Page 22 of Unresolved

Chapter Twelve

Gemma

Ididn’t even thinktwice about my next move.

I ran.

I raced up onto the porch and straight into the cabin, putting almost all my weight on my toes so that I was soundless and light-footed.I found Rembrandt sleeping peacefully on the bed I’d been chained up on.I scooped him up then sprinted back into the open kitchen, dining and lounge room, my eyes darting left and right as I searched frantically for the car keys.

Ugh.They’d be in the car’s ignition, of course they would.There was no one around here to steal his only mode of transport!

Rembrandt wasn’t impressed when I ran outside, pulled open the driver’s car door only to find so sign of the keys.

“Looking for these?”

I spun around to find Evander smirking my way, one arm lifted with the car keys dangling from his fingers.

I shrieked, then holding Rembrandt closer to my body, I ran away from the cabin and the car, from the jerk Evander, and toward the stream.I splashed through it, the icy-cold water deeper than I’d expected as it soaked me up to my waist before I waded through to the other side where it was shallow once again.

A sharp rock pierced the underside of my bared foot and I winced, then stumbled, water splashing Rembrandt and making him hiss.

I gathered him closer, then straightened before glancing back.My breath shuddered out.The jerk had reclined his seat farther back and appeared to be enjoying the sunlight, relaxing as if he didn’t have a care in the world!

I scrambled up the opposite bank, aware then Rembrandt’s claws were digging into my chest and arms as he looked wide-eyed back at the water we’d traversed.

That he’d stayed relatively high and dry didn’t seem to matter, he clearly had trust issues.

“Yeah, you and me both,” I ground out.

I only wished I’d worn runners before I’d been kidnapped, instead I raced barefooted across the grass with its intermittent stony ground and headed toward the far-off mountains.I wasn’tthatfar from New York, was I?It might look like the wilderness out here but I’d bet there was plenty of people just outside the perimeter of his property...wherever that might be!

I’d run for probably half-an-hour before I was too winded and footsore to run anymore.I half-limped, half-walked toward the mountains, which didn’t appear to be growing any closer.

It was only when I saw the tall, chain link fence in the distance, one I wouldn’t even attempt to try and climb, that I stilled, my arm muscles going weak even before Rembrandt jumped free.

The deep resounding thrum of a motorbike pierced my senses long before I spun around to see the Harley Davidson motorbike heading toward me, Evander sitting astride it like he was the king of the world.

I had no doubt hewasthe king in this part of the world.

I slumped.Wasn’t it bad enough he ruled half of New York along with his brothers?

I wilted a little more as Rembrandt streaked away from me and the motorcycle, heading straight back toward the cabin.I had no doubt the traitor would get wet and swim across the stream to return to the apparent safety of his new home.

It was more than apparent my pet also had more common sense than I did.

---