Page 214 of Sin With Me

Chapter29

Emma

I wishedI stayed in bed that morning with Eric. I wished I’d never checked my phone, nor gone to Ogden without telling him, or at least kissed him one last time. When I closed my eyes, I still felt the heat of his body against mine from last night. The comfort and warmth of his skin was beyond my wildest dreams and I thanked God over and over again that he’d come back for me, that we’d still had a chance to spend the most amazing twenty-four hours of my life before I walked into atrap.

And now, I was stuck in a fucking hole, the same kind Eric had described when he was kidnapped.

I didn’t remember much past being dragged through a forest, my hands and feet bound before my body was thrown into darkness. I’d already loosened the knots and gotten out of the stupid rope, but, in pitch black, finding your bearings and keeping your mind calm and wits about you was another story. This was a psychological game the bastard was playing. I hadn’t heard him since he’d dropped me down here, so I frantically looked for the hatch in the low ceiling, scraping my fingers over rocks and adding countless splinters to their pads. They were swollen now and bleeding, but if I didn’t get out now, I’d probably be dead in a few days – if I was lucky enough to survive that long. This bastard was too smart, though. He wouldn’t come near me with a ten-foot pole unless I was tied up in chains. Somehow he knew that given the slightest chance, I could overpower him. Huntz would probably want ransom. There was no way he’d still want the Waters property. There was no way anyone would let him live there anyway. This was all about a sick need for revenge. Butwhy?

How could I have fallen for this trap? Julian was right. Huntz was as calculating as the greatest bastard my brothers had ever dealt with – if not worse. When I knocked on Missy’s door, after being told she’d gone to get extra clothing, the last thing I’d expected was being banged on my head from behind with a fucking baseball bat. And poor Hunter was Tasered at the same time. As I fell to the floor I remembered seeing two pairs of dirty boots with baseball bats hanging by their sides. I had no strength to lift my gaze and passed out. One thing was for sure, Huntz hadn’t acted alone. He had help, whereas all my research had indicated he was on his own. I hadn’t even had a chance to pull out mygun.

Chills began to cover my body. Despite the fact that it was early summer and the days were getting hotter, there were still some cool nights, and tonight was one of them. I cursed at the polar vortex. At this rate, hypothermia could even set in. I wanted to rub my hands together to create some heat, but that would only irritate the stupid splinters in my hands. Plus, my fingers were so stiff, if I rubbed them they’d break off like iced-over branches. Without shoes, which I didn’t recall losing, I could barely feel my toes and it wouldn’t have surprised me if they were blue. There had to be a way out of here. I reached above my head and began looking for the hatch once again. What felt like hours later, my hand hit a wooden door and I fell back. This had to be it. I pushed on it gently. The latch opened, and with hope I pushed it further as the sound of chains rattled in my ears. It was just as dark outside as it was down here, so either Huntz had left or he’d turned off the lights (if there were any) and gone to sleep. I prayed it was the former.

I squeezed my wrist through the small opening and grasped the chain and its lock, pulling it inside the hole. Fumbling with the metal I skimmed my fingers over the lock, wishing I had a Swiss army knife with me, or even a bobbypin.

I sat back down against the wall, fumbling with my new necklace. When my fingers touched the horseshoe, I knew that today was the day it would bring me luck. I removed it from my neck and, pressing one end of the charm into the lock, I started picking it. Seconds later I smiled at the sound of a click.

I slowly removed the chains and opened the hatch, climbing out. The room was dark and smelled of wet leaves and moss. Moonlight illuminated the worn wooden boards from a broken window. I picked a piece of glass up off the floor and removed my plaid shirt to wrap around its end, warily making my way around the room until I reached the front. The tank top would have to be enough to keep me warm. I twisted the handle and it swiveled, unlocking the door. The click was so loud in my ears I was afraid that if Huntz was still around, he’d hearit.

The sound of breaking wood not too far from the cabin startled me. I shuffled my bare feet along the forest ground to the side of the building, pressing my back against its wall. I’d been lucky enough to get out; I couldn’t give upnow.

“Emma? Emma are you here?” A whisper of hope neared.

It couldn’t be, couldit?

“Eric?” I replied, peaking around the corner. When I saw his face, illuminated by the full moon, I thought I was dreaming.

He hurried toward me, almost tripping over a stray branch. With the natural light our only guide, I was surprised how Eric had found me atall.

“You came for me?” I threw my arms around hisneck.

“Of course, baby. I’m so sorry he did this to you.” He held me tight against his body, and if I didn’t let go I’d break down right here in his arms. But I couldn’t do that. Deep inside, my instinct told me we weren’t in the clearyet.

“Julian and Tristan are in Ogden. We gottago.”

“Hunter! He was with me when we got to Missy’s house.”

“We’ve got him. Your brothers are withhim.”

“What’s wrong? Has something happened to Hunter?” Grace would never forgive me if something had. And I couldn’t live with myself either. There must have been a good reason why my brothers didn’t come out to the woods withEric.

“My parents’ house is burning. I think Huntz set it onfire.”

Yet Eric still came to get me. He chose me over his family. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened tothem.

“We need to get out ofhere.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Huntz’s deep voice bellowed. I whipped my body around, taking a defensive stance. He held a machete in his right hand, and his legs spread slightly apart, ready to pounce. “Well, well. I didn’t think you’d remember this place, Eric.”

“What the hell do you want from us?” Eric barked. “Haven’t you done enough? You’re not going to get the farm – you neverwill.”

He let out a laugh from deep within his belly. Its roar echoed through the woods.

“That’s what you think, stupid boy. Besides, it’s not about the farm anymore. I want revenge. Donna should have never married your father. She should have chosen me. The farm and the inheritance would go to me. Instead, she betrayedme.”

Donna? Was he talking about Eric’s mother, Joanne? Was Huntz Jonathan, the boyfriend who raped her over and over again, whose child she ended up losing? He was supposed to bring the families together?

“My mother has always been with my father. A faithful wife and a loving mother.”

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