Page 46 of Simply You & Me

Heaving a quick sigh, I release the hope weighing on me as I click my phone on. The immediate brightness of the screen makes me cringe in the dimly lit parking lot.

You know, for such a nice ass restaurant, you'd think they’d care about their employees, especially the night shift.

Blinking at my phone, my feet stop moving. Multiple messages stare at me, shocking me still. Shit, did Aurora say something about how upset I've been?

Julian: Missing you, Sweetness. xoxo

Attached is a picture of Rory and Zach kicking a soccer ball around in the backyard. I don't see the other guys, but it's nice to see they didn't just sit her in front of the TV and ignore her like they did with me.

Wyatt: Hope work is going good, baby girl!

Zach: Can't wait to see you, Doll.

Tate: I'm so sorry, Lynnie. Please, let me explain?

I wasn't annoyed with the sweet messages until Tate made me realize that he's the only one who’s not acting like they haven't been treating me like an annoyance. Now, the loving messages from the other three feel fake. Like their words don't hold any weight. If Tate wants to explain, then fine, but that doesn't mean he gets my understanding.

I don't respond, shoving my phone in my back pocket once again. My foot feels heavy as I lift it to take another step toward my car. Grumbling down at the puddle that submerged my foot, I don't see the gloved hand peeking around my vision until it's too late.

Pain flares in my neck as I'm roughly yanked into a solid chest. My lungs burn with the scream being smothered by the leather-clad palm. Absently, I hear my keys clang to the ground, making my chest heave in panic. My escape literally slipping through my fingertips. Flailing and clawing at the arms holding me too tight, I barely notice the man in a mask in front of me.

A throaty chuckle makes my tummy roil. "She's a dainty little thing. Shouldn't be hard to break her. Let's go."

Break me?

With those words lingering between us, the tall man walks past us. Panic has another scream and sob lurching up my burning throat. No, no, no, no, no. My tiptoes scrape along the ground as I'm hauled further and further away from my car; away from freedom.

Oh my god. A black SUV comes into view, hidden in the shadows of the employee parking lot. This can't be happening to me. This can't be happening to my baby. I wasn't overjoyed when I realized I was pregnant earlier, but the closer I'm dragged to the waiting car, the more I realize I would do anything to keep the life growing inside of me safe.

But how can I do that?! There are at least two big guys, and the more I fight, the more I hurt myself and my baby.

Slowly, I allow my limbs to sag even as my adrenaline flares with rage and horror.

A hot breath wafts across my ear. "Giving up already, Adelyn?" He wields my name like a weapon even as he sneers the taunt. How do they know my name?! What the hell is going on?!

Am I giving up, or is this self-preservation? Unable to control the movement, I buck in his arms when they slacken marginally.

"Fucking, bitch." Using my momentum, the man holding me shoves me to the ground beside the SUV, my head bashing into the open door. White hot pain flares through my skull. My cry is nothing but a hoarse breath of air. A boot connects with my hip as I go to wipe away the blood dripping into my eyes. My ponytail splashes into the puddle of water first, my body following immediately after. The kick to my hip already throbs with a promise of a bruise, just as the other side scrapes on the gravel beneath me.

Before I can reorient myself, I'm hauled to my feet by a harsh grip on my upper arm. I hiss and cry as I stumble and fall into the waiting SUV.

"Not here, Brock. We’ll have a little fun before we dump her, promise," a man says before the door is slammed behind me.

Filing away the name for later, if there is a later, I swipe the falling blood from my eye.

Fuck, it's bad. This is really, really bad. Like really bad. Oh my god.

Finally able to see without blood dripping into my eyes, I try to look around the car. Doors slam, and more voices fill the space, but the only light comes from the dash. A deep chuckle sounds beside me, making me jump and scurry until my back hits the door. My hands tremble as I feel around for the handle while keeping the shadowed figure in my sight. His large body leans forward ever so slightly, making my breath hitch. The thick smell of smoke chokes me, and subconsciously, I worry what the exposure to cigarettes might do to my baby.

"P-please! Let me go!" I huff, my voice wobbly and achy.

A snort. "Let me guess, you won't tell anyone?" I nod my head frantically, only for him to laugh harder. "Oh Add. You still beg the same."

The man's use of my high school nicknames makes my blood run cold. I still beg the same. The only person I ever pleaded with to spare me was Johnny. But that can't be right. There's no way. "J-Johnny?"

"Wow, I'm impressed. You know, this was already a sweet deal. But finding out it was you with them? Icing on the fucking cake." He hums thoughtfully as he fidgets. Squinting, I beg for any way to see him, to know what I'm dealing with. The car pulls off onto the main road just as Johnny suddenly closes the space between us. "No more chit-chat. Nap time, Add."

A sweaty rag covers my nose and mouth, but my heavy arms are too slow to push him away. Whatever I inhaled with my gasp of shock has my eyelids drooping and my vision blurring at the edges.

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