Page 21 of The Hunted

He finally unties the rope, and he slings it to the side.

I can’t speak. I can’t move. All I can do is stand here as the tears trail down my cheeks.

I’m not getting out of this room.

A sob bursts free from my throat, and I drop my face in my hands.

“Raven, look.”

I raise my head as he pulls the mask from the man’s face. Now I am in total shock.

What?

Ethan?

My sister’s fiancé sits in that chair, beaten within an inch of his life. His bruised eyes are nearly swollen shut. Blood trickles from his nose and lips.

Oh, my God. This man is a fucking monster!

“Ethan!” I scream as I move toward him.

Knox holds his arm out, blocking my path to Ethan. This man is going to kill us. I’m the only thing that stands between our deaths. I hurtle myself into him, knocking him backward slightly, swinging my arms and kicking my legs while screams of terror erupt from my mouth. Knox bands his arms tightly around my body, pulling me against his chest. My feet no longer on the floor, I kick wildly while he holds me in place.

“Ethan sold your sister, Raven,” he says as he pulls me closer against him.

His words register, and all the fight leaves me. My heart sinks to my stomach.

What? No…

“I can’t breathe! I can’t fucking breathe!” I fight against Knox’s hold as I shout and slide down his body to my knees.

It can’t be true.

My world spins on its axis, and everything is turned upside down. A few words have altered my very existence.

“No, no, he wouldn’t. He loves her,” I whisper more to myself than to anyone.

“He’s fucking lying, Raven! Don’t listen to him! He is fucking crazy and is going to kill us!” Ethan roars behind Knox’s back.

I feel a finger under my chin before my head is gently lifted up. Knox is on the ground, on his knees in front of me.

“Baby, he sold your sister to pay off a debt he owed to some very dangerous people. They were going to kill him, but he gave them your sister to save his own worthless life.”

At his words, I lose it. Sobs wrack my body. My sister has been sold! My God, where is she?What’s happening to her? My worst fears are true. I try to lie on the floor, but Knox lifts me up into his arms.

“Please,” I plead. “This can’t be true. No! Please help me find her! Please!”

Jesus, my sister. My poor baby sister was sold. I’ve wasted all this time at that estate and she was never there.

“Shhhhh…baby. I will. I’ll find her for you,” he promises as he carries me out of the room.

“Raven, wait! I’ll tell you who I sold her to, please don’t let them kill me. Help me, Raven! Please! Don’t leave me here!” Ethan’s tearful screams pierce my ears, but Knox doesn’t turn back.

Stunned, I tuck my head into his shoulder and let the sobs shake my body. Knox tightens his grip on me, and he carries me back to his car. When Knox asked me to spend the day with him, I never could have dreamed this was why.

How could Ethan have sold her? Her own fiancé?She trusted him, hell, my entire family trusted him. They were together for three fucking years. I never had any inkling anything was off with them or that Ethan could be involved in anything so seedy.

How did this happen?

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