Page 29 of Better Run

I wait. My plan hinges on Cole coming in to chain me to my bed. I wait and wait and wait till despair starts to creep in. He’s not going to. He won’t come in time. Jayden will come back before I can get away.

But, what feels like forever later, he comes in. I’m laying under the covers and stir as if he woke me, gripping the glass spice container.

“Shhh, back to sleep, little one.” He bends down to pick the cuff off the floor.

I strike, whipping the covers back and slamming my weapon into the back of his head.

He crumples and falls to the floor, unmoving. I stare at his large form. For a second, I feel bad.

No. I scramble to put the cuff on him, then pat him down for his knife.

Fuck! He doesn’t have it. I check again, panic rolling through me. I can’t believe that worked. I look around the room and then throw on my extra clothes.

Cole still lies motionless. I pause. He’s still breathing. I take his shoes and socks off too. I put the socks on myself and take the shoes with me.

I do a quick search of the living room. There! His knife is sitting by a half-whittled horse. I grab it and sprint to the door. This is when my countdown really begins. I don’t know the code for the alarm. Jayden is going to know as soon as I get out that door.

I take a deep breath and run outside.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Cole

I groan. Pain lances my skull, making light dance behind my eyelids. There’s an alarm blaring.

Fuck. I pry my eyes open and don’t recognize where I am. There’s a wood floor and a bed above me.

The cabin. Jayden. The girl.

The girl! I rise to my hands and knees, groaning. She knocked me the fuck out.

As I stand, I hear a clank. I look down to see my wrist cuffed. For a second I flash back to when I was a child, chained up and alone. Except for when I wasn’t.

I press my free hand to my eyes and force myself back to reality. I bark out a laugh. That damn minx.

Jayden’s gonna be pissed.

I fish in my pocket for the small key that my past forces me to always keep on me.

There’s a blaring noise that shoots pain through my head. I realize the door alarm is going off. I also hear my phone ringing in the distance.

I start moving that way and realize I’m barefoot. She’s taken my shoes and socks.

I grin as I pick up my phone. Jayden’s voice bites, “What’s going on?”

“It would appear our little prey has managed to escape for the moment.”

There’s deadly silence.

I head to the door to turn off the alarm. “Don’t freak out brother, we’ll get her.”

“Fuck,” he growls. “I’ve been calling you for five minutes.”

“I was indisposed for a bit. She knocked me over the head.”

“Christ, I knew something was up. I shouldn’t have left.”

“Where are you?”