“Impressive,” I said, comparing his graceful dismount to my own.
Angel put his hand out to me, and I reached up and took it, enjoying the feel of his strong fingers around mine.
He pulled me to my feet then picked up the bags from where they’d landed and handed mine to me.
For the first time in my life, I stood outside of the walls of the compound. I’d caught glimpses before—of course I had—peering through the gates as they’d opened and closed again, allowing people to enter and leave. The space around me was dizzying. Even though it was dark, the moonlight was enough to reveal what appeared to be a never-ending expanse of trees. Gone was the safety and security of the walls I’d grown up inside of.
Instead of feeling like danger was chasing us from behind, I felt as though it was out there, in the real world, heading at me from every direction.
Angel tugged me toward the expanse of trees. “This way. We have to stay away from the road.”
But I pulled back on his hand. “No. I... I can’t.”
“Of course you can. We’ve done the hard part. We have to go now, Catalina, before anyone notices we’re missing.”
I clung tighter to Angel, my heart racing, my skin cold with sweat. I felt sure all the blood had drained from my face, and the world spun around me.
Angel must have noticed my fear, and he stood facing me, blocking my view of the rest of the world.
“It’s okay,” he told me. “I’ll protect you, Catalina. I swear it. I’ll make sure you’re safe with my very last breath.”
He held me, grounding me.
“Do you promise?” I whispered, my voice tremulous.
He locked me in his beautiful dark gaze. “I promise. I love you. But we need to go now. We need to run.”
I sucked in a breath and nodded, and, with one final glance back to the place that had been my home and my prison for the past eighteen years, I forced my feet to move.
Hand in hand, we ran toward our future.
Whatever that may hold.
To be continued...
UNBOUND FOR HIM
For Him: Book Two
Marissa Farrar
Chapter One
Present Day
We ran through the trees, his fingers clutched tightly around mine.
I was finally free—free from the walls that had surrounded me all my life. Free from the men and the rules, and with the man I loved at my side. Yet somehow, I’d never felt so trapped.
Cornered.
“Keep going,” Angel encouraged, pulling me along.
I glanced over at his profile, my chest swelling with emotion for him. Those sharp cheekbones, the full lips, the tousled curls. He was so beautiful I didn’t think my heart could take it. Angelo Cassidy. The boy I’d grown up adoring, and now the man I was in love with. He’d taken my virginity—a virginity that had already been sold to someone else—and now we were on the run.
“I’m trying,” I gasped as my foot caught in another tree root in the undergrowth and pitched me forward. Angel’s hold on my hand kept me upright, and I forced myself to ignore the sharp pain in my ankle and the burning in my lungs. I’d spent my life enclosed in a compound, and long distance running or hiking had never been included in my day-to-day existence. It wasn’t that I was unfit, simply that I’d never had the opportunity to put my body through this kind of exercise.
The bag containing my few belongings bounced on my back, the straps already beginning to rub. Something hard in the bottom of the rucksack smacked me repeatedly in the same spot, and I knew I’d end up with a bruise. Considering what we’d just done and the people who were going to be after us, a few scrapes and bumps were the least of my worries.
“Where are we going?” I managed to ask between snatches of air. Perhaps this was a query I should have raised before we’d run from the compound, but it wasn’t as though I was in any position to be picky. In less than twelve hours, Elliot Torres would be arriving at the compound, ready to claim the thing he’d paid a huge sum of money for eight years ago.
Me.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just know we need to put as much distance between us and the compound as possible. I hope we’ll come across a town at some point, and then we’ll be able to get a motel room.”
“But you don’t know exactly where the next town is?”
“I wish I could tell you the closest towns are only a couple of hours away, but they’re not, Kitty, I’m sorry. The nearest one is thirty miles away, and I’m not sure it’ll even be safe going there. If my father figures out we’re on foot and haven’t taken one of the cars, he’s bound to stake out the place.”
I wasn’t exactly sure how far thirty miles was, but it sounded like a long way. “How long do you think we’re going to be walking?”
“A day, at least. Maybe more, depending on the terrain.”
A day? I tried not to let my disappointment show on my face. Already I was aching, both from the run and the tumble I’d taken over the top of the wall when we’d escaped. My skin was scratched up from the barbed wire and my long-sleeved t-shirt was ripped in places, though my jeans had fared better against the biting metal teeth of the wire. The sneakers I wore weren’t exactly made for long distance hikes either. They were the best I had, but they were a knock-off version of Converses, and the soles were thin and didn’t offer much support. I wished we’d been able to take Angelo’s car, as we’d planned. But we’d done what we’d had to, and I didn’t blame any of this on Angel. We were together, and I’d walk at his side for the rest of my life if it meant things could stay that way.
“We can’t risk going near any roads yet, either,” he continued. “As soon as Silas Cassidy notices we’re missing, he’ll send all his men after us.”
I noticed how he hadn’t called him ‘my father.’
“Do you think anyone has noticed us gone yet?”
He shook his head. “I have no idea, but I hope not. The more time that passes before anyone notices us missing, the more distance we can put between ourselves and the compound, and the less chance there will be of them finding us.”
“Will your father figure it out right away?” I asked. “Will he know we’ve run together?”
“Yeah, I think so. He might consider the possibility that I’ve just snatched you...” His voice trailed off as he thought of something. “And Catalina, if they do catch up with us, that has to be the story we go with, okay? You have to tell them I raped and kidnapped you.”
I pressed my lips together. “I don’t want to do that.” The thought of even saying those words broke my heart. How could I possibly betray my Angel in such a way?
“I know you don’t, but it’ll be the only way they won’t kill you.”
“But what about you?”
“Elliot Torres will want me dead, but there’s a chance my father will be able to talk him out of it. I’m not saying Silas will let me get away with this, but at least it’ll give me a chance.”
“We just have to not get caught,” I said.
He shot me a brave smile. “Exactly.”
Our run had slowed to a staggered jog as we’d been talking, and I found the pace easier going. I knew we needed to move quickly, but Angel’s legs were longer than mine, and I struggled to keep up.
“Can we rest awhile?” I asked.
We must have been going for a good hour now, though it was difficult to tell. It was still nighttime, the pale moonlight shining through the tree branches overhead. Angel held a flashlight in his other hand, lighting the undergrowth as we picked our way through it. We were on some kind of track caused by an animal at the moment, at least I assumed it was caused by an animal, but the trails kept running out, and then we’d find ourselves wading through thick foliage again.
“Not yet, Catalina. We need to keep going, okay?”
“Sure.”
It was the end of summer, but already there was a bite to the night air. Worry wound through me. How long would we stay out i
n the forest? Where would we sleep? What would we eat? I hadn’t had the easiest or even an exactly normal upbringing, but I had always been taken care of. Those things had always been provided for me, and, other than missing the occasional meal because I’d behaved in a manner that had displeased the master, I’d never gone wanting for anything. But I had chosen Angel. I’d known what the consequences would be of us sleeping together. It had been a moment that was impossible to take back, and I couldn’t put all of this on Angel. He might be older and more experienced, but I wasn’t stupid. I’d known exactly what we were doing.
My ankle where I’d gone over on it was throbbing, my thigh muscles burning, my lower back starting to ache. My mouth was dry, and I wondered if Angel had thought to bring anything to eat or drink. I didn’t want to ask, though, already feeling like I was letting him down by not being able to move faster, and wishing I’d thought to bring more useful supplies than my own belongings. I vowed not to make him stop for me until he said it was time to rest. He was doing this for me. He’d given up his whole life to get me to safety, and me holding him up just because the going was tough might get him killed. I refused to be the reason Torres or his father caught up to us.
Deep down, I knew all of this was my fault.
I’d killed my mother on the day I was born. I wasn’t going to get the man I loved killed as well.
“How do you know we’re heading in the right direction?” I asked as we moved at a pace somewhere between a walk and a jog.
He lifted his face to the sky. “I can tell from the position of the moon in the sky.”
I looked up at it doubtfully. “You can?”
“Sure. It’s not as easy as with the sun, but it can still give you an idea of direction. You know the moon moves across the sky in an east-to-west direction?” I nodded to show I did, and he continued. “Well, if you make an imaginary line in your head taking the two horns of the crescent and bringing them down to the horizon, then you have south.” He shrugged. “Of course, it’s easier if you can actually see the horizon, so that’s not so helpful at the moment, but it does mean I know that we’re not wandering around in circles.”
I figured that was a good thing. I couldn’t imagine the horror of breaking through the trees only to discover we were back at the compound.
I put one foot after the other, over and over and over, urging myself to keep going. Time blurred, and I withdrew into myself, trying to block out the pains in my body and my fear of the terrifyingly wide space around me. Even though the trees helped me to convince myself the world wasn’t an endless place and gave me some sense of being confined, I was hugely conscious of no longer having walls around me. The imagining of all that space made me dizzy. Where some people might have felt freed, I felt the opposite.
“Let’s take a break,” Angelo said suddenly.
I almost wilted with relief and held back a sob. My feet were throbbing, and my socks felt weird, like they’d glued themselves to my feet. We’d stopped underneath an oak tree, its trunk so wide I guessed it was probably a hundred years old, if not more. The ground beneath had its first smattering of fallen leaves. I was thankful it was dry, and sank to the ground, desperate to be off my feet. I wasn’t used to this at all.
Angel hoisted his bag off his back and opened it up. He pulled out a sweater and handed it to me. “Here, sit on this. You’ll be more comfortable.”
I smiled at him. “Thanks.”
Spreading out the sweater, I took a spot on the edge so there would be space for Angelo, too.
He pulled out a bottle of water and a hunk of bread wrapped in a tea towel.
“I grabbed whatever I could from the kitchen without getting noticed,” he said, tearing off a chunk and handing it to me apologetically.
It turned out to be a cheese sandwich, only the chunks of bread on each side dwarfed the cheese. I didn’t care. I was hungry and thirsty, and more than happy with whatever he provided.
“I wish I’d been able to get something more to help us,” I said, taking a mouthful and then hiding my mouth behind the back of my hand as I chewed.
“You weren’t to know that we wouldn’t be able to take the car. Besides, people would have asked questions if you were acting out of the ordinary. Everyone knew Torres was collecting you tomorrow.”
“Today,” I corrected him. I didn’t know exactly what the time was, but it must be well past midnight. “It must be today by now.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Yes, you’re right. It would be today.”
The magnitude of that statement seemed to swell between us. If we hadn’t done what we had, I’d be leaving the compound today and going to a new life with Elliot Torres.
Angel bent his head, studying the bread in his hands. “I wish I’d been able to bring camping gear, but the compound wasn’t exactly equipped for anyone to go camping.”
“It’s okay. We can make do.”
I finished my chunk of the sandwich and drank some of the water he offered. I shifted my position and winced as pain shot up from my foot.
Angel noticed and frowned. “You’re hurt?”
I shook my head. “It’s okay. I just turned my ankle a little, and I think my sneakers might have given me a blister.”
He motioned with his fingers toward my foot. “Let me take a look.”
“It’s fine, honestly.”
“Catalina...” His tone was firm, and there was no way I was going to disobey him.
Meekly, I wriggled around so I was facing him. He reached out and carefully lifted my foot into his lap. He pulled up the leg of my jeans and used the flashlight to illuminate my skin.
“Your ankle is swollen.” His dark curls fell over his forehead as he studied my leg. “I’m going to take your shoe off, okay? See if the swelling has gone down to your foot.”
I clenched my teeth but nodded. There was no point fighting him. He’d do what he thought was best, no matter what I said.
Carefully, he undid the laces and wiggled off the sneaker. I screwed up my face, trying not to gasp or cry out as pain shot up through my swollen ankle.
His frown deepened, and he half-rolled down the top of my sock. “I’m going to need to take it off so I can get a better look.”
“Be careful.”
“I will.”
He continued to roll it down, but got to the back of my ankle and stopped. “It’s like it’s glued on.”
“Just pull.”
He did, and a sharp stab of pain shot through my foot, and tears filled my eyes. It was the same on the ball of my foot and around my toes as well, but he managed to get the sock off. He lifted his gaze to mine in horror.
“Fucking hell, Catalina. You’re bleeding.”
I leaned in to get a better look in the flashlight. Sure enough, the back of my heel was red raw, as were my foot and toes. It looked as though all the walking had made blisters form on my feet, and then they’d burst and dried the material of my sock to my foot. When Angelo had pulled off the sock, it had taken the top layer of skin with it.
He cupped my bare foot in his palm, blood smeared across my skin. “This must have hurt. Why didn’t you tell me you were in pain while we were walking?”
“I didn’t want to be difficult.”
“You’re not being difficult. You’re bleeding.” He exhaled a frustrated sigh, and I shrank down, wanting to cry. “Is the other one the same?” he demanded.
There was no point in lying. “My ankle is okay on the other foot, but I think I have the same blisters.”
He motioned with his fingers again, a come-hither flick. “Give it to me.”
I lifted my other foot into his lap and put both palms flat on the ground to keep my balance. He worked off the sock on my other foot and shook his head. I hated feeling as though he was angry with me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I just wish you’d felt like you could tell me, that’s all. I neve
r want you to feel as though you can’t tell me if you’re in pain—physical or emotional.”
“I knew how important it was for us to put some distance between us and the compound. The master could be after us already. We could end up shot. I figured that a few blisters and a swollen ankle weren’t too important, considering everything else.”
His gaze flicked to my bag. “Have you got a change of socks?”
“Yes,” I said, reaching for it.
“I brought a small first aid kit. I’m sure it’ll have some Band-Aids and a support bandage for your ankle. It could really do with some ice on it, but obviously that’s not going to happen.”
“Nope. No ice around here.”
We gave each other a tentative smile, and just like that, we were all right again.
Angelo used a little of the bottled water to wash away the blood, and then, with gentle dabs, dried my foot off with the tea towel he’d had the sandwich wrapped in. Finally, he applied Band-Aids to each of the places were the blisters had burst, and then strapped my ankle into the bandage. It felt tight, but would give my ankle some support.
“Thanks, Angel,” I said, pulling on a fresh pair of socks then easing my feet back into my sneakers. I didn’t have any other shoes with me, so they would have to do.
“Do you think you’ll be okay to walk again for a little while?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be all right.”
“Make sure you tell me if you’re in pain, though. Promise?”
He was looking at me so intently, there was no way I could say anything else. “Promise.”
Chapter Two
Present Day
WE SET OFF AGAIN, TAKING things more slowly now that I knew Catalina was struggling. I wished I could piggyback her, but while that might work for a short distance, I wouldn’t be able to carry her over any length of time. Besides, I didn’t think she would want me to. She hadn’t even told me how much pain she was in. She might be young and inexperienced with the world, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t strong and determined.
For Him: The Complete Series Page 17
