Page 22 of Freshmeet
It was like a fuse lit inside me, and I was out of the car and running.
“Stop running, Deidra. You’re just making it worse for yourself.” The slow slap of boots on mud followed me across the dark construction site.
I’d almost reached the giant crane when he broke into a sprint, closing the distance between us in a flash.
Grabbing my arm, he yanked me back, locking me in his hold. “Come on. Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” he said, plunging his knife into my gut.
I cried out, my hands going right to my stomach. The pain was red-hot, radiating through my midsection.
My attacker laughed, shoving me to the ground.
I curled into a ball, trying to put pressure on my belly and ease the pain, but it didn’t work. My vision blurred with tears as I silently cursed myself.
He stepped back with a deep sigh, watching as I rolled to my stomach and slowly crawled toward the highway. Luck was on my side, and I caught sight of a pair of high beams less than a mile away. Shoving up onto my knees, I yelled, “Help! Help me! He’s going to?—”
That same warm pain spread between my shoulder blades, and I fell face-first into the mud. Trying to lift myself up, pain shot through my torso, and I struggled to take a breath. The knife sliced my lower back, and I cried out, blood flying from my mouth as the car on the highway flew by.
It’s over.
“I warned you,” he said from behind. Picking up my foot, he dragged me back toward the car. Rocks cut into my belly as he yanked my body without a care.
He grunted and dropped my foot. “Great, now I’m all sweaty.”
Rolling me onto my back, he tsked. “Look at you.”
Tears, snot, and blood covered my cheeks as I managed to croak out, “Why?”
That hideous smile was back, only this time his eyes were hollow. All the warmth from earlier was long gone, and now it was clear it had all been an act. “Just working through something.”
I had no fucking idea what he was talking about. Every second that passed made it harder to breathe, let alone speak and ask him to explain. I choked out a wet sound, blood filling my mouth and suffocating me. Flat on my back, I was done for.
Without warning, he snatched my feet up and dragged me across the worksite. “I think it’s about time we called it a night, don’t you? I still need to get gas.”
Pressing his boot to my hip, he shoved me, and I rolled down a jagged slope, landing on my back with a heavy thud. Stars filled my vision as I stared up at the black sky. My blinking slowed as I fought to stay conscious.
A red light shone from outside the pit, dimming until I was left in total darkness.
Why did I get in that fucking car?
FIVE
SO YOU HAD A BAD DAY
CONNOR
“Turn the radio down,” Jamie whined from the passenger seat.
“No can do.”
He rolled his head toward me and pouted. “Have a heart. It’s 4:30 in the morning, I’m hungover, and Uncle Rick expects me to unload trucks today.”
“No one held a gun to your head and told you to drink your weight in jungle juice last night.” I turned the volume up, enjoying the pain written all over my little brother’s face.
He groaned and held his head in his hands. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you made me chase your drunk ass across town last night.”
“You’re a monster.”
