Page 73 of Beg Me Angel

“Oh, thank you, thank you so much.” Sara skipped to the door, tearing it open and climbing inside. But I stayed in place, fiddling with my hands. “Come on, Vera, get in.”

“Are you sure?” Twining my fingers around the strap of my purse, I nervously picked at the leather. “I mean, we could walk if it's not much further.”

“Sweetheart, don't worry, there's a little store a few miles back, I'll drop you off there.”

I wasn't sure why I was so uncomfortable with the idea of getting in. I should have been happy that someone even stumbled upon us, we were walking forever and had no clue where we were going. But that inner voice, that tiny little chirp was speaking up, holding me still.

It was that lesson you're taught since a small child, the one each and every parent ingrains into the brain of their kids so they never get abducted.

You don't get into a car with a stranger.

But I wasn't a child anymore and this was a much different situation. We had waved them down, they hadn't pulled over themselves to try and hand us candy or coerce us into the truck.

Climbing in, I pulled the door closed, buckling the seat belt and observing the men in the front. The driver was a bald man with a thick beard, tattoos painted his arms from top to bottom, his eyes were sunken in with heavy bags puffing up underneath.

The passenger was a little younger looking, his hair was longer, thin, dark brown strands dangled above his shoulders, gently brushing the shirt. I couldn't really see his eyes or any distinguishing tattoos or features.

But both men gave me the creeps. I couldn't understand why, but my heart began to race anxiously, my lungs became heavy and saturated. “How far to the store?”

“It's a little ways back, not too far.” Pulling the shifter down, he pressed the gas pedal and turned the wheel hard, pulling a u-turn in the middle of the road.

Gripping the edge of the seat, my body rocked to the side, hitting the door with a hard shoulder. I wasn't sure why I felt so awkward and nervous about being in that truck, but I did. I felt so uncomfortable, forcing myself to keep a false smile on my face.

Sara looked out her window, appearing to not have a care or concern in the world. But that's why we clicked so well. I was the voice of reason, she was the voice of trouble.

We balanced each other nicely. But right then, neither one of us had the control, we were trapped in the belly of a monster we didn't see coming.

We were naive, I can admit that. It was one of the faults and glories about being young. The world was full of good, no one would ever harm us because that shit didn't happen in our small space of existence.

I was wrong.

The passenger twisted in his seat, lifting his arm into the back and holding out a bottle of water. “You girls thirsty?”

Sara flicked her head in his direction, snatching the bottle from his hand. “That depends, is this really water or vodka in disguise?”

“Sara!” I spat, my mouth hanging open, eyes trying to get her to focus on me.

“It's just water, go on you can share it. I don't have anymore, but you guys look like you need it.”

Unscrewing the cap, Sara held the edge to her lips as she spoke. “Hell ya, we've been walking for almost two hours.” Passing it to me, she swallowed the giant gulp.

“I don't—”

“Vera, it's fine, it's just water, not vodka.” Nudging it towards me, she whispered. “These guys are doing us a favor, don't be rude.”

Through slit lids, I eyed the man who gave us the bottle. He sat with a normal smile on his face, no devious expression was there.

But there was something about his eyes, something that didn't sit well with me. They were onyx black, glinting with a yellow shimmer from the dash lights, forcing my muscles to tense. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and shook off the uneasy feeling.

She's right, I'm just being crazy.

Taking a large gulp from the bottle, I passed it back. We both definitely needed it, I hadn't realized how thirsty I really was or how dry my tongue felt until I took my first sip.

“Here, you can finish the rest, I'm good.”

Taking the bottle from Sara, there was still a good amount inside. So I finished it, allowing myself to accept the generosity of these two men. After quenching my thirst, I actually started to feel better, a lot more relaxed.

My body felt warmer as a tiny flame heated the inside of my belly and my arms and legs began to tingle, but only slightly. It wasn't enough to raise a red flag or make me question anything.

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