Page 120 of Stealing Home

“Surprised?”

I slightly shift my head to the right to look at the man who is standing in front of me. And the pit in my stomach just got worse because the voice I heard is exactly who I thought it was. This is not going to end well, no matter what happens. I’m not the praying kind normally, but I pray that someone finds me before I die or worse. Cole’s entire career or the rest of his life with his family can’t be ruined because of me. I already know what willhappen. He won’t stop. He won’t stop, no matter what to hurt him for whatever happens if I’m not here.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or are you just in shock that I could grab you from under your precious Cole’s watchful eyes?” Dylan Crawford says.

I don’t respond. I can’t give him a reaction. It’s what he wants and I refuse.

“Answer me!” he yells, spits, flying out of his mouth.

He visibly becomes more angry the longer I don’t respond to him.

“You don’t have to answer. You just need to learn your lesson. And it’s going to happen right where you made the wrong choice. I always get what I want. No one stands in my way.”

The wrong choice? Oh fuck. This is because I shot him down? Are you fucking kidding me?! I can’t even process this completely. This shitty excuse of a human being is beyond entitled. Who does he think he is that he gets whatever or whoever he wants, no matter what? Was he not told no as a child? That wouldn’t surprise me.

I don’t know how long I’ve been gone, but I’m sure at this point Heather and Cole are at least looking for me. I hope at least it’s been long enough that they would look because, if not, I’m royally fucked and on my own more so.

“You look confused. I guess I hit you pretty good in the back of the head with that wooden bat,” he admits.

No wonder my head is throbbing. Dylan’s laughter turns dark, and it seems he's become unhinged. He pauses and looks me dead in my eyes.

Dylan takes a step towards me and I flinch. He makes me sick and if he thinks that I’d willingly be with him now he’s out of his mind.

“Well Adriana, you get to make the right choice or suffer the consequences.”

I stare past him, and that’s when I see a sliver of a banner. It’s a banner I’ve seen only a few times because it’s not in an area of the stadium that I would normally go to. We must be in the hallway that leads to the equipment for the field maintenance department. Okay. Think Adriana. If you can get away, where do you go? Which way do you run?

“Do you hear me, bitch?”

Still refusing to give him the satisfaction of answering him, I continue to stare past him. I don’t want to give up hope.

Dylan shakes his head and walks the last few steps to be directly in front of me. He crouches down and reaches out to grab me. I try to move, but I can’t. He moves me so that my legs are in front of me and my back with my hands are touching the wall.

“That won’t do. Maybe you need another nap.” He finishes and I don’t even see the punch coming. I feel it on my face first and then my head when it hits the wall. The light is darkening and I feel myself start to slump to the side.

Everything goes black and all I hear is a ringing.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Cole

“Want to hit the range?” Ty asks me as we walk out of the stadium to his truck.

“Why, because if you go home there is going to be a gaggle of women?” I ask him.

“Exactly. Maybe King and Dean would come too.” he suggests.

“I’ll text them.” I tell him

Cole: Want to hit the range with Ty and I?

King: Bro date? What, are your women busy so you have time for us single people now?

Dean: I’m in.

Cole: Sure a bro date.

Dean: What time?

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