Page 6 of Restitution

He grips my shoulders and pushes me back enough to study my face. “Tell me you’re okay, because we need to leave as soon as Barry gives us the go-ahead. Can you keep your emotions in check until we get out of here?”

“You told me to let it all out.”

The slight tilt of his head shows his confusion. “There’s more?”

I huff out a laugh and wipe my eyes. “Sometimes I forget you’re an unfeeling idiot.”

Smirking, he steps away. “You didn’t answer my question.”

I raise an unsteady shoulder. “I’m okay.”

Apparently, I must still have tears running down my numb face, because he raises a brow at me and wipes my cheeks. “Don’t cry any more tears because of them. You’ve got it all out. Dry your eyes and keep your chin up. They don’t deserve your tears.” He gives me a tight smile, which makes his dimple dent in. “No one does.”

I take in a deep breath through my nose and exhale through my mouth. “Right. Okay. I’m okay. Really. I still can’t believe you’re here. You escaped and—”

His phone rings, cutting me off. Tobias silences it as he says, “You can yell at me later. I did what I had to do for my family, and you” – he flicks my nose – “you are part of it.”

Smiling, I hug myself. I’ve not been part of a real family in years.

It feels good.

He leans down and grabs his mask, a gun peeking from inside his suit jacket.

Gone are the images of Tobias playing board games and reading historical literature while baby Eva sits on his chest and grabs at his face.

The door behind him beeps just as he fixes the mask in place, and we both freeze as the same guards who left only fifteen minutes ago enter.

“We have orders to remove the girl. You will have your payment refunded within twenty-four hours, but you are welcome to take your pick of any of the others left over from the auction to keep you company in a different room for the night.”

They both step to the side, giving Tobias a clear path to walk out. “Please follow us.”

It takes Kade’s father all of two seconds to snatch his gun from his jacket and put a bullet in one of their heads. The abruptness of the bang has me wincing and backing away just as the other guard knocks Tobias’s gun from his hand and proceeds to punch him across the face.

With the size of the man’s hand, I would be on the ground and screaming with a broken jaw. Tobias just laughs and headbutts him, then grabs him by the nape with a deadly grip while he’s dizzied from the broken nose. I watch in horror as Tobias drags the man towards the rack of blades and starts smashing his face into them so fast, blood splatters everywhere, cutting himself inthe process.

The man squeals like an animal until the blades cut into his throat, then the sound turns to choking, twisted gasping, and then nothing.

Tobias lets go of the guard and watches his body slump on the ground in a pool of blood. He grits his teeth at the small slashes on his hand and fingers, flicking his hand out to get rid of the blood.

“What a waste of life,” he sighs, rolling up each of his white sleeves to the elbow. “We can’t wait any longer. Fuck Barry’s plan.”

I nod and rub my hands up and down my exposed arms; my white dress has little splashes of blood down the front.

“I’d offer you my jacket, but I need to pretend I’m a piece of shit who just paid millions for a pet. Some of them will be flaunting their prizes. Because I was a new bidder with no history in this fucked-up world, I had to agree to the five-day induction trial to get past security. But if we’re out there, I cannot draw attention. We need to blend in. We’re completely outnumbered, even with the people we have surrounding the manor.”

“I understand.” I chew my lip. “Kyle and Chris were outside. Did anyone catch them?”

“No. Why were they here? No. Fuck that. Can we focus on you first?” But yet again, his phone rings and cuts us off.

“Now?” Tobias answers. “Fuckinglistento me, Barry, you motherfucker, I have two dead guards here, and it’s only a matter of minutes before more come. Either you find a safe way, or I’ll find one myself. I. Need. To. Get. Her. Out.”

I hug myself, nearly tripping over one of the dead guards as I step back. I slip on a puddle of crimson liquid, shaking the blood from my foot while Tobias discusses the new escape plan quickly –the route we’ll take and how many guards we’ll pass on the way.

He hangs up the phone and takes my hand, pulling me out of the room without another thought. “We need to go. When we see someone, act scared. I need to hold you like I plan to fuck you in every position possible without your consent.”

“Jesus, Tobias.”

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