Page 53 of Better Run

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Mary Jo

I stay downstairs all night. I hear the front door open and close then it’s still for a long time. At some point, I fall asleep, and when I wake up, the cabin is still. Too still. I feel like I’m being watched.

I sit bolt upright. I’m on the couch, and it’s daylight out. My gaze darts around the room until it lands on Cole, standing deadly still, grinning at me. He’s by the fireplace, wearing a dark blue t-shirt and jeans that stretch across his thick thighs.

The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

“She awakens.”

“What are you doing? Where’s Jayden?” I try to move slowly. I feel like I’m being stalked by a predator, and any move will set him off. I scan my surroundings. The knife I’ve been using to whittle is on the coffee table by me.

He sees me notice it, and his eyes light up. He looks feral. “Let’s play a game.”

“No.” My voice is quiet. My heart pounds. “Where’s Jayden?” I ask again.

He laughs. “He won’t protect you. Plus, he’s out with Sage.”

What? My hands shake.

“Oh, don’t worry, he’s not going to fuck her. He saves that for you.”

I tell myself I don’t care about that.

Cole continues smiling at me, his face handsome and mean. “The game is keep away. You keep that pretty body away from me, and you win.”

“What? I—”

“You get the knife.” He nods at the table.

He’d let me kill him? I look at the knife. I’ve used it before. Or at least, I tried to.

“If I get three cuts, I’m done. You win.”

Adrenaline fills my body. “If I win, you let me go.”

He throws his head back and laughs. “You drive a hard bargain. Okay, I accept.”

Fuck. I don’t like how easily he agreed. I clarify, “You let me go home. Right after.”

“Okay.” He’s still smiling.

“Swear it. On your mom.”

His grin freezes for a second. Then he does a slow, flourishing bow. “I swear on my mom that if you win, I’ll let you go. Right after.”

Excitement courses through me. The thrill of the fight. The possibility of escape. I snatch up the knife.

His voice goes low. “Better run, little one.”

I do. I take off to the basement, to Cole’s room. I hear his measured footsteps behind me. He’s not even rushing. I slam his door shut and lock it. The light is off, and I keep it that way. I scramble for the desk. It’s heavy as fuck. My heart is pounding, and I shove it. It moves a little. I put my whole body into it and shove it against the door.

The door handle rattles. He’s fiddling with the lock. I struggle to inch the desk close enough that the door has no give. The door opens an inch before slamming into the desk.

There’s a dark chuckle. “What a smart girl. Useless, but cute.”

I look around and heave in a breath. All I need to do is cut him three times. If I can lure him close enough to the crack, I can do that.