke leads me down the aisle. “You can sit there,” he says as he points to the window seat.
I sidestep down the row of three with Luke behind me. I collapse into my seat, and Luke sits next to me. I feel his stare, but I ignore him. I place my head in my hands again and feel my back buck up and down.
I never thought that Luke would be the one to send me to my grave. What happened to him having feelings for me? To him saying he loved me? Maybe it was all an act? But I felt his feelings when I bit him. Could he have fak
ed that? I’m so confused.
An announcement instructs everyone to buckle their seatbelts before we take off. I strap myself in before I rest my head against the seat and shut my eyes.
It suddenly occurs to me that I don’t know where we are going or how long the flight is. I take a few deep breaths, and I try to forget about it all, but Luke keeps creeping back into my thoughts. There has to be something that I’m missing. He wouldn’t just betray me like this.
I open my eyes and find him on his phone. “So, were you and Sarah laughing this whole time about how stupid I am?” I snap at him.
“Pretty much,” he says as he keeps his eyes down on his phone.
I clench my teeth together, so angry I could explode. “Was Jeremy just sent in as a distraction so no one would find out about your evil plan? You’re really that arrogant that you needed to be the one to bring me to Ethan yourself?”
He looks up at me, and I hate that my heart starts to race when his blue eyes meet mine. He smirks as he tilts his head, listening. “Even after I betray you, I still make your heart race?” He leans in closer to me. “I make you nervous.” I feel my stomach drop as his fingers graze my arm. “I make you blush.”
The second he mentions it, I feel my cheeks flush.
“Too bad you’re a filthy half-breed.”
As if snapping out of his trance, I flinch. I want to slap the smirk off of his face.
“I mean, you’re hot and all, but I couldn’t actually ever have feelings for you. You’re…” he shrugs as his eyes stay locked on mine, “not my type.”
I feel my heart race, but not from the same reason as before. I’m so angry, I want to explode. He’s mocking me. I squeeze my hands into fists until I’m sure indents of my nails are on my palms.
Luke raises an eyebrow, waiting for a response.
“I hate you,” I say through a clenched jaw. I turn back to look out the window as I try to forget where I am while we ascend into the sky. I shut my eyes and try to distract myself from the impending doom. Eventually, I surrender to sleep.
Bright light shines against my eyelids, but they are too heavy to open. I move my head down, trying to block it out when I feel someone reach over me. The sunlight is gone, and I feel an arm brush against mine.
