Page 208 of Stalking Ginevra

“We’re no different, you know. Both stuck with abusers.”

“He isn’t?—”

“He just punched you in the face, and threatened to shoot you in the vagina. You just told me he’ll kill you. Why not strike at him first?”

She flinches at my words, her gaze flickering from me to the room behind her, as if expecting her father to come storming back at any second.

“He’s coming for you,” she says, her voice flat. “You should run.”

My heart plummets to my feet. Carla is too confusing to understand. A victim and an accomplice rolled into an unpredictable package. I can’t afford to waste time talking sense through her skull when my life is on the line.

The dog whines from where it’s tethered to the house’s front post, signaling approaching danger. As I step backward toward the trees, the door slams open, and Valentino bursts out with a rope.

He’s naked, with a wiry frame livid with bruises. The dog cowers, shrinking back against its chain, whimpering as Valentino storms past. I lock gazes with it for a split second—its eyes mirroring my terror.

Not daring to catch a glimpse at the appendage swinging beneath the old man’s eight pack, I spin on my heel and run.

“Don’t just stand there, you stupid little bitch!” he barks at my back. “Shoot!”

The air reverberates with another gunshot, flooding my system with a surge of cold panic. It grips my gut, powering my feet. I sprint toward the trees, wincing at the twigs and gravel digging into my soles.

Valentino’s footsteps slam into the ground, heavy and relentless, and Carla’s alarmed cries echo in my ears. Every thud of my heartbeat is a countdown to disaster, but I don’t stop. I don’t dare look back.

“Carla!” he barks, his voice sharp and furious. “Keep that gun steady, or I’ll put you down like the damn dog!”

Low-hanging branches whip at my face as I plunge into the forest. My breath comes in ragged gasps, each stride a battle against the uneven terrain.

I have no idea where I’m going, if I’m running toward civilization or capture, but I push harder, tripping over roots and rocks jutting up from the forest floor.

Valentino’s shouts blend with the dog’s panicked barks, a cacophony of fear that drowns even the thud of my pulse. Thick woodland engulfs me from every direction, punctuating the darkness with intermittent bursts of dazzling sunlight. I squint, my eyes streaming with tears.

“You can’t outrun me, you red-headed whore!” he howls, sounding like he’s enjoying the hunt.

Every muscle screams for mercy, and my lungs burn for oxygen, but I can’t wait to catch even a single breath. Quickening my pace, I push through the underbrush as if the devil is snapping at my heels.

Valentino’s breath becomes ragged and excited. Each rustle of leaves and snap of twigs amplifies my terror. He’s getting closer, reveling in his sadistic pleasure. His manic laughter echoes through the dense foliage, chilling my blood to the marrow.

He’s done this before.

Most likely with at least one of his murdered wives.

Just when I think I’ve gained some distance, my foot lands on a layer of sticks and leaves. The ground beneath me collapses. There’s no time to react—just a sickening lurch as I plummet, my world spinning in a chaotic blur. I hit the bottom hard, my hip and shoulder slamming into a rough surface lined with rocks.

Pain shoots through my left side, and I gasp, choking on air filled with dust. Dirt and debris rain down on my head, and it feels like I’ve reached the bottom of an avalanche. When thecascade finally settles, I blink up at a jagged rim tangled with broken branches.

I’ve fallen into a pit trap.

My ears ring, making his insane laughter seem fainter, but I’m not about to trust my screwed-up senses. If I don’t move, Valentino will catch up in minutes.

Gritting my teeth through the pain, I force myself to stand, and reach for one of the branches hanging over the pit. I pull myself up, but the wood snaps under my weight, sending me falling back on my ass.

“Shit,” I hiss through clenched teeth, my eyes pricking with frustrated tears.

I claw at the walls, but they’re too crumbly, too steep. Whoever dug this pit knew exactly what they were doing. When the warmth on my back vanishes, I turn my head and squint up to the sky, finding Valentino’s silhouette looming at the edge of the trap.

Sunlight illuminates his gray hair like a halo, but there’s nothing divine about his warped figure. He grins down like a hungry hyena, running his tongue along his jagged teeth.

“See something you like, ginger minge?”

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