Page 58 of Wanted

She leaned down and pointed the knife directly in my face, soclose if I breathed the wrong way, it would poke me. “I’ll tell you how you’reinvolved.” She took a deep breath before ranting on. “You were the one who led mybrother on. You were the one who gave him false hope. And at the first signthings weren’t going your way, you decided to tell the authorities he kidnappedyou. You stole him away from me!” she hollered. “Youdid that.”

“Megan, please. I liked Samuel. I did. But he was sick. Hethought we were in a relationship, and he forced me to stay with him against mywill.” I didn’t even finish before she flipped out.

“STOP!” she roared. Before I could take my next breath, a burningsensation ripped through my arm. Warm liquid seeped out and dripped to thefloor. She’d lost control for a split-second and cut me. “Stop telling me lies.We both know what happened.”

My eyes cautiously studied her movements as she paced in front ofme. She wielded the knife as if it would deliver the truth. Her version of thetruth. Glancing down at my arm made me wince. It hurt like hell because it wasmore than a superficial wound. Multiple stitches would be required to seal theflesh back together.

Another scar from the pastI can’t seem to escape from.

“The day they released my brother was the best day ever,” sheremembered, a small, crazy smile on her face as she thought of Samuel. Shelooked away, lost in a memory which caused her to tear up. “I loved him, Sara. Hewas my big brother.” She looked like the old Megan for a second.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, my words having the opposite effect.

“Sorry?” she screamed. “Sorry? Did you honestly just say that tome, you deceitful bitch?” She swung her fist at me, hitting me right in thetemple and knocking me to the floor. “You and your bastard boyfriend areresponsible for my brother’s death,” she sneered, a look of pure ragecontorting her face. “And now both of you will pay.”

Lying on my side, I tried everything I could to remain as calm aspossible, doing my best not to pass out. I needed to remain alert, especiallysince she mentioned exacting revenge on Alek as well as me.

All of a sudden, my cell phone started ringing. Wasting no time, Meganstalked toward my purse and grabbed my phone.

“Well, lookey here. It’s the man of the hour,” she taunted, preparingto answer it.

“Megan, what are you doing? Leave him out of it. You have me. Ifyou want to take out your anger on anyone, take it out on me. Please,” I cried,but my pleas fell on deaf ears. She shot me an annoyed look, answering my phonein the sweetest of voices.

“Alek, thank God you called. Yes, Sara is with me. She wasn’tfeeling the best, so I brought her back to my apartment to sober up before wewent back.” She was silent as she listened to whatever he was saying.What the hellishe saying?

Her next words broke me. “Why don’t you come and pick her upthen? Yes.” She glanced at me as her lips turned up in an evil smirk. “I’ll bewaiting for you.” She gave him the address before ending the call. We were tenminutes from Throttle, which meant it would take him thirty minutes to arrive. Shecould do all sorts of things to me in that time.

“Megan, please, don’t do this. Please,” I begged her.Icouldn’t bear to drag Alek into yet another dangerous situation, but my handswere tied. Literally. I was still lying on my side when Megan advanced in mydirection. Seeing as how this wouldn’t be the best presentation for when Alekarrived, she bent down and lifted me back upright.

As soon as she turned her back to me, I fiddled with the rope whichbound my hands to the chair. Soon, I was able to loosen the knot she made. Notenough to escape. Not yet, at least.

“I knew Alek would come for you without question. He’ll alwayscome for his precious Sara,” she scoffed, hate laced around each word.

“Please, don’t involve him. It wasn’t his fault. It was mine.”

“He shot and killed my brother. How is it not his fault?” Shebreached the distance between us with a few angry steps. The knife was pointedright in my face. “How? Tell me right now before I slice that pretty face ofyours.”

I trembled and hated myself for showing weakness. For some oddreason, I knew my weakness would only fuel her vendetta even more. “I was theone who misled Samuel,” I confessed, knowing I was only lying to try and buymore time. “I was the one responsible for his death, Megan. It was all my faultand I’m sorry.”

My lies permeated her crazy brain. I knew enough from watching plentyof shows on people who have snapped to not stick with your version of thestory. If they believed it to be one way, you had to find a common link to keepyou alive. But how long would it work? I had no idea, but I had to give it ashot.

“He loved you, Sara. All he wanted was to be with you. You shouldhave stayed with him this time.”

The bitch was stone-cold out of her mind. But at least I wasbuying myself some time.

She continued to shake her head in confusion as she made her waydown the long hallway. She entered what I could only assume was her bathroomand slammed the door behind her. I went to work on the rope with enhancedfervor, trying to give myself the best fighting chance, only stopping when Iheard a noise behind me.

“Sara.” I heard someone whisper my name, but I thought I washallucinating. Whatever Megan gave me was strong enough to knock me out, thenkeep my head fuzzy when I came to. I continued to work on my restraints. “Sara.”I heard it again. I turned my head to the side and couldn’t believe who I saw.

Brian was crouched in the window, prying the rest of it open asquietly as possible so as not to alert Megan. He must have been watching longenough to know when to make his move.For a brief moment, I was brought back to the night Samuel had managedto hit him in the head, before abducting me.I cringed at the thought he was putting himself in danger yetagain...for me.

“Brian,” I cried out, clasping my lips together as soon as I madethe noise. I turned my head toward the hallway to make sure she hadn’t heardme. So far, so good.He raised thewindow the rest of the way so he could fit through.

He was on me in two seconds flat, working the rope from its knotin even quicker time. Once my wrists were free, I grabbed them and rubbedfeverishly, forcing the blood to flow freely. “How did you find me so fast? Alekjust called here.” As soon as I tried to stand, I fell right back down. Iwasn’t strong enough to move on my own.

“Alek called me as soon as he found out Megan was Samuel’ssister.” I looked on in confusion. “He told me what I needed to know. He gaveme your coordinates and I rushed right over. I was instructed to do everythinghumanly possible to get you out of here alive.” Helping me to stand again, heassured me Alek was going to be there any minute.

It was an assurance which made me fearful.

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