And right now, I was the mouse.
The only ace I had up my sleeve was I knew the streets.
He didn’t.
Ducking behind a building, I rested against the brick face, taking a deep breath while I tried to get the serene look on Father Dominic’s face out of my head. He looked so peaceful, almost like he was happy to leave this shitty Earth. I’d never seen someone in the face of death welcome it as he had.
It was unnerving.
Like he knew what waited for him on the other side and he couldn’t wait to get there.
My eyes darted around the area, and I quickly noticed that there was no good place for me to duck low, not that it mattered. He would kick over every fucking rock to find me.
Pushing off the wall, I looked both ways before running across the street when I heard him laugh. “Run, little mouse. Run.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
I didn’t know where I was going or who to ask for help. Every time I tried to backtrack toward the clubhouse, he was there, smirking, shaking his head as if he knew what I was thinking. Left with no choice, I led him away from the clubhouse, making my way through the streets like a starved rat looking for his next meal.
He was good.
I’ll give him that; but I was better.
Snaking my way toward the outskirts of town, I headed for the brush, knowing that on the other side were the railroad tracks. From there, I could easily hop on a railcar and disappear.
It wasn’t the best idea, but I had limited options.
Breaking through the tree line, I came to a halting stop when my eyes landed on Miguel Chavarria leaning against a railcar, staring right at me.
“Told you I’d get my hands on you, Puta.” The fucker laughed while he shook his head.
They were boxing me in.
I was trapped.
Off in the distance, I heard him again. “You ready to give in, little mouse?”
“FUCK YOU!” I screamed, turning on a dime, running back the way I came. My lungs burned, desperate for air. My legs felt heavy with each step I took. I needed to find some place where I could lie low, catch my breath, come up with a way out of this fucked-up nightmare. Mainly I needed to get word to Luc that I was in trouble, and this time I wasn’t sure I would survive what was coming.
My knife was gone. I didn’t have my cell phone on me.
I had no way to reach anyone.
“Think, Ivy. Think,” I whispered to myself while I pushed further, deeper into the woods, when a powerful hand covered my mouth. Kicking and screaming, I couldn’t break his hold as his other arms held me tight against him.
Moving quickly, he ducked behind a large tree, taking me with him.
“Sweetpea, it’s me,” the familiar voice whispered in my ear.
Blinking, I tried to calm my racing heart, but my skin prickled with fear. It couldn’t be him. Anyone but him.
Releasing my mouth, I turned and stared at Oliver.
Frozen to the ground, I slowly shook my head when the man who liked to torture me, dress me up like dolls, then fuck me brutally and repeatedly until he got his fill stared malevolently at me.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
He frowned. “Is that how you talk to Daddy?”