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CHAPTER 1

WILD

I glared down at the smoking engine, cursing it silently, like that would help the issue. Seriously? This was when my car decided to shit the bed?

With my arms wrapped around myself to protect me from the cold, I glanced around my surroundings. I was lost as fuck. The two-lane farm road looked like every other one in this damn state, and I was completely turned around. My phone died about an hour ago, and of course in my rush to get out, I’d forgotten my charger. Awesome.

“Fuck you, Rey, you big pile of fucking dicks.” I screamed out to no one in particular. It wasn’t like my stepfather, Rey was here to see me cursing him out. Still, it was hard not to blame him. I would’ve bever been in this situation if it wasn’t for him.

I stomped back to my car and peered at the engine. Yup, still smoking. I didn’t know a damn thing about cars. Also Rey’s fault. Wasn’t it his job to teach me all this shit? He was the only dad and father figure I’d ever had. But he always just took care of everything car related on his own, and I never bothered asking about it. I always figured he’d be there if I needed help. Shoulda known better.

“Shit, shit, shit, what do I do?” I’d be the first to admit, I wasn’t cut out for these situations. I didn’t have any particular survival skills to speak of. I was cold, lost, and I had no idea where the closet sign of civilization was. This was the beginning of a horror movie, for sure. And I would 100% be the first victim.

Well, sitting here cursing out my stepdad wouldn’t get me anywhere. I made my choice when I decided to leave the house on my own. Now I had to deal with it.

I opened the back door and pulled out my backpack I had hastily packed and my extra hoodie. I wished I’d brought a coat, but this would have to do until I could figure out something better. This wasn’t the best plan, even before my car crapped out. Once I saw those pictures, though, I couldn’t think straight. I had to leave and quick. Because if I saw Rey, I wouldn’t be able to control myself after learning what he was doing. For mom’s sake, I had to. I had to be the bigger person. It would break her heart, and I just couldn’t…I had to get out of there.

I threw whatever I could fit into my backpack, snatched my wallet, and booked it. I had at least enough common sense to grab my birth certificate and social security card but still proved I was an idiot by not bringing my damn phone charger. Or taking out cash locally before Rey or Mom had a chance to realize something was wrong. Now I just had credit cards that were easily traced, a dead phone, and a broken car. Fun times.

I slung the backpack over my shoulders and started to walk, praying I was headed in the right direction. Not that I even there really was a right direction. I didn’t have one when I left. Part of me kinda hoped I was headed back toward home. This was a stupid ass plan. What the hell was I going to do? I had a crappy part-time job I wouldn’t even be able to keep. No money that was my own. Mom and Rey paid for school, for my phone, fuck, everything. I couldn’t live on my own. So what, I found a few pictures of me on Rey’s computer? Maybe he was a bit of a pervert, but who wasn’t? None of them were from before I was 18. Yeah, it was shitty for Mom and maybe a little creepy. But he really was the only dad I ever had. He took care of us. Why would I give that up because of a few compromising pictures.

I shuddered as a cold blast of wind hit me smack in the face. I knew the real reason why I ran, and it wasn’t because of the pictures. Because Rey wasn’t the only pervert in the family and not even the worst. Who the fuck jerks off to their own naked pictures found on their stepdad’s computer? Oh right, me.

I’m not so much of a narcissist that I actually got off over myself. No, it was imagining Rey taking those pictures, installing hidden cameras in my room, dorm room, and bathroom and then watching me in my most intimate moments. I should’ve been horrified, disgusted. I wasn’t. I should’ve told my mom, called the police. I didn’t. Instead, I jerked myself off in Rey’s desk chapter while clicking through the images like a freak. I never came so hard in my fucking life.

Reality hit post-nut. I couldn’t…this was wrong. So wrong. On every level. I had to go. For Mom’s sake. I couldn’t be trusted otherwise.

I was cursing my gut reaction after walking for about twenty minutes, or at least that was how long I thought it was. It was hard to tell when I had no phone and it was pitch-fucking-black outside. Why the hell didn’t this road have lights? Not that it would help me tell time, but at least I could see a foot in front of my face. I was going to get murdered. This was it. They’d find my body in a month or two eaten by crows or vultures or whatever fucking bird ate human bodies. I’d probably be too mauled to be recognized, but Mom would tell them about the metal plate in my leg from when I broke my femur as a kid, and they’d confirm it was me.

I wonder if Rey would realize why I ran. Or would my family just be wondering why I left my perfectly good, spoiled life only to be killed within hours of ditching them. Good job, Wild. So fucking smart .

I kept walking. Every step seemed to be creepier and creepier. Nothing existed here. It had to have been a few miles already, and there wasn’t a sign of life anywhere. Not even a cow on the side of the road. Like I said, horror movie.

My legs ached. I wasn’t in the best of shape. Me and exercise? Meh. No thank you. This was probably the most physical activity I’d done since high school gym class. Well, besides, sex, but that didn’t count.

Just thinking about those images made me shudder. Rey had watched me do stuff . Sexual stuff, if you catch my drift. And he saw me having naughty fun with other people too. It wasn’t just in my bedroom either. There were a few from that hookup at the club on my twenty-first birthday and in my dorm room. He had been watching me for a long time, a fact that turned me on way too much.

Headlights had me stopping in my tracks. It was the first time in hours I’d seen any other cars on the road. My heart was beating so fast I could hear it pounding in my ears as I tried to decide what to do. Should I dip into the field and hide? Ignore the car? Hitchhike?

What were the chances that this person who was travelling an isolated road in the middle of the night had good intentions? Probably fucking slim. The car was getting closer. I had to decide.

The car started to slow. Fuck, fuck, fuckety fuck on a stick. What should I do? What should I do? I squeezed my eyes shut and stuck my thumb out at the last possible second.

The car slowed and the window was rolled down. I forced my eyes open but couldn’t bring myself to look at the driving, like staring straight ahead would make my dumbass decisions any less real. Spoiler alert, it didn’t.

The person hadn’t said a thing, and I was already regretting my decisions. I lifted my foot, about two seconds from booking it.

“Get in the car, Wilder.”

Ice-cold dread filled my veins, even as my heart rate slowed, and my dick perked at the tone of voice. My body was sending as many mixed signals as my brain was. Part of me was relieved. It was over. I’d tried to do the right thing but failed. I did everything I could. Another, much smaller, part of me was outraged. Wanted to run, wanted to fight, wanted to scream. Another part, one that was much bigger than I care to admit, was turned the fuck on to know he’d once again followed me. Great, I got turned on by my step-father stalking me. I was a freak.

“Wilder, now. ” I startled and very slowly turned to look at the driver. I didn’t have a choice. It was impossible not to obey that tone.

“You followed me,” I accused, my voice shaky.

Reyes Padilla, my stepfather and the reason I was in this mess to begin with, just raised his eyebrow at me.

“What do you think?”

I swallowed, my mind racing. This was my chance. Stick to my guns and run. Sure, maybe he’d chase me down, but maybe he wouldn’t bother. My mom would probably question him, but he was a smart man. He’d come up with something. It wasn’t like I was never going to speak to her again. Once I was settled somewhere, I always planned on reaching out. I probably should’ve left her a note so she didn’t worry or call the cops. But I guess that was all moot since Rey found me. I wondered what he told Mom?

“Wild, this is your last chance to do this the easy way. Get your ass in this car, now.”

I turned my head to glance at the field. I should just do what he said. I didn’t want to be out here anymore, and Rey would make it all right. But the fire in his eyes promised a world of things I shouldn’t want but really fucking did. Suddenly, it didn’t seem enough to give in and obey. This wasn’t going to be a simple car ride home like he’d done for me countless times. He didn’t need to say the words for me to understand that.

Well, if he wanted to play like that, he’d have to work for it. I took one step like I was headed to the car, then turned on my heel and made a run for it, Rey cursing in the background.