Page 103 of Captive of Outlaws

“Why? So you can cash in on me after all?” I yell. “Because you know what I realized? The only reason you ditched your kidnapping plan was because I didn’t turn out to have anyone who’d pay for me. Easy to be noble when it doesn’t cost you anything,” I spit.

“Okay,” Rob says, “but Maren, we didn’t know you. We didn’t know—”

“Didn’t know you’d sold my dad the drugs that killed him?”

Rob’s face goes stony. But he doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t deny it.

“Tell me it’s not true,” I say, the sobs threatening to return. “Tell me it’s a lie. Tell me it’s just LJ trying to get under my skin, that it’s...”

A ringing buzzes through my ears, slicing through myconsciousness.

No.

“Maren,” Rob says, his voice low and serious. “Maren, I’ve done—we’ve done some fucked-up shit. I can’t lie and tell you—”

“No,” I say, taking slow, backward steps away from the house. “No. You know what? Don’t even start. It doesn’t matter. I never should have believed you the first time.”

Behind Rob, I can see Will working his jaw. Tuck, too, looks pained.

“You aren’t leaving,” Rob says. “Not until we can explain. You are staying here, Maren.”

He surges forward, but I’m faster.

“No!”

I lunge for the crossbow, shove in the bolt, and hold it cocked right at his chest. My hands are shaking under its weight, from adrenaline, from nerves, but I keep it steady enough.

“Take one fucking step and I’ll shoot,” I shout, hot tears burning at my eyes. “And don’t think I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Tuck furrows his brow. Will puts his hand to his mouth. And Rob’s eyes widen, his mouth slightly open. And...goddammit, goddammit, I wanted those to be it. I wanted those to be the faces I saw every day, every morning when I woke up and every evening when I drifted off to sleep.

But that isn’t reality.

Nothing in this world comes for free, Maren.

“Please,” Rob says, reaching a hand forward. “Just—”

With a violent jerk, the bolt looses from the crossbow and sings through the air, clipping him square on the shoulder. Ahit, drawing blood.

Rob staggers, giving a howl of pain, but I don’t wait to watch and see what happens. I drop the weapon and run, run, run until I’m at the gate. I fumble out the key fob and tap it to the panel, and on a low hiss of pistons, the gate glides open.

No alarms, no flashing lights, just a way out.

So I take it.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

WEIRDLY, I EXPECT THINGSto feel different on the other side, like I’ve transported myself into another realm, but they don’t. It’s still Sherwood Forest, still the lazy cheeping of birds and the calm rustling of pine needles and leaves.

Still, I take in a big inhale.

Then I look for my car.

It’s a ways down the road, at the bottom of the hill—where LJ left it, presumably, when he couldn’t get it in gear. Thank God for drivers who don’t know stick, I guess.

I don’t know what I’ll do, exactly. Drive as far as I can, try to get a job? I could easily take on a mechanic gig if I can get far enough away from Sherwood to be anonymous. Just a girl with motor oil streaking her palms and a broken heart in her chest who’s half-decent around a welding torch. I’ll work for cash, under the table. I’ll do anything to stay alive.

I slide into the front seat and rev the engine, almost crying with relief when it turns over easily. There’s still almost a full tank of gas. I could be in the next county before I need tostop—maybe the next state.

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