Page 14 of Far From Sherwood Forest
But he didn’t kill me.
At the last second, he lowered his gun.
Pain rips through my leg about a second after the shot goes off, and my knees buckle under me. They crash onto thehard ground, adding to the pain. I fall backwards onto my ass, grabbing my left leg and looking down to assess the damage. Blood soaks through my jeans on the side of my thigh. It looks like I may have gotten lucky and it’s just a graze.
Slightly unhinged laughter bubbles up from my chest, and I don’t even know why. It’s definitely too early to be delirious from blood loss.
I peer up, still laughing. “Just like old times, huh, Sheriff?”
He doesn’t comment on the title, but every time I say it, there’s a little twitch in the corner of his left eye. If the asshole’s going to keep shooting me, then I’ll keep fucking saying it.
Without a word, he walks toward his truck, going right around me like I’m trash.
“You bring me out to the woods,shootme, and then leave me out here? You could’ve at least bought me dinner first.”
Still, he ignores me, opening the driver’s side door of his truck.
Now I’m getting pissed.
“What’s the matter, Henry? Don’t want to kill me after all?”
A vague sense of déjà vu hits me.
He pauses at the open door then turns around and stalks back over to me, grass and leaves crunching beneath his boots. He bends down, and I swear the seams of his jeans are going to rip with how tight they are.
Lifting his gun, he uses the barrel to wipe a strand of hair off my sweaty forehead. It’s the cool metal that makes me shiver.Notthe cold look in his eyes.
“I was never going to kill you tonight, Robin,” he says, his voice low and dark. “I have five extra years of hatred to let out. So, no, I’m not going to make it that easy on you. I’m going to take my time. I’m going to ruin your life like you ruined mine. I’m going todestroyyou.” He stands, and when he gives me the first thing resembling a smile—a small but no less menacingsmirk—another shiver passes through me. “We’re only getting started, Robin Hood.”
It’s RobinLocksleyhere, but I think he knows that considering he was able to find me and has been watching me.
Either way, it does exactly what he wants it to do.
It reminds me that, underneath these facades we’ve built, we really haven’t changed.
As he climbs into his truck and the beam of his headlights hits me, it occurs to me that that was the most he’s spoken since kidnapping me from the bar. I can’t help but let out another short laugh thinking the one thing he’s actually passionate about is me.
Destroyingme, sure. But stillme.
Once the red glow from his brake lights has disappeared, I let gravity take me, crashing down onto my back. The ground is cold even through my jacket, and my leg and hands are sticky with blood, pain still radiating from both bullet wounds. But none of that is what really bothers me as I stare up at the clear, night sky. The stars wink down at me, and I think back to that night five years ago when the sky looked the same as it does tonight.
John and I have both moved on, at least as much as we could. Henry clearly hasn’t. If anything, he’s let it all fester until it’s grown infected, spreading like cancer.
I can’t imagine living like that. Perpetually stuck in the past.
When I realize I’m feeling sorry for him instead of myself, I roll my eyes and reach into my pocket for my phone, being careful of the gash in my left hand from Henry’s bullet.
Fucking asshole really shot me twice and left me out here.
I unlock my phone and frown at the single bar of service. Pressing the button to call John, I hold my breath, releasing it when the ringing finally starts after trying to connect for several seconds. It takes a little while longer, but John eventually picksup.
“Where the hell did you get off to?”
“I need you to pick me up at the park.”
“How did you get all the way out there? The truck is still here.”
I sigh, still staring up at the dome of the sky above. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you get here. I’m at the farthest campsite at the end of the road.”
