Page 79 of The Depraved Prince
I need to stay calm if I’m going to try to make a run for it again. Hayden will sense my unease and flashback here in seconds.
“I’m glad to see that you’re still alive. The law says we cannot kill you. So you don’t have to be scared of me.” He chuckles and looks at me like I’m going to join in on the joke and laugh. But instead, I look at him with a blank stare. I pin my vision to the back of him, side to side, looking for any sign of Hayden over his shoulders. They must have gone far.
He catches onto my body language, and I bite my lip. I’m trying to muster up the courage to ask him for help.
Keep calm.
Keep.Calm.
Or Hayden will notice the change in my emotion.
“What’s on your mind?” He puts the beer down and walks forward, about to join me on the couch, but I stand up.
“Help me get out of here,” I whisper, low with gritted teeth.
“What?” He takes a step back from me like I asked him something wild.
“If it’s illegal to kill me in your world, it should be illegal to hold me here against my will, right?” I whisper, and if vampires can go pale, Gerard does and stiffens.
“He has you here against your will?” he asks me, shocked. Perhaps the kiss we just put on display for everyone to see has him questioning my intentions.
I nod fast and look over my shoulder.
All I see is a full moon and tall trees dancing in the wind.
“Oh, Millie. I can’t. I’m loyal to Hayden.”
“Please! I know there’s good in you. Please help me get out of here?” I practically beg, and Gerard looks around us with fear evident in his pursed lips. No, I do not know if there’s good in him, or maybe he’s just as depraved as Hayden. Still, I need to take my chance.
“Keep it down, or he’ll kill me for even considering this request of yours!” He sputters out so quickly that it’s hard for me to understand him.
He looks around and then turns to me. He grabs my hand, and I immediately look around for my demon. If Hayden notices any other man has touched me, he’ll lose his mind.
“I went to take a piss, and you ran. Okay?” Gerard offers a plan.
My heart flips with hope. Is he really going to help me?
“When he starts to look for you, I’ll meet you at my car. It’s a Toyota 4unner, parked just through those woods.” He points behind him, and I see a bunch of cars parked together in the distance. They are barely visible, but they’re there.
Hope is reborn, and tears spring in my eyes.
“Fucking go now, Millie!” He snarls, and I see a side of him that scares me. His fangs grow over his bottom lip, and his eyes pool red.
I nod and mouth my silent thank you. I take off running through the trees, not bothering to see if Hayden can feel me running away. I don’t know the extent of his powers, but whatever is keeping him busy must be important.
26
MILLIE
The soundof branches breaking underneath my feet and leaves brushing against my body is not enough to overcome the sound of blood rushing in my neck, chest, and ears. At this point, I don’t care if Hayden knows I’m trying to leave. I can’t lose the fight in me. I can’t let the complexity of our relationship blind me forever. My shoes are in my hand as I trip multiple times, but I manage to keep my balance.
“Smells Like A Teen Spirit” by Nirvana plays from the stereo I left behind, and I focus on it to stay somewhat calm as I run through the trees. As I get farther, the volume feels like it’s being lowered.
After a few minutes, I make it to the car. My throat burns from breathing in the cold air, and my tongue dries. Even though the temperature is cool, sweat forms above my brow, and I swipe it with my hand. I palm the tinted window of the silver forerunner and try to open it, grasping the handle and trying to pull it, but it’s locked.
I pull on the handle desperately over and over again, but to no avail. I’m shaking all over, and I think about ditching the car and Gerard, but then someone grabs me by the shoulder. I squeal and palm my mouth with my hand to muffle the scream.
It’s Gerard.
