Page 23 of Colton

Chapter 11

Colton

Ipull Mary through the narrow hallway, adrenaline pounding in my ears. As we move, I can’t shake the feeling that every shadow is watching us, waiting—waiting for my father to unleash his own personal brand of hell upon us. The tense atmosphere is almost suffocating, a reminder that this is no longer just about our secret; it’s about survival. That sick fuck won’t stop until he has her.

“Colton, where are we going?” Mary whispers, glancing over her shoulder as if the darkness itself might come to life. Her eyes are wide, filled with confusion and something else I can’t quite decipher—fear? Trust?

You wish.

“Just...trust me,” I reply, trying to keep my tone steady even as my heart races. The distant echoes of footsteps reach my ears, and dread coils in my gut. He’s already searching for us. “We have to move. Now!”

Mary nods, her resolve hardening as I lead her deeper into the house’s hidden veins, my familiarity with the passages now our only advantage. I block out everything else, focusing solelyon the task at hand: keeping her alive. I can hear my father’s voice in the library, a sound I’ve come to dread.

“Find them. They’re here, somewhere. Colton knows the house well, so check the passages.”

I stifle a growl at the tone of his voice, so casual, so unbothered by the chaos he’s inciting. It fuels something dark within me. I refuse to let him control her—or me—any longer.

“Colton!” Mary gasps suddenly, gripping my arm as I pause to listen. “What if they find us?”

“Then we fight,” I respond through clenched teeth, instincts flaring as we tear down passageways I used to hide in as a child. It’s almost a comfort, this familiarity, but I refuse to let it cloud my judgment. Every corner we turn could lead to danger.

“There’s a room up ahead,” I say, trying to exude a confidence I don’t fully feel. “It has another exit. We can make it.”

Mary’s breath quickens beside me. “And what if we run into your father’s men?”

I shove away the thought, unwilling to think about what they’d do to her before they deliver her to my father.

What they’d try to do.

“We won’t let them catch us,” I reply, forcing a grin that barely touches my lips. “Stay with me.”

I grab her hand, and she stumbles after me. I glance back at her, the determination etched in her brow slicing through the uncertainty swirling in my mind.

“You’re scared,” she observes softly, that sharp insight of hers hitting home.

“I’m not scared," I scoff.

“Then what are you?”

I have to pause, not entirely sure what I am.High on her presence? Alert? On edge?

“I’m focused. Let’s just keep moving.”

She frowns, reflecting the fear she’s trying to mask.

I turn back toward the narrow passageway, leading the way as stealthily as I can. The corridor stretches, dimly lit, shadows clinging to every stone.

“Do you think he knows?” she whispers, her voice lost in the silence that envelops us.

“He always knows, even when it seems he doesn’t,” I reply grimly. “That’s part of the problem.”

The sound of footsteps grows closer, and my heart surges into overdrive as I lead her into a smaller nook to our left that I hope will buy us a few extra moments.

“Stay quiet,” I breathe, peering around the corner and spotting one of my father’s men pacing the hall, a distorted figure approaching steadily, eyes scanning, hunting for us.

“Colton, what do we do?” Mary’s whisper is barely audible, but the tremor in her voice is unmistakable; it sends a ripple of urgency through my veins.

“Just breathe.”