Split(57)

She sniffles but pushes up to her feet. Her eyes meet mine, and although hers shine with unshed tears, her gaze is steel. “Fuck you.”

My nostrils flare. My pulse rages and static fills my ears. I reach around and grab her by the back of the head, her hair a handle as I stomp a path to the creek.

Bitches. Every f*cking one of them deserves to die.

The water hits my boots, seeping in above my ankles as I drag her deeper into the frigid water.

Her wet boots slip on the rocks and she cries out when her weight drops. Her hands grip my forearm as my hold on her hair is the only thing that keeps her standing. “Gage, stop!”

Ha! Not until she understands.

We’re waist-deep in the water when I pull her around to stand in front of me. My muscles shake with anger and a bunch of other shit I refuse to dwell on. The glow of the moon our only source of light, her lips appear blue and her eyes crystal clear.

“On your knees.”

Her entire body quakes. “Don’t do this.”

“Get on your f*cking knees!”

Her eyes dart to the sides, her head unable to move as my knuckles ache from holding her tight. “But . . .” Her eyebrows pinch together and then pop up.

Yeah, she understands now.

The water is waist high on me and hits her rib cage. Dropping to her knees will effectively put her underwater and silence her forever.

I step in close, tilt her head with a vicious yank. A cry of pain rips from her throat and I bring her lips to mine.

“I want you on your knees, Shyann. Don’t worry, I won’t make you suck me off. I prefer my whores breathing.”

I tug and use my free hand to put pressure on her shoulder, lowering her against her will. She fights, but the cold water and fear must get the best of her because slowly she drops to one knee, then the other. The current tries to pull her away, but my firm hold keeps her right where I want her.

“Please, don’t do this.” She tilts her chin up, the water rising above her jawline and trickling into her mouth and nose. She coughs, gags.

Her mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping death-bringing air and I feel her body fight for life beneath my hands.

“Lucas . . . come back . . .” Her words trail off into gags as she struggles. Then finally water covers her face and she’s completely submerged.

My mouth breaks into a smile and I bend over so she can hear me through her freshwater earmuffs. “You’re going to die now, Shyann, and your last f*cking thought will be how Lucas failed you. He failed to rescue you, and he’s responsible for your death.”

She flails in my hold, her body’s last-ditch effort at survival.

“Never underestimate me.”





NINETEEN



LUCAS


Light blazes before my eyes and I’m thrown forward.

Cold water fills my nose and mouth.

I frantically search for footing. My boot hooks on a rock and finally I push up, gasping air.

I’m breathing heavy and shaking, but not from the cold. My muscles are fueled with the aftermath of adrenaline. I search my surroundings. I’m in the river.

There’s movement at the water’s edge. Coughing.

Shyann!

I race to her, but being waist-deep in water makes me move in slow motion. “Shyann, are you okay?”

She whirls around to her back, and even in the dark I can see the fear flooding her eyes. “Don’t touch me!” She crab-walks backward in an uncoordinated scurry, her soggy pajama pants sliding down and tangling her legs.

I hold up my hands and take a few steps back. She’s soaked. Her thin shirt clings to her body, and she kicks free of her pants to move farther away from me.

“What—” The truth slams me in the chest and I stumble back into the water, nearly falling in it. “Gage did this.”

“Stay away from me!”

“Okay, I will, but . . .” I take in her form, so small and helpless and scared. My mouth floods with saliva and nausea turns my stomach. “What did he do to you, Shy?”

She peers up at me. “Lucas?”

“Yeah.” I’m ashamed she even has to ask. What have I done?

She relaxes, but not by much. “Oh God . . .” she whispers. “I think he wanted to kill me.”

My head goes light and the overwhelming desire to run overtakes me. This is what happens when people get too close. I let her in, enjoyed her company, kissed her beautiful mouth, and he punished her for it. I can’t leave her. Not like this. Not after whatever Gage did to break her down. I have to fix this.

“I want to go home.” She sounds so defeated.

“I know.” I hold out my hand and she flinches away. The heat of tears builds in my eyes. “Please, it’s okay. I’ll get you home.”

Mr. Jennings is the closest thing I have to family now. Once he finds out what I did to his daughter, he’ll have me arrested. Or if I’m lucky he’ll give me what I’ve been wishing for for years and put me out of my misery.

“You scare me.”

A single tear falls from my eye, but with the water I hope she doesn’t see my cowardice. “I know.” The confirmation rips through my soul.

Shyann is the brightest thing I’ve seen in my life. She’s not mine, but God, I want her. Her friendship, her smile. That would’ve been enough. No, that should’ve been enough, but I took more. Way more than I deserved.