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I playfully push him toward the door. “Ha, ha. Cute.”
We’re outside stretching and Jett tells me that there is a dirt track around the compound. He uses the term house, but compound is more realistic. We set our stride, keeping up with each other. I can feel Jett’s gaze on me, so I glance up meeting those emerald green eyes. Assessing.
“I’m in the dark here, Emily.” He sighs. “I still have no clue why you’re here. Travis demands that you stay here, but why?”
I look forward, continuing to keep up with him but remaining quiet. A few minutes pass and I whisper, “I can’t tell you.” He doesn’t press the issue anymore.
We continue our run in silence, only hearing the pounding of each step. My Jett-induced fog lifts with each step I take and clarity rears its ugly head. Reality sets in that Jett has never mentioned helping me leave. He works for Travis. Travis demands I stay. Have I been stupid not to see what’s going on? I knew from the beginning Jett was playing me, but he sounds so sincere now. Is he trying to make me fall in love with him so I don’t leave?
My pace increases, as does my anger. Jett keeps in step with my pace, glancing at me from time to time. As we make our way around to the side of the house, I realize that we are going to run in front of the house. Right by the bushes where I know what is waiting for me on the other side. My heart pounds. Shaking out my hands to calm my nerves, I glance around to make sure I don’t see any other men.
“Want to race?” I say as I run ahead, gaining a small lead.
“Come on, sweetheart, show me what you got,” Jett teases, smacking my ass as he passes me. I don’t want to catch him, but I want him to think that I am trying. I see the spot. The spot that hopefully will be my way out as much as it was my way in. The hope that Jett doesn’t connect the two makes what I’m about to do more crucial to get right the first time.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
It’s now or never.
“Shit!” I say as I fall to the ground. My knees hit the ground and I roll. One of my knees is bleeding, but my adrenaline masks any real pain. The fall needs to be believable. Jett comes back running.
“Em, are you okay?” Jett is sincerely worried. He bends down and inspects my knee.
“Shit, it hurts. I think I twisted my ankle.” My words come out pained. While he inspects my ankle, I inspect his gun. He’s wearing a shoulder strap holster. My stomach twists at what I’m about to do. He stands up and gets ready to lift me off the ground. “Wait, let me see if I can stand first.” Instead, he grabs my already waiting hand and pulls me up.
I use the momentum as I swing my knee into his groin area. As he drops screaming in pain, I swiftly grab his gun on his way down. “FUCCCKKK! What the hell, Emily!” Jett’s words grate through his clenched teeth. He looks up at me but stares into the barrel of a gun. His gun. “Emily, put the gun down,” he demands, trying to stand up. “You’re going to hurt yourself.” I smirk, internally laughing. I know my time is limited before Travis’s other guys come running. I’m sure they have been watching. We’re far enough away from the house that I will still have a two-minute head start before they can make it to me.
Jett must see what’s about to happen. My hands grip the gun as blood runs down my leg. There is no other way. My heart aches, knowing what’s about to happen. It hasn’t had time to catch up with my head. I’ll never forget you, Jett.
“Emily, don’t!” Jett’s voice rises and his words are rushed, “Tonight I’m—”
I don’t wait for him to finish. Anything he says is only trying to keep me here. I pull the trigger. Jett lets out a grunt and falls to the ground. I spin around and run, holding onto the gun. I don’t look back in fear of seeing what I did. I don’t have time for regret or apologies. Right before climbing over the fence, I hear Jett scream, “I can’t believe you fucking shot me!”
The adrenaline flowing through my body has me running faster than ever before. I run to my car, assuming it’s still there.
Oh, Shit! What if it’s not?
Chapter Twenty-three
MY HAND SHAKES as I unlock my door. I let out a huge sigh of relief as I drive away in the opposite direction. Looking through my rearview mirror, I keep expecting someone to be following me but no one is. I drive an hour before I’m sure and pull over at a rest stop. Letting my head fall back in my seat, I let out a loud scream that I’d been holding on to since I left. I beat my hands on the steering wheel as I break into an uncontrollable sob. My mind is racing, trying to decipher the tears. Anger. Relief. Remorse. Heartbreak. It can be any one of them or all of them combined.
My cell phone is dead, so I plug it in and wait for the Apple logo to pop up. A flow of dings lets me know I’ve been missed. I’m not surprised to see over fifty texts and numerous missed calls. Most are from Sydney. I thought I had my emotions under control before making the call, but when I hear Syd’s voice the dam breaks.
“Addison?” Syd asks when all I can do is sniffle. “Addie, you need to let me know this is you.”
“It’s… me,” I stutter as I press my hand to my chest, trying to stop the ache.
“Oh, my God, Addie. It’s been five days since you last called. I’ve been freaking out. I was so close to calling the police and coming to look for you myself. Please tell me that you’re okay.”
Okay? Not even close. I struggle to speak, trying to find the right words. How do I explain my last five days? Chewing on my cheek, fighting the sobs wanting to escape, I scream out, “Fuuuuckkkkk!” That’s all I’ve got.
“Well… based on the fact that you’re not telling me to call the cops, I’m thinking you are not in danger. Which is a good thing, because we both know how great of a fighter I am. We’d probably both end up dead.” She giggles and it makes me smile. It’s just like her to try and lighten the mood. My silence is her affirmation that something is definitely wrong. “Seriously, though. Addie, come home. Do you need me to come get you?” She would in a heartbeat. She’s been my rock since I was ten. Someday, I’ll be hers, maybe when fate stops hating me.
