Page 113 of Ravaged Saints

I swallow the knot in my throat and force a small smile. “I’m so thirsty. The river’s just ahead. I’ll be right back.”

Ethan nods, distracted. “Sure, go on.”

I lean in, pressing my lips to his, letting him kiss me, letting his tongue push past my lips, and bile rises in my throat, but I swallow it down.

I turn, one foot in front of the other, controlled, slow, not driving anyone’s attention until I reach the trees, then I run.

Branches tear at my arms as I push through the trees, my legs burning, my breath ragged. They’ll notice I’m gone, and they’ll come for me.

I just have to make sure Aspen is safe. I don’t trust Ethan, and his eyes just now tell me he doesn’t care at all about what could happen with Aspen.

“Let me go!”

The scream rips through the air, sharp and familiar.

My blood turns to ice.

Aspen.

No. No, no, no.

I whip around, sprinting back toward the clearing, and my vision tunnels. My only thought is to get to her, but a shadow moves, and pain explodes in my back as a boot slams into me, sending me crashing to the ground.

The world spins, the leaves scrape my skin, and I try to push up, but a heavy boot presses between my shoulder blades, pinning me down.

A voice grunts above me.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The older man.

The weight of his boot digs in, pressing hard enough to make my ribs ache. I choke on a gasp, my mind screaming, my vision darkening at the edges.

I struggle, but he doesn’t budge.

And in the distance—Aspen screams again.

“Let her go! Ethan!” I scream.

Ethan is moving closer to Aspen, and another man holds her, her back pressed against his chest, his filthy hand clamped over her mouth.

“You know how long I’ve wanted to fuck you?” Ethan snarls.

He grips her jeans.

Aspen thrashes, her muffled screams vibrating against the palm covering her mouth, but the man is stronger, and she can’t break free.

The older man leaning into me—pressing me into the dirt—chuckles. “You really thought Ethan only wanted you?” His says sarcastically. “I told you this would happen.”

A fresh wave of sorrow crashes over me.

Ethan unbuttons Aspen’s jeans.

Tears stream down my face as she fights, jerking, kicking, desperate—but it’s not enough. There’s no way out of his hold.

“This is not what you promised, Ethan.” I scream.

Her eyes snap to mine.

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