Page 43 of Back In the Shadows

“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.” I had to retain my innocence in case my plan didn’t work. “Hurry, you need help. Let me out so I can reach you.”

Xavier’s eyes rolled in the back of his head as he dropped to his knees, a sickening crunch echoing through the room. If I had my guess, he just broke both of his kneecaps on the concrete floor.

“Fuck, that hurt,” he muttered, looking at me. “All I wanted to do was protect you, Ella. Protect you from him.”

“Who is him?”Pass out, you stupid motherfucker.Pass out!

“Too many to name. But there’s something you should know, Ella.”

I frowned. He wasn’t making any sense at all, but as the next words slipped through his lips, my mouth dropped open. There was no way he was in his right mind and telling me the truth. The drug was messing with him. Puzzled, my brows furrowed, trying to understand the impact of what he’d just shared … if it were true.

Suddenly, he gave me a stupid grin right before he fell forward face first. Wincing, I remained still and watched if he moved or got back up. The rise and fall of his chest told me hewas still alive, but even if he woke up, there was no way he could get up off the floor and run after me with busted knees.

I opened the palm of my hand and studied the wedding ring he’d given me. Four days of captivity had sharpened my focus to a deadly point. Unlike all the other shit in his personal hell hole, the band didn’t look cheap. Not wasting any time, I traced my fingertips along the cage. Each time Xavier left me alone, I constantly searched for the right tension in the glass.

I began a deliberate, rhythmic tapping, barely perceptible, targeting the microscopic imperfections near the bottom corner panel. Tap. Pause. Tap-tap. If I remembered Ryan and Cami’s conversation correctly, a precise cadence building harmonic stress was critical for this to work. Even so, I wasn’t sure if the ring was made from the right kind of metal, but it looked platinum.

Sweat beaded on my forehead as the minutes passed. Each controlled strike created near-invisible micro-fractures. The glass, seemingly impenetrable, was slowly being compromised. Who knew a physics conversation had the ability to save my life?

With a final, strategic tap, the glass fractured in a precise pattern, creating a weakness I could exploit. I pressed the ring against the weakened point, applying the perfect combination of pressure. A small section gave way silently, just large enough for me to reach through and manipulate the lock mechanism. A loud click echoed in my ears as the cage finally released, and then I pushed the door open. Adrenaline surged through me as I scurried out of the container, my heart racing with fear and desperation. With shaking hands, I approached Xavier, and my fingers curled into fists as I flipped him over. Blood gushed from his broken nose, staining the floor red like a macabre painting. I didn’t care that he was hurt, though. All I cared about was retrieving my stolen wedding rings. My breath hitched in relief as I found them still in his front pocket, glinting mockingly atme. I quickly slipped them back onto my finger, feeling their weight like a comforting anchor. But then, with a triumphant smirk, I placed the ring Xavier had given me on his chest like a sick joke. A reminder that he could never truly possess me again.

“Thanks for the help in getting the fuck out of here.” I rose and forced myself not to kick him in the side until his ribs cracked, but time wasn’t my friend, and I needed to leave. I was well aware of the fact that just because I’d managed to get past Xavier, didn’t mean there weren’t men outside guarding the entrance. At least I thought they were there the other day.

My heart thudded as I frantically searched the kitchen for a weapon. My legs shook as I finally found a small knife and gripped it tightly, feeling its sharp edge digging into my skin. With sweat trickling down my temple, I crept out of the room and located the stairs leading upward to the outside, steeling myself for confrontation. I couldn’t afford to hesitate. If anyone was on the other side of that door, I needed to catch them off guard and use every ounce of surprise to my advantage. They would never expect me to burst through it, armed and ready for a fight. But I had to push all doubts and fears aside and take the only chance I might have.

I wiped my brow with the back of my hand, inhaling deeply. My pulse cruised at Mach speed as I reminded myself that this was what I’d been waiting for. If I got caught or failed to kill someone who tried to stop me, they would make sure I never had another opportunity to run. Death’s voice filled my mind as I took each step.Go for the jugular. If you can’t get to it, cripple them so they can’t chase you.My breaths came in short gasps as I approached the door. I reached for the handle, my heart pounding so hard I couldn’t hear anything else. On the count of three, I burst through the doorway and stepped outside for the first time in days.

The bright sunlight temporarily blinded me as I staggered around, attempting to find my footing. Dead leaves littered the ground, and I searched for any pair of shoes that belonged to the enemy, but I didn’t see any.

“No one is guarding the place,” I said quietly. I shielded my eyes and lifted my head, trying to identify anything that seemed familiar.

“What side of the tree does moss grow on?” I had to stop talking out loud in case someone showed up and heard me. Recalling that moss liked the north side, I turned in that direction. The slope of a mountain greeted me, and I turned and ran in the opposite direction, nearly stumbling down a hill. I hoped like hell I was going toward civilization and not away from it.

I picked up my pace, still gripping the knife in my hand as I remained alert for any other people, or any wild animals that might be interested in feasting on me. From the corner of my eye, I saw something bright green. An old, beat-up car was parked at the bottom of the hill. Then, I remembered Xavier and Fiona’s conversation about him still knowing how to drive. Dammit, why hadn’t I looked for car keys? Even though it was a shot in the dark, I hurried to the vehicle and glanced through the filthy driver’s side window. I swore when there weren’t any keys dangling from the ignition.

The sun cast an eerie glow through the pine trees, and I realized it would be setting soon. I would have to run like hell if I hoped to find help before it got dark. Sprinting as fast as my legs would carry me, I darted through the woods, trying to watch where I was stepping, but the snap of the sticks and dried leaves on the ground were definitely giving away my location. Suddenly, it dawned on me that mine weren’t the only footsteps I was hearing.

“Hey! It’s her!” A man’s voice said from behind me.

“Don’t let her go!” Another yelled.

My heart jumped into my throat as I ran for my life, no longer giving a shit about the noise I made. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted two big men barreling after me. Maybe I should let them catch me so I could slit their throats, but I was afraid I might be outnumbered. As fast as they were approaching, I quickly understood I couldn’t outrun them. My lungs burned as I ducked behind a tree and waited.

As the men approached and stopped within a few feet of where I was hidden, I could see the anger etched on their faces. They were determined to catch me and, quite possibly, do much worse. Gathering every ounce of courage I could muster, I jumped out from behind the tree and charged at the man closest to me with a ferocity he wasn’t expecting. My fists connected with his nose, causing him to stumble back in surprise and pain. I took that fleeting moment to shove the knife into his neck, sinking past flesh and tendons, the pressure singing up my arm in a wave of perverse pleasure. His eyes widened as he staggered backward and grabbed at the blade jutting out of his skin.

“You little bitch,” the other snarled at me. He lunged at me, but I dodged him and used his buddy’s body to hide behind. I pushed his friend into him, knocking the second man off balance. As they both tumbled to the ground, the second man’s head hit a rock with a sickening thunk. I hurried over and quickly pulled my knife out of the guy’s neck, blood arcing and spurting from his wound. It was close enough to his jugular that he would bleed out in seconds. I seized the opportunity and sprinted in the opposite direction. If the guy who had hit his head got up, I needed to lose him in the maze of pine trees. The sun was now setting fast, casting long shadows that made it even more challenging to navigate through the dense forest. As I ran harder than I ever had in my life, I heard footsteps growing fainter and fainter until they vanished completely.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to compose myself. My pulse slowed down, and my lungs finally stopped burning so badly. The adrenaline rush from almost being caught was still coursing through my veins. I only allowed myself a minute to recover before I continued running until the sun disappeared below the horizon. Now I was in near-total darkness save for the faint moonlight that managed to pierce through the canopy of trees above.

The sound of a car approaching caught my ears, and I peered down the small hill. To my surprise, a narrow dirt road wound through the area. A chill shot down my spine as I feared someone might be checking on Xavier. The drugs had probably worn off and he’d called for help.

I ducked behind the trees and watched the car drive by me, the headlights breaking through the darkness. As soon as it disappeared around the corner, I continued to walk but made sure to stay off the road. It was too dangerous, and I couldn’t risk being caught by Xavier again.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed since I’d escaped, but exhaustion sank into my weary bones. I was dehydrated and weak from lack of food, but if I could keep going …

My foot snagged on a branch, and I lurched forward. The impact of the hard ground knocked the air out of me as I rolled down the hill. A cry burst from me as a sharp pain shot through my leg and head at the same time. I struggled to remain conscious as I was catapulted over rocks and sticks and then onto the dirt road. The woods spun, and I teetered on the edge of consciousness before the world slipped away completely.

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