Page 39 of Throttle All the Way

But it wasn’t him.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find you?”

The voice slithered into my ears like poison, cold and venomous, and my body froze.

Yulian.

His name carved itself into my chest like a brand, burning away the last remnants of the peaceful dream I was having.

I turned, slowly, my heart thundering in my chest. My gaze locked on his face, a vision pulled straight from my nightmares. His smirk was a cruel twist of amusement, his eyes dark pools of sadistic pleasure.

“No,” I breathed, the word escaping my lips like a prayer. A futile plea.

“Oh, Mila,” he murmured, his tone mocking, caressing my name like it was his possession. “Did you really think you could get away from me? How naïve.”

My fight-or-flight instinct slammed into me, adrenaline coursing through my veins like wildfire. I lashed out, shoving him as hard as I could, my survival instinct ignited by sheer terror.

He laughed. A dark, guttural sound that pierced the silence and slithered down my spine. His hands shot out, gripping my wrists in an iron vise grip, his strength swallowing my resistance like it was nothing.

“Pathetic,” he sneered, his voice laced with disdain. “Did you think Cipher could save you? That tha nobody could hide you from me?” He yanked my wrists hard enough to cause pain and I cried out, nearly going to my knees. “Run all you want. I live for the chase. I always find what belongs to me, Mila.”

“Let me go!” I screamed, my voice cracking under the weight of my terror and fury.

“Oh, let me go,” He mimicked in ahigh pitched tone, his cruel smirk deepened, a devil savoring his power. “You’ll never escape me, Mila. See, because you are mine.”

The words hit me like a blow, but they also reignited the fire within me. I twisted and fought, clawing and thrashing, desperation sharpening my movements into a frenzy. My nails raked across his face, leaving a line of crimson in their wake. The sight of his blood should have been satisfying, but his reaction chilled me to my core.

He grinned, a sadistic glint in his eyes as his hand connected with my jaw in a sharp crack that sent me sprawling. Pain erupted across my face, the metallic taste of blood coated mytongue. My vision became blurred, but it wasn’t enough to break me.

Through the haze of pain, I pushed myself up. My body screamed in protest, but my soul roared louder. “You will never own me,” I spat, my voice trembling but defiant.

“Oh, Mila,” he cooed, his smile a twisted mockery of affection. “I already do.”

He lunged, but I was ready. With a burst of strength I didn’t know I had, I twisted free, scrambling off the bed. My bare feet hit the cold floor, and I bolted for the door, my heart pounding like a war drum.

The night air was a brutal slap against my skin as I burst outside. Snow blanketed the ground, an endless sea of white that offered no cover, no safety. The cold sliced through me, but it only fueled me, reminding me I couldn’t stop. My breaths came in ragged gasps, clouds of desperation hanging in the frigid air as I stumbled down the mountain path.

Behind me, his voice rang out, a sinister melody carried by the wind. “Run, Mila. Make it interesting for me.”

I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. The sound of his footsteps thundered behind me, relentless and unyielding. Each crunch of snow under his boots was a death note, a grim reminder that he was closing in.

A sharp crack split the night—a gunshot. The bullet whizzed past me, so close I felt its icy kiss. Fear clawed at my chest, but it wasn’t enough to stop me. I veered off the path, plunging into the trees, the snow swallowing my bare footsteps as I ran blindly through the darkness.

The world narrowed to the sound of my breathing, the pounding of my heart, and the relentless pursuit behind me. My legs burned, each step a battle against the freezing cold and the exhaustion threatening to drag me down. But Yulian’s voice, dark and mocking, spurred me on.

“You’re only making this more enjoyable, Mila,” he called out, his tone dripping with sickening glee.

Another gunshot. This one grazed my arm, the searing pain ripping a scream from my throat. I stumbled, nearly falling, but the adrenaline kept me moving. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

The forest around me grew denser, the trees like towering specters reaching out to ensnare me. My breath came in ragged sobs, my lungs burning, but I pushed forward, my will to survive outweighing the agony.

Then I heard him. Too close. His breath, ragged and hungry, was right behind me.

I pushed harder, my body on the brink of collapse, when his hand closed around my arm like a steel trap. His fingers bit into my skin, unyielding and cold as iron. The raw strength behind his grip was enough to steal the air from my lungs.

I screamed, twisting and thrashing, my feet slipping on the icy snow as I tried to break free. My nails clawed at his hand, at his arm, desperate to tear him away. But Yulian didn’t falter. His grip tightened, pulling me closer, his breath hot and sinister against my ear, a cruel contrast to the freezing night air.

“Did you really think you could escape me?” he hissed, his voice dripping with venom, each word slicing through me like a blade.

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