Page 74 of Keeping Zita

Most discerning than the obviously abandoned vehicles, though, was the fact that wherever they were, it was desolate and deserted. No one was around. She could hear the wind blowing and smell the scent of the ocean. It was eerie and terrifying. She’d counted on being able to yell for help, to get the attention of someone, anyone, nearby to help her. She should’ve known better.

It was obviously still early in the morning. She hadn’t been in the trunk for as long as she’d originally thought, which meant she probably hadn’t been unconscious all that long either. The closer she was to Norfolk, and Sage, the better.

All those observations were done in seconds—then Silas appeared from around the side of the car.

She didn’t have time to catalog anything else or figure out how she was going to escape. When Silas reached for her, she simply reacted, letting out an angry and terrified yell and attempting to punch him in the face. But he was so much bigger and faster. He easily subdued Zita by grabbing her around the neck with both hands and pressing her back down into the trunk.

“Relax, bitch,” he growled.

Zita didn’t have a chance to take a full breath before his fingers tightened. Her hands flew to his, and she frantically dug her nails into his skin, trying to get him to let go.

He didn’t. But he wasn’t exactly choking her either. Just holding her down, overpowering her—which pissed her off more, knowing she was so easily controlled. That her attack was so easily repelled.

So Zita changed tactics, aiming for his face. She didn’t hold back, doing her best to scratch and gouge as much of his flesh as she could.

Silas growled and straightened his elbows, trying to put himself out of her reach.

In a last-ditch effort, Zita aimed for his eye—and jammed her thumb as hard as she could into the almost-black orb staring down at her.

That worked. Thank God.

He let go with a shout and slammed a palm over his face.

But she lost her advantage, her chance to escape. She was too busy trying to suck air into her lungs and climb out of the trunk at the same time. Being a tough-ass bitch was harder than any crime show or instructional video made it seem.

Silas once again grabbed her by the front of her T-shirt. Zita heard it tear as he hauled her the rest of the way out of the trunk and slammed her to the ground. He kicked her twice in the side before pulling her upright with an extremely tight and painful fist around her upper arm.

“Walk, bitch, or I’ll fucking kill you right here and now.”

With no choice but to walk or be dragged, Zita stumbled alongside Silas. Looking around, she still had no clue where they were, only that they were surrounded by giant hulks of rusting metal. The occasional car or truck aside, most looked like boats and ships of some kind. Not too far away, she saw water.

Silas didn’t slow down. He weaved in and around the big structures as if he knew exactly where he was going, which Zita had a feeling didn’t bode well for her.

“Why are you doing this?” she croaked, her voice sounding as if she’d just smoked three packs of cigarettes in a row.

“I warned you. Told you to stay away from him. But you didn’t. In fact, you flaunted your relationship. Going back to his apartment, staying there all night. Kissing him like a whore in front of your motel room. All you had to do was leave him alone and you wouldn’t be here. But you didn’t—so you are.”

“But why?” Zita asked again. If he was going to kill her for loving Sage, she wanted to know the reason.

And just like that, in the middle of this fucked-up situation, it hit Zita like a ton of bricks. Of course she loved Sage. She wouldn’t be moving away from everything she knew if she didn’t.

It was a hell of a time to come to the realization…when she might not ever have a chance to tell the man himself.

“Why else? Money,” Silas told her nonchalantly.

“I’ll pay you double what you’re getting if you let me go.”

Silas laughed. And it was a mean sound, not a humorous one. “There’s no way you can pay me double what Carmen is.”

Carmen.

Zita had already suspected his threat would circle back around to that bitch. She wasn’t happy that she didn’t get what she wanted…Sage.

“Not to mention, she’s gonna make sure I get the best jobs when I move out to Hollywood. She’s got connections. I’ll be staying in the hottest motels, driving the nicest cars, and buddying up with the most famous actors and directors in the biz. And getting all the pussy I want.”

This man. He was delusional. He had no clue how Hollywood worked. How fickle its inhabitants were. If you weren’t one of “them,” you were a nobody. And while he might get lucky enough to work for a few famous people, he’d never, ever be on the inside the way he obviously hoped.

“Listen to me, Silas. Carmen isn’t going to get you any of those things. She’s using you like she uses everyone. She⁠—”