Page 74 of Undone

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Stronger

“ARE YOU READY TO GET STARTED?”

I gulped, at the weight of the gun in my hand.

“There’s bears and wolves out here. Not just bad men, okay? You need to know how to use a gun if you’re gonna stay living on the edge of the woods.”

My hand steadied as I raised the Glock, pointing it at the target beyond the trees. Rog had patiently showed me and Dev how to load and unload the clip. How to rack the slide and now I’m about to fire. I took a deep breath, let it out, and pulled the trigger. Pop! Pop. Pop. Pop. I emptied my clip in rapid succession.

“Damn, easy there.”

The rush that was traveling through me was like no other. I was scared, excited, and nervous, as I felt the power of the weapon in my hand. But it also felt oddly secure, like I could actually protect myself if it ever came down to it.

We practiced shooting for forty-five minutes. When Rog was out of bullets, he announced that it was time he taught us how to drive. I won’t lie, he’s sexy AF. It’s easy to see how Dev fell for him. He’s got a gruff exterior, but is smart as hell, with the skills of a Navy Seal and a sharp mind—despite how he speaks in slang.

“Smith will be back from his trip to Canada in a few days. He won’t let this go. It pissed him the hell off that he couldn’t find you. If you meant what you said about being done with him, you need to learn how to evade. He’ll show up at the school. He’ll hide in the shadows and wait for you to drive home where he’ll follow.”

I decided to tell them the truth. “I still have feelings for him. But I can’t be jerked around like a ragdoll anymore. If I see him, I’ll crumble. The only way for me to get over this is to have some space.”

Rog muttered, “Who knew he’d be such a dumb-ass when it came to women?”

Dev grabbed his hand, interlocking their fingers together, “It took you a while to figure out... I was it for you.”

“Nah, I knew, babe. I just enjoyed the chase.”

She rolled her eyes as he led us down the dirt path back to his cabin. He took out the keys to his truck. “Who’s going first?”

I walked by his truck and hopped on his Harley. “Forget the truck. Teach me how to ride this.”

His eyebrows rose. “You serious?”

“Yep.”

“It looks like we’re taking a road trip this weekend. That’s too big for ya’. There’s a decent shop an hour south that will have something more suitable for you and Dev. It’ll be a few grand though.”

“I’ve been saving up for years not knowing what to spend my money on. Do they come in hot pink?”

“Christ, the two of you are something else.”

“We are. Aren’t we?” I tucked my arm through Dev’s as we grinned at one another. “We’ll take the truck for now. I’ve got dibs on going first.” With a spring in my step, I opened the door and hopped into the driver’s seat. Rog rode shotgun while Dev took the back.

“Easy, until we get on the road. He’ll most likely try to find you at the high school. We’ll start there. Springdale ain’t populated, but there’s a few good neighborhoods of interconnecting streets. It’s the best place for losing a tail. You can wind through them, spitting out on one of the four main roads. I’ll also show ya’ a few old logging roads that lead back to the safehouse your stashed in. If you’re good, you’ll lose Smith.”

My hands clenched the wheel. Utter satisfaction flowed through me as I imagined the look on Smith’s face as I got away from my dark hunter.

Rog directed me through the streets, teaching me which ones fed to others. The neighborhood he made me memorize was a maze of interconnected roads that let you out in different directions, depending on which way you went.

I might not lose Smith if he’s on a bike, but if he’s in his truck and I’m in my Honda—I know I could. I started planning on where I could park a few blocks from school; make him think I carpooled with Dev. I could slip out a side door and into my car while he waits for me to come out front.

Plotting gave me a sense of safety, a way of feeling like I was no longer free-falling from the fallout of us. I was taking back control of my life and it felt damn good.

I slid my laptop into my satchel. Dev grabbed my elbow and hissed in my ear as I stepped out of the classroom. “He’s here. I spotted him from the front office. He’s on his bike waiting in the parking lot by my car. Probably because he can’t find yours.”

“Shit. I can slip out the side door as planned but he’ll corner you, Dev.”

“He won’t mess with me. It’ll start a war with Rog.”

I bit my lip.

He was here.

For me.

But I knew it was mostly for him needing to appease himself; to help him feel less bad about what he did. Escaping him was for me. But I won’t lie—I liked the thrill of being chased.

I opened the side door cautiously, peeking in both directions before slipping out. The woods bordered this side of the school. It was easy to follow the path made by students when they slipped out to smoke, vape, and make out. A thin coat of snow covered the ground. I was leaving tracks. But thankfully, there were already so many from students who had cut class.

In five minutes, I stomped through the brush to the side street where I had parked. My eyes kept checking the rearview, but no cars or bikes followed. When I pulled into the hidden lane where I now lived, elation shot through me. I pulled out my phone feeling like superwoman, the Cheshire cat, and even a little bit like Katniss. I was morphing into something else; something stronger than I had been before.

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