Page 45 of Toy

“We might’ve even gotten married like we were supposed to,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “If no one else ever came along.”

“Maybe, yes.” I smiled encouragingly and took a small step forward. “Danny, you don’t have to do any of this. You can choose to do what you know is the right thing, deep down. Things can still be different for you. For us.”

“No. You’d never forgive me,” he said, looking down at his shoes.

“I would. Believe me, I’ve forgiven people for terrible things before.”

He glanced back up at me. “Why?”

I swallowed thickly. “Because they showed me who they were in the end, and I realized they deserved my understanding and forgiveness despite their actions.”

Danny’s forehead wrinkled. “You’d really forgive me if I helped you now? After everything I’ve said and done to you?”

“Yes.”

His eyes flicked to the left. “Okay. I…” He hesitated and sighed. “I’ll do it. But only because it’s you, Jolie.”

My heart leapt. “You’ll really help me?”

“Yes. But if you get caught, you can’t tell anyone it was me who tried to get you out,” he said, leaning forward with furrowed brows. “They’ll kill me. You know that.”

I nodded again. “I promise. I won’t tell.”

He motioned to the window on the right side of the bathroom. “Go out there and head down the path directly in front of you. There’s a tree with branches you can hide on if you climb a few feet up. You’ll know which one I mean. Can’t miss it. Stay hidden as high as you can while I figure something out.” He tilted his head to one side. “You can climb, right?”

“Yes.” I was weak, dehydrated and bruised, but I was determined to cling to any chance I got. I’d climb a whole mountain right now if it meant I had a hope in hell of getting home in one piece.

“Okay.” He pushed my left shoulder. “Go now.”

With my heart jumping, I turned to the side. Danny suddenly lunged forward and wrapped one hand around my throat, twisting me back around to face him. A rattling gasp of shock fled my lips.

“How stupid do you think I am?” he asked, letting out a bark of laughter. “Did you actually think I’d fall for your little attempt at manipulation?”

I tried to draw air into my lungs, but his fingers closed even tighter around my neck, preventing me from taking even the smallest breath. My head swam and the fog in my mind thickened as he squeezed harder. My throat was on fire.

“You sure fell for mine, though,” he went on, letting out another dark chuckle. “I suppose that makes you the stupid one.”

“Danny… please…” I managed to choke out.

He lifted me off the ground by my neck. Strange shapes and colors began to dot my vision as my oxygen ran down to its last reserves. Finally, mercifully, he dropped me. I crumpled to the cold tiles, gasping and wheezing.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said. His expression was hard and unyielding as he regarded me through heavily-lidded eyes. “You deserve everything that’s coming to you.”

It felt like a massive clamp had closed around my chest, squeezing my ribcage until I couldn’t breathe. For those foolish few moments, I’d actually thought Danny might have some sort of humanity left within him. I was wrong. He was beyond saving. He was a cultist through and through, and nothing would ever change that. It was stupid for me to think otherwise.

“Come on.” He forced me to my feet and led me out of the mansion. Moments later, we were back inside the small cabin, and he shoved me into the oppressive cupboard again.

“See you later,” he said with a nasty smile after I was chained to the wall again.

I didn’t bother replying. No point. I waited for him to shut the door and return me to the darkness, and then I curled up as best as I could with all my restraints and closed my eyes.

* * *

I wasawoken again by strong fingers yanking at the chains around my wrists and feet. My mind was groggy, and at first I didn’t even realize what was happening.

I kept my eyes snapped shut and fought to go back to sleep as the person unchained me. My dreams were my only solace right now. My only escape. They were warm and tranquil, filled with my best memories of Mason.

A large cup was thrust into my hands. Finally, some more water. I sat up and gratefully gulped it down, squinting as my eyes adjusted to the candlelight in the cabin. “Thank you, Danny,” I rasped.

---