Page 74 of The Boy I Loved (Eternal Hell #1)

“I can’t leave you,” I replied, knowing in my gut it wasn’t an option.

Dominic might have done some horrible things, but he’d been groomed and forced into this life. He deserved happiness, too.

“Don’t be stubborn,” he snapped. “Not about this.” The heat in his eyes told me how serious he was about this and how much he meant it.

Swallowing, I nodded, even though I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be able to leave him behind. He was my best friend, the person I loved, and Alice and Katrina needed him.

When the elevator slid to a halt, Dominic stepped out first. He held a hand out, silently telling me to stay put while he checked to make sure the coast was clear. Nervous goosebumps attacked my skin, sending a cold chill down my spine.

After a few seconds, Dom reached for my hand again and pulled me toward the front doors of the building.

This floor looked like any ordinary business.

There was a large desk with a phone seated on top, pamphlets stacked beside it, clean polished floors, and bright lighting.

It was no wonder Clay got away with his seedy dealings.

He hid his trafficking ring in another business.

As much as I hated to admit it, it was smart as fuck.

Through the large glass windows ahead, I could make out the darkness of the night outside. The outside lights remained on, casting large glimmers of brightness along the green stretch of grass that bled back into the darkness farther on, prohibiting me from seeing past that.

When we reached the doors, Dominic lifted a shaky hand, his eyes locking with mine. There was so much fear and inner turmoil swirling within them that it made my knees buckle. He was terrified.

I squeezed his hand tightly in reassurance, letting him know that I was right by his side.

He exhaled shakily, before reaching for the keypad beside the door and quickly typing in his code. A green flash of light sparked through a small glass bubble and the sound of the doors unlocking echoed through the room, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

My heart pounded vigorously, fear and excitement intertwining through my veins. It was so close now, closer than I thought possible. We could actually pull this off .

Dominic pushed one of the large doors open, and as soon as he did, alarms blared, rattling the walls and burning my eardrums.

He jerked me outside, the cool air brushing over my skin.

For the first time in what felt like ever, I could finally breathe again.

He took off running, pulling me along with him, adrenaline pumping through my body as I worked to keep up with his pace.

The wind whipped through my hair, sending it back behind my shoulders.

I hadn’t accounted for how large the stretch of grass was to the woods, or that we’d be in the middle of nowhere.

But it wouldn’t make sense to have a trafficking ring right in the middle of town.

I also hadn’t considered how weak I was.

They didn’t feed us well and I was convinced they’d been slipping shit into our meals to keep us more docile.

As we continued to run, exerting our muscles and fighting for our lives, a memory cut through my thoughts.

Dominic and I used to run like this all the time when we were kids.

Usually, he was chasing me, but this felt similar to that.

Except … we weren’t running from anything that was dead set on killing one of us.

A shudder rolled through me at the reminder.

Shouts sounded distantly, the alarms still blaring from within the building. My heart leapt into my throat. We were nowhere close to the tree line. Though, I’d be surprised if anyone managed to catch up.

“Keep going,” Dominic ordered through labored breaths. “We still have a chance.”

He was right. Despite how much my joints were screaming in agony, I couldn’t let it deter me. It was a matter of life and death—for me at least.

I didn’t know what the plan was once we made it into the woods. Did we keep going? Was there a street nearby? Were there any vehicles? Maybe we could hide and wait them out.

My lungs burned with every erratic breath, sweat slickening my skin. To say I was out of shape was a massive understatement. It wasn’t like they gave us access to a gym, not that we’d even have the time for such luxuries .

A loud bang punctured the air, causing my ears to ring. It only took me a few seconds to realize what it was. My heart started beating faster, so fast I thought it would give out and this would all be for nothing.

They had guns.

When faced with fear, you were presented with two options. You could fight or take off running. For me, I’d never chosen either of those options, with Tristan being the exception. My muscles began to lock up, the fear slowing me down. I knew that if I froze now, it would be over.

“Don’t you dare,” Dominic hissed at me, a slight tremor in his voice that told me he was just as affected by the gunfire as I was.

I pushed out another breath of air, picking up my speed once more. They were too far away to shoot either of us—at least … that was what I told myself. I didn’t know what kind of guns they were using or how far their bullets went.

The trees were growing closer and closer.

We were well past the halfway point by now, but there was still so much more distance to go.

My hand fell from Dominic’s and I swiped my sweaty palm against my side.

He didn’t run ahead of me, even though we both knew he could.

He kept at my pace, refusing to leave me behind.

My body was growing tired, my stamina running out. I didn’t know how much longer I could go before my muscles gave out entirely. Dryness coated my tongue, begging for hydration. Hopefully there was a river or something through those trees.

Another gunshot rang out, slicing through the windy atmosphere.

A scream tore from my throat when the bullet zipped right by my head.

Maybe they were closer than I thought. In every horror movie or thriller I’d seen, they always said not to turn around, that it could be a fatal mistake.

Still, curiosity mixed with the need to know won out.

I glanced over my shoulder, fear tightening its hold around my frantically beating heart.

“Dominic,” I began through pants, tears burning my eyes. “They’re past the halfway mark.”

He cursed under his breath, his dark hair whipping backwards as he ran alongside me.

I couldn’t tell who was chasing us, but Clay had to be one of them. It was his operation. Surely, everyone working the night shift would have come to his aid. My hope was starting to fade, doubt creeping in and sliding into its place. If we made it out of here unscathed … it would be a miracle.

When the third gunshot rang out, I pushed my feet harder against the dirt, focusing on the path ahead of me. We only had to make it a little bit farther—just a few more yards and we’d be free.

“Almost there,” I panted, another thrill shooting through me.

When Dominic didn’t reply, I glanced over at him. Only … he was no longer there. Horror snaked down my throat, my steps faltering. Whirling around aimlessly through the night, my gaze fell on his crumpled form about a yard away. He was kneeling, clutching his side with his head bowing forward.

“Shit,” I hissed.

With all the strength I could muster, I backtracked, knowing it could be the mistake that got us both killed. But I couldn’t leave him behind. After everything we’d been through, I knew one thing for certain—Dominic was mine and I was his. If we died, it would be together.

He glanced up when he realized I’d come back, an angry scowl twisting his gorgeous lips. “Run.” He growled, lifting his bloody hand to push me away from him. “I’ll only slow you down.”

“Never.” I grabbed his free hand, the one not coated in blood, and helped him to his feet again. He wobbled slightly, his skin seeming paler than before. Wrapping an arm around his waist, I was careful not to hurt him .

“You’re an idiot,” he forced out, limping at my side. He couldn’t run—that much was clear.

“I love you, too.”

He rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips despite his annoyance and pain.

We continued toward the woods again, at a much slower pace than either of us would have liked.

Their footsteps pounded behind us, growing closer and closer.

We weren’t going to make it. I knew that as soon as I realized I had to go back for Dominic.

It wasn’t his fault. Still, a heavy weight sat on my chest at the knowledge.

A voice rang out, cutting through the air around us. “Stop now or the next bullet goes in Hazel’s head.” It was Clay.

Dominic sighed, his movements slowing until he’d completely obeyed the order.

With his back still turned to them, he lowered himself to both knees, looking up at me beneath the full moon.

His dark lashes casted a beautiful shadow over his sharp cheekbones.

He was stunning, even now when faced with danger.

I stopped with him, standing before his body.

His hands gripped my waist, turmoil swirling through his eyes.

“You should have kept going,” he whispered. “I’m not worth your life.”

A frown tugged at my lips. “You’re right, Dominic Steel. You’re worth more.”

If my only two options were to leave him behind or die by his side, it was a no-brainer. I couldn’t live without him. I’d already proven that when he was sent away to begin with.

Glancing over Dom’s head, I saw them approach. There were probably over ten men, Clay at the forefront.

Dominic discreetly lifted his shirt, revealing a black pistol tucked beneath his waistband.

Slowly, he tugged it free, fumbling with the side of it before a soft click sounded out.

Just as he was about to rise again and use the weapon, Vincent approached.

He gripped Dom by the hair hard, a sneer curling his lips as he forced his neck to bend backwards.