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“Tilly... she’s not just someone I care about,” I begin, my voice hoarse. “I kidnapped her from Oakridge after seeing her that first night at the carnival.”
His eyes widen, but he remains silent, allowing me to continue.
“I couldn’t help myself,” I confess, the words spilling out in a rush. “She consumed my every thought, my every desire. I had to have her, to make her mine. So I took her, faked her death, and brought her here, to the carnival, to keep her safe.”
I pause, gauging Tyson’s reaction. His expression is unreadable, but a glint in his eye tells me he’s listening.
“But now, someone from my past has caught on. Someone I used to know, someone who knows me better than anyone. My foster mom, Veronica. She’s the one who took her.”
Tyson’s eyes flash with anger, the same rage I’ve seen when someone threatens our operation. His hands clench into fists, and in that moment, I see a protective glint in his eye. A decade older than me, Tyson is like a mix of fatherfigure and older brother. He knows about my past and the abuse I suffered at Veronica’s hands before I ran away and found the carnival.
“That fucking bitch!” He growls, taking a menacing step forward. “She hurt you as a kid, and now she dares to come after you again? We’ll hunt her down, Phoenix. We’ll fucking gut her for what she’s done.”
I nod, a wave of shame washing over me. “I can’t let her get away with this. She’s the reason I ran away and ended up here. She ruined my life then, and I won’t let her ruin it now.”
The rage builds inside me, a familiar monster awakening. I think of Tilly, so innocent and full of life, now in the hands of that monster. A tremor of unease travels through me as I recall the twisted way Veronica broke me down.
“I’ll make her pay,” I say. “But first, we need to focus on Tilly. She’s my priority. I won’t let Veronica hurt her.”
Ty’s expression softens. “Alright, we’ll get Tilly back, and then we’ll deal with that psycho bitch. I promise you that. Veronica is going down, but we need to move carefully.”
I nod, grateful for Tyson’s support. We head out, our resolve strong. The night is cold, but my blood runs hot with determination. We’ll find Tilly, rescue her from Veronica’s grasp, and then... then we’ll make that woman regret the day she fucking met me.
Tyson slides into the driver’s seat of his Mustang while I hop into the passenger seat, my mind racing. We speed off through the night, our mission clear—our destination on the trackerfifty miles away.
The stakes have never been higher, but I refuse to let Tilly slip through my fingers, not after everything I’ve done to make her mine.
29
TILLY
The van comes to a halt, and I hear the doors opening and shutting up front. Still paralyzed in my own body, I’m dragged out, my limbs heavy and numb from the drugs.
I stumble, but the men gripping my arms don’t let me fall. My heart hammers as they lead me into an abandoned warehouse. I shiver in the cold space. The only sound is our footsteps echoing off the concrete walls.
My eyes struggle to focus as I’m pushed into a chair and tied down. I can’t move, can’t escape. The men step back, and an older woman appears. She’s beautiful, with icy eyes and a cruel smile. My mouth feels dry, and my voice slurs as I utter the words. “Who are you?”
“Shh, you don’t need to know that, sweetie,” she purrs, circling me like a predator. “Let’s just say I’m an old friend of Phoenix’s.”
Panic washes over me. “Phoenix...where is he? What doyou want with me?” My voice rises, infused with fear and desperation.
She chuckles. “Phoenix has no idea where you are. This is between you and me, Tilly. A little payback for running.” Her eyes glitter with madness, and I realize with a jolt that she’s jealous of me.
“Please let me go,” I beg. “I won’t tell Phoenix about this. We can forget this ever happened.”
Her laughter rings out, bouncing off the warehouse walls. “Forget? Oh, Tilly, you’re adorable. This is just the beginning. Phoenix ran from me, and now I’ll take something from him as payback. And the best part? He’ll never even know it was me.”
Understanding dawns, and my blood runs cold. “You’re going to kill me?” My voice rises to a high-pitched note, cracking with fear.
“Oh, eventually, probably. But first, I think I’ll have a little fun,” she says. “You see, I have plans for you, Tilly. Plans that will make Phoenix suffer in ways he’s never imagined.”
Tears sting my eyes as the reality of my situation sinks in. “Please, I don’t want to be part of your revenge. Just let me go,” I beg.
“It’s too late for that. You’re already a part of it, like it or not. And Phoenix...well, he’ll learn that nothing is truly his. Not even you.”
Her words hit me like a physical blow, and I sagged in my restraints, knowing that my kidnapping was only the beginning of this dangerous game.
I blink away tears, my throat tight with fear. “Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?”
