Page 1 of Journey To Sunrise

Prologue

Chloe

Four Months Ago

The cabin floor scraped against my chin. Wood dust filled my nose. Five other girls lay zip-tied around me, wrists behind backs, ankles bound tight.

Where’s Zoe?

Dammit. I’d been depending on her to be at this party, but she was probably out with some guy she spotted. Maybe if she’d been here, we could have thought of something to get us out of here.

Jennifer's sobs filled the cabin. The wiry man pacing near her kept flexing his gun hand.

I tried rolling toward her.

“Stop!” A boot slammed into my shoulder. Fire shot through my body. I bit down hard, swallowing the scream.

“Don't move. Don't want no funny business.” The man bent close, his breath hot and sour. “You hear me?”

I nodded, chin grinding against the floor.

“Answer me!” Spit sprayed across my cheek.

“I won't move.” My voice came out raw. “I promise.”

“Louder.”

“I promise. I won't move.”

“Good.” He traced my cheek with his pistol barrel. Cold metal against skin. “Be fun to make you cry.”

The gun moved to Jennifer. He nudged her with his boot tip. “Quit your crying, or I'll give you something to cry about.”

“Ed, quit playing with the hostages.” The second man's voice carried authority. “Find out which one is the Avery girl. We need to flush out that Evie bitch.”

My stomach dropped. Avery. They wanted one of us specifically.

What did you do, Evie? What did you get us into?

“Your last name Avery?” Ed kicked Jennifer. Hard.

“Me!” The word ripped from my throat. “I'm Chloe Avery.”

Ed grabbed my hair, yanking me halfway off the floor. My neck screamed but I clamped my jaw shut.

“What did you say?”

“I'm Chloe Avery.”

He cackled. “Quinn, I've got a winner!”

“Does she have brown eyes? Her sister has brown eyes.”

Ed lifted me higher. I forced my eyes wide.

“Yes siree, brown eyes.” He dropped me.

I twisted, taking the impact on my ear. Pain exploded through my skull.