Love Me (WITSEC #3)(62)

My vision came and went. And when I could see, all I saw was booted feet. Multiple pairs, or I was seeing double. Or was it triple?

“I think the bitch broke my nose,” a muffled male voice said.

“Suck it up and help me carry her.”

I recognized that voice. Cassy.

Hands lifted me by my legs and underarms. In the distance, I thought I could hear the garage opening.

“Hurry up and help me, Amber,” Cassy hissed.

A new set of hands grasped my right leg.

“Gabe was supposed to carry her,” Amber grunted.

“She hit me,” Gabe grumbled.

The change in the air told me they had carried me out of the garage, and with the sound of twigs snapping underfoot, I knew they were taking me into the woods.

I tried to shake my head to clear it, but all I ended up doing was making myself realize how bad it hurt. Next, I tried to kick my legs free.

“She’s coming to,” Amber said.

“Just a little bit farther. We don’t want them to hear her scream,” Cassy said.

My adrenaline kicked in at hearing that and I began to struggle against their hold.

The three of them either grunted or cursed and the next thing I knew, I was being tossed. My back hit the ground first, knocking the air out of me a little. Before I could recover, someone in a Michael Myers mask climbed on top of me and then pressed something sharp and cold against my throat. I watched as they pulled off their mask. Cassy’s tawny hair was what I saw first, then her cruel eyes.

She stared down at me with such anger. “Your time is up.”

Feeling a knife up at my throat was something I’d hoped to never feel again. It still was terrifying, but not the same as it had been last time. There was reassurance in that. “And?”

My response was clearly not the one she’d expected, by the flicker of surprise followed by the intensifying anger that showed all over her face.

My mouth stretched into a menacing smile. “Do you plan to cut my throat? Or do you have rope stashed out here for you to hang me with?”

She increased the pressure of the knife against my neck. “You don’t think I’ll do it?”

“It’s what Daddy expects of you,” I said as I tried to feel around on the ground. “To clean up your mess that is making him look bad.”

My words set her eyes ablaze. “At least I have a dad.”

I chuckled. “At least mine was kind and showed me love.”

“Shut up,” she gritted.

“To answer your question…no. I don’t think you will cut my throat.” As I said that, my hand brushed over a rock. “Now Gabe, on the other hand, would do it. Maybe even Amber. Both of them just act without much thought and they allow their emotions to rule their actions. But you…you’re a coward. It’s why you always have others do the dirty work for you. You’re too afraid of what Daddy might do.”

“Shut up,” she growled out again, her anger building and building.

“Cassy,” Amber said.

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Cassy snapped.

My smile grew at how easy she was making this. “You’re just a miserable little girl with a fucked-up home life and the only way you know how to deal with it is to take it out on others.”

“I said shut up!” she roared as she lifted the knife in the air, intending to bring it down on me.

But I was ready for her. I caught the wrist of her knife hand as it was coming toward me, and with a rock in hand, I swung, hitting her right in the temple. Cassy flew off of me, crying out.

I rolled and got to my hands and knees. I took a moment to assess where Gabe and Amber were. Stunned, they just stood there, staring at Cassy writhing on the ground. Taking advantage of their shocked states, I got to my feet.

Gabe, in his Ghostface mask, glanced in my direction as I took off running.

“Get her!” Amber yelled.

It was very dark. I tripped many times in my heels, which resulted in me scraping my knee and rolling my ankle. The only light I could see was coming from the cabin. It shone between the trees like stars. I ran in that direction, desperate to get help. I could hear Gabe and Amber gaining on me. With their boots and knowing exactly what direction I was heading, they’d undoubtedly catch up to me.

Logan’s voice popped into my head. “Never take the obvious road.”

I changed direction. I began running further from the cabin.

“Where’d she go?” I heard Amber say and I ducked behind a tree.

“I don’t know. She was just here,” Gabe said, his voice echoing through the trees.

I did my best to keep my breathing quiet. I was thanking the universe I’d picked up running or else I’d be winded right now.

“She’s in a white fucking costume, Gabe. How did you lose her?” Amber snapped.

“Don’t put that shit on me. You lost her, too.”

As they bickered, I worked quietly to undo the straps of my heels and take them off.

Amber let out a frustrated growl. “We need to split up. I’ll go check the cabin and make sure she didn’t somehow make it back there and you look around here.”

Gabe didn’t respond, but I knew they had gone their separate ways. The forest became quiet, and I couldn’t gauge where Gabe had gone.