Page 81 of Ghost

I knew Zeke was outside. He would’ve been there to help if he could, so that had to mean something had stopped him. And there was only one thing that could’ve done that—the gunshots. I didn’t want to take a chance on Kay or Sutton or anyone else getting hurt, so I did the only thing I knew to do. I played into his insanity.

“We’ll go. We won’t fight you.”

“You really expect me to believe that?”

“I mean it, Dylan. No one has ever wanted me the way you do, and I haven’t done right by you. I’m really sorry for that.” Just saying the words made me sick to my stomach. I hated Dylan, and I hated the idea of even pretending to care about him. But I didn’t have a choice. “Just give me a chance to make it up to you.”

“You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you?” His eyes narrowed. “After all the bullshit you’ve pulled?”

“Please, Dylan. I’ll do whatever you want.”

“There she goes with the begging again. You don’t get it!”

He reached down and grabbed me by the throat, squeezing tightly as he lifted me from the sofa and tossed me to the floor. The handcuffs dug into my skin and made it impossible to move. I could only lay there and watch as Dylan’s foot came toward me. It slammed into my stomach, knocking the breath out of me.

“You did this!”

He kicked me again, and I saw stars.

Trying to stop him, Toby jumped up and rammed into Dylan, trying with all his might to tackle him. He didn’t budge. He just stood there and laughed, “Nice try, kid.”

Toby balled his hand into a fist and tried hitting him, but Dylan grabbed his hand and twisted it, bringing Toby to his knees. He cried out in agony, “Ahhh, stop!”

“You gotta be a man to fight a man.”

Enraged, I leaned back and kicked Dylan in balls, and I kicked him hard. He dropped to the ground and bellowed, “You fucking cunt!”

He gasped and spat, and I knew this was my chance to get away. I rolled to my side and then to my knees. Once I was on my feet, I turned and whispered, “We gotta go.”

The words had barely left my mouth when I heard the click of his pistol. I turned and found the barrel aimed straight at my head. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”

Damn.

Casey

“You were really brave tonight.”

“I didn’t feel brave.” We were lying in Toby’s bed, and he was curled up next to me, toying with the sling that protected his broken wrist. “I was really scared.”

“I know, sweetie. I was, too.”

Toby’s eyes filled with tears, and he sniffled, trying to hold it all in. "I thought… I thought he was gonna hurt you… like he did before."

“I’m so sorry.”

Toby was so good and sweet, and it gutted me to see his arm in that sling. It would be a constant reminder that he’d been hurt again, and I hadn’t been able to stop it. My stomach twisted as the memory played in my head – Dylan’s smug grin, his twisted words, and the sound of Toby’s scream as the bone snapped. It was a memory that neither of us would soon forget.

He looked up at me with those big, hazel eyes—now a little glazed from the painkillers—and asked, “Why couldn’t he just leave us alone?”

“He was sick, sweetie. He wasn’t right in the head, and I should’ve seen that from the beginning.”

“I thought he was cool, too.”

“He was a really great actor.” I reached up and brushed a strand of hair from his face as I added, “But we don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“Yeah, ‘cause Sutton smoked him.”

“Toby.”

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