Page 16 of Nowhere to Run

He was gaining.

So close, I could hear his breathing.

Steady. Unrushed. Like he knew he would catch up.

His pace was relentless.

Panic clawed at my chest. He was going to catch me. My footing faltered as the ground sloped downward. I bit back a curse, fighting for balance as I sidestepped the narrow section of the trail. My gaze flicked downward.

The river twisted below, dark and merciless. I sucked in a breath, forcing myself to focus.

Finally, the path widened.

I surged forward, my muscles burning with the effort.

Just ahead, an opening in the trees revealed my street, and my heart lifted. I was almost there.

Just a few more steps, and I’d be in the safety of an open space. Practically at my doorstep.

So close.

But then—

A hand wrapped around my waist, yanking me backward.

I gasped, my feet leaving the ground as an iron grip locked around me.

No—

He spun me, my back slamming hard against a rough tree. The bark scraped my skin. A hand pressed to my shoulder, pinning me in place.

“Fuck,” I gasped, the air forced from my lungs.

Adrian loomed over me, his chest heaving, his eyes dark and dangerous. Heat radiated off him, and for a moment, I was too stunned to move.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he growled, his voice low and sharp.

I twisted in his hold, thrashing uselessly against his strength.

“Let me go,” I yelped, breathless. “I’m not yours!”

His jaw clenched, his gaze locked onto mine with a quiet, simmering fury.

“That was incredibly stupid,” he snapped. “You knew I’d catch you. And you knew how dangerous it was to run so fast in here, so close to the river.”

He leaned in, his face inches from mine.

“Don’t ever do that again.”

I swallowed hard, my eyes darting downward. His stance was wide, braced. Maybe, just maybe, I could knee him in the groin and make a run for it again while he writhed in pain. I shifted slightly, my thigh tensing—

His hand shot out, gripping my leg before I could strike, freezing me in place.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” he snarled, his fingers digging into my thigh. “You don’t want to hurt the very thing that’s going to make you scream later.”

A slow, cruel smile curved at his lips as he reached for my hoodie. I sucked in a breath, heart hammering.

One sharp tug, and the zipper was down, the sound sharp in the charged silence. His gaze dipped to my cleavage, slow and assessing.

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