Page 85 of Stealing Infinity (Stolen Beauty)

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“Scream and you’re dead, understand?”

I blink through a void of black, immediately recognizing the voice as Elodie’s, and I’ve no doubt she wants me to believe it.

But while Elodie is pretty much capable of anything, I seriously doubt she’d go so far as to kill me.

Or would she?

A jolt of terror blows through me, leaving me dizzy, unsteady on my feet, struggling to breathe. “What the fu—” My voice is a rasp, but before I can finish, Elodie yanks the bag so hard, it presses tight to my face, and I truly fear I might suffocate.

“Nod your head, Nat, so we know that you get it.”

She grips my arm so harshly, I stifle a yelp and do as she says. In an instant, the bag loosens, and I frantically suck in a lungful of air.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” she snaps.

Makewhatharder? What the hell is going on?

I inhale a series of short, shallow breaths, and with my heart about to explode in my chest, I force my brain to stay focused, as I struggle to fit all the pieces together.

For pretty much the first time ever, she called meNat.I’m not sure if she’s trying to appear friendly, or if she wants to remind me what a loser I was before I arrived on this rock. Considering she put a bag over my head, I’m leaning toward the latter.

Also, the fact that she saidwemeans she’s not alone.

This is verified when someone else starts tying my hands behind my back. Though who she might’ve roped into this—whateverthisis—is anyone’s guess.

Next thing I know, I’m on the move, as someone—I’m guessing it’s still Elodie—drags me by the arm, and someone else pushes hard against me. And, despite my attempt to stay calm, that’s when my anxiety really starts to spiral.

My stomach is churning, my body is covered in chills, while fat beads of sweat drip down my forehead and drip into my eyes.Screw keeping my cool and playing along. I need to find a way to stop this hazing, or abduction, or whatever the hell this is before it goes any further.

I try to resist, dig my heels in, and when that doesn’t work, I make my whole body go limp, forcing them to work even harder to propel my dead weight. When someone else grabs hold of my right arm and starts hauling me forward, I realize there’s at least one more in this party.

Great. That makes a minimum of three against one. The odds are definitely not in my favor.

“Where the hell are you taking me?” I struggle against them, try to catch a glimpse of the ground, hoping to maybe figure out some semblance of where I might be heading. But it’s impossible to see much of anything.

“Shut up,” Elodie snaps, squeezing my arm even harder. “I’ll do the talking. But, if you must know, you’re going on a little field trip, so stop being such a whiny little baby, and—”

A door bangs open. A blast of cold wind cuts through my skimpy lace dress and slices straight to my bones.

I recoil from the chill, try to fold my body forward, but it’s no use. Next thing I know, I’m pushed deeper into the squall as the door slams shut behind me and another one opens in front of me.

“Get her inside the car and watch her head!” Elodie says, her voice barely audible against the howl of wind.

No. There’s no way. I absolutely willnotget in the car. I won’t—

Next thing I know, I’m shoved into the back seat, scrunched into the middle with a body pressing against either side of me. And that’s when I know what this is really about.

We’re headed straight for the dock.

They’re going to push me into those cold, violent waters and watch from the shore until the current drags me under…

They’re going to force me into the skiff and watch as I battle the waves until I eventually capsize and drown…

I shake my head, cutting off the stream of horror-movie images scrolling across the screen in my brain.

I can’t afford to panic. I need to stay focused, alert—ready to spring into action and make my escape the first chance I get.