Page 106 of From Us, Forever

CHAPTER 20

EVY

Minutes ago.

It took me three steps out the door to realize that I’d gone the wrong way, and I wasn’t sure if it was the false sense of security being at such a big event or the number of drinks I had that masked my intuition. But it was already too late. Too fucking late.

“Walk and don’t say a word,” warned the voice behind me.

I had to wheeze air into my lungs to breathe properly, praying the hard metal digging into my lower back wasn’t what I thought it was. And one wrong move would have me splattered across the hallway.

Trudging down farther, we reached an exit door, which the man behind me burst open. Through my periphery, I tried to get his profile, but his form was like just another man, wearing dark clothes and a mask over his face. It was hard to tell. His voice was familiar, yet I couldn’t place it.

He pushed me out the door, and a shiver ran through my body when the cold New York night air whippedacross my face.

A singular small white van was parked conveniently in the alleyway with the back door open.

“Drop your phone,” he commanded.

I wanted to fight and scream and run, but one glance and my eyes landed on the revolver he held in his hand.

Real panic squeezed through my bones. I hesitated, gripping my phone tighter—If I dropped this now, no one would ever know where I am. Jay could never find me.You have to think of something, Evy.

“I said, drop it.” The man pushed forward, half-shoving me, and through the corner of my eyes, I saw his phone peeking from his pocket, and my brain snapped to action. The risk was life or death, but I had to take it. I wasn’t in a position to wait for another chance.

I acted as if I’d lost my footing and stumbled over him. “Sorry,” I mumbled and quickly slid his phone out of his pocket and fell to the ground in a heap. I hid his phone inside the skirt of my dress and twisted around, holding out my phone.

“We don’t have much time. Give it to me.” He grabbed it out of my hands and threw it across the wall, and in a quick chance, I glided his phone under the van, praying it wouldn’t ring and that he wouldn’t notice.

“Get up.” He yanked me by my shoulders and pushed me inside the car, closing the door behind us.

“You’re late.” Another voice called out from the driver’s seat as we cruised away.

The man next to me kept his gun trained on my side, and I didn’t dare say a word. Instead, I noted the route for any signs of where we might be headed. I didn’t like the fact that I wasn’tblindfolded—worst-case scenario, they were confident I wouldn’t be returning, or best-case scenario, wherever they were taking me was just a temporary spot. I tried to focus on the positive. I had to if I wanted to get through this.

Ten minutes later, we pulled up to a quiet street just outside the city, lined with rows of similar-looking houses. They parked the car inside the garage, closing the door behind them before they pulled me out of the van.

The larger man with the gun held a tight grip on my arm as they pushed me forward. We walked through the kitchen, which had a single broken light bulb, smelling like old food and dirty socks from probably the number of empty beer cans and takeout boxes lining the counter.

This was their home, and that only made my fear grip me alive.

I forced my shaky knees to move forward past a small living room and toward a door that led down to the basement.

“Move.” He nudged, and I carried my feet down the steep stairs.

My heart thrummed with each step I took, shaking with unshed tears.

A single flickering light bulb came into view, illuminating the room with a huge computer monitor set up at the side and a singular high window taped shut with sheets.

“Hold out your hands.”

I swallowed. “Why?”

“Just hold them out,” he snarled.

I brought my shaky hands forward, and the other smaller man gave him a zip tie that he tied around my wrists, thenlowered me to the floor. “Stay right there, and don’t say a word.”

I nodded, licking the dryness on my lips, and took deep breaths to calm myself. I needed to stay rational and logical if I wanted to get myself out of this situation.

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