Page 17 of Tangled In Lies

“Your time is up, Princess.”

Without any preamble, he squats in front of me. With his body bent in my direction, I’m heaved into the air, my midsection hitting his hard shoulder.

My world turns upside down.

“Ooof.” I’m still trying to figure out what just happened when I sway around like I’m on a boat.

My stomach is unsure how to feel about that, but thankfully, it decides it’s okay for now.

Mostly.

Did this guy . . . did he seriously just throw me over his shoulder?

What the fuck?

“Let her go,” Mason yells from somewhere behind me.

Or in front of me? I’m not even sure anymore.

I stare at the floor as we move away from my friends.

No, no, no.

I finally find my brain again and pound on him with my fists. “Let me down.”

His shoulders shake underneath my stomach. Is he laughing at me?

Hurried footsteps come closer, and I try to hit him harder.

“You can’t just take her.” Ruby’s voice is loud with the slightest slur to it.

The guy holding me stops and spins around. “Try and stop me.”

Another spin, and we’re on the move again. The guy steps over strewn pieces of splintered wood and walks outside.

What the hell?

Was that our front door?

Or rather, what’s left of it?

Who does something like this?

The Thing.

That’s what Mason called him yesterday. This first impression might have been spot on.

I stare at the damage in disbelief, and then Ruby’s collection of garden gnomes which has, thankfully, come away unharmed. She’d be livid otherwise.

“Watch your head.”

That’s all the warning I get. One of the man’s hands leaves my thighs and goes to my back, and two seconds later, I’m in the back of a car. I’m unsure how he managed to get me in here like this, but I’m too stunned to react. Then the door closes, and I’m locked in.

I blink.

He steps away from the door and intercepts Ruby and Mason, who are frantically trying to get to me, while I yank on the door handle, push every available button, and hammer on the darkened windows.

The stranger ignores me and talks to my friends for amoment. After that, he goes to the front of the car and gets into the driver’s seat.

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