Page 202 of Teacher's Pet

He’s going to kill me.

I try to run. My body barely lifts off the ground before my injured leg buckles, sending me crashing down. A sharp cry rips from my throat as pain jolts through me, my lungs seizing against the freezing air.

Jake’s laughter slices through the night, cruel and hollow.

“You fucking monster,” he breathes, shaking his head. His lip curls in something between amusement and disgust. “Maybe you would’ve made it in Noah’s world.”

Noah.

My fingers clutch the necklace at my throat, the one Noah gave me, the metal burning against my skin. Tears well in my eyes, spilling over before I can stop them.

Jake smiles. Cold. Empty.

“How unfortunate.”

His gaze darkens.

“Too bad you picked the wrong brother.”

His finger tightens on the trigger.

The gunshot explodes.

Pain rips through me.

The world tilts, and the ground rushes up to meet me.

Darkness swallows me whole.

Chapter 38

Anastasia

The bullet slices through the air, grazing my arm before embedding itself into the tree behind me with a sharp, splintering crack.

A sharp sting flares up, warmth spreading as blood seeps down my skin in thin, winding rivulets. My hand clamps down over the wound, another one to add to the growing collection.

But I barely feel it.

My body is weak. My mind is slipping, fighting to stay conscious, to stay in the moment.

I can't black out. Not now.

A slow, mocking chuckle cuts through the night.

"Had to make sure this thing worked," Jake sneers, wiping at the blood streaming down his face from the gash on his forehead. It drips down his cheek, staining his collar, but he doesn’t seem to care.

He steps around Walker’s lifeless body like it’s nothing more than a piece of debris in his path. Without hesitation, he kicks it over, letting out an amused scoff.

"You really are something else, aren’t you, Anastasia?" he muses, his tone almost fascinated. "I’ll admit, grabbing the wheel, that was bold. Didn’t expect that. But brutally murdering Cole and Walker?" He lets out a low whistle. "It’s almost like you want to be remembered as a ruthless killer."

A laugh bubbles from my lips. Weak at first. Quiet. Then it builds, shaking through me, growing louder, wilder, until it’s full-blown, breathless hysteria.

Tears sting my eyes, mingling with the pain searing through my body. My ribs feel like they’re being crushed under the weight of it all.

I grit my teeth. Breathe. Swallow down the agony.

"I went down fighting," I whisper, voice hoarse but firm. "That much you can acknowledge."

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