Page 81 of Runaway
"You have one knife, Joshua," I shouted furiously, "and if you plan to cut her throat, you better move fast, because I will be on you in less than five seconds. There will not be time for you to survive what I have planned for you."
Joshua snorted, but another flicker of doubt had registered in his gaze as he studied me. That moment of hesitation brought the knife away from her throat just slightly. My heart nearly stopped when Stella's gaze caught mine.
Then she dropped.
29
Stella
Mark looked like a livid vision through the gently rotating snow.
Flakes fell so thick and gauzy I almost couldn't see him. But he stood there, an avenging god, carefully controlled rage in his eyes. He didn’t even have a coat, just one of those zippered hoodies, over his shoulders that seemed miles wide compared to Joshua. Joshua's gaze darted between him and Atticus, who hadn't taken his attention from the mountain lion that appeared to retreat.
Who do you fear the most?I wanted to whisper to Joshua.Because both will tear you apart if you let them.
In the face of the knife that pricked at my neck, all thoughts of the cold had fled. The blood from my nose had nearly frozen to my face and crackled on the edges now.
All my focus rested on that knife. The pulse of my heart as it beat against the blade. My careful steady breaths. Every now and then, the cat would let out another low warning growl, and Atticus would bark all over again.
So the question remained: What would kill me first?
When Mark stumbled and shouted, Joshua's entire body tightened. As if he'd finally measured himself against Mark and realized how lacking he was. The blade moved away from my throat the tiniest amount in that moment of hesitation. Through the pounding in my head and the waves of tremors that slipped through me, I understood it would be my only chance. Not on any planet could Mark get from there to me in enough time to save my life, and he knew it.
I knew it.
Now I wouldn't let Joshua have the satisfaction. It was time formyrevenge.
With a grunt, I shoved Joshua's arm away from my throat and dropped to the ground. My sudden, unexpected weight shifted Joshua's balance, and he stumbled forward. The knife slipped, grazed my throat as I fell, then disappeared in the snow at our feet.
A second later, the sound of athudconnected on top of me, and Joshua's weight was gone.
Another body had come from somewhere, tackling Joshua to the ground in a flurry of snow and rolling bodies. Benjamin popped out of the haze of white, his legs wrapped around Joshua's waist and his arm across his throat. Joshua thrashed uselessly in the snow.
With a cry, I tried to scramble back to my feet, but stumbled on the rocks. Another pair of arms caught me. Mark appeared, his warm hands on my face.
“Stell. I've got you.”
My knees toppled, but he caught me.
“Mark! I . . .”
“I'm here.”
“He . . . I thought . . . a-a-and—”
Mark hauled me back to my feet, then grabbed the zipper of my coat. “Take this off, Stell. We'll discuss all of it when we get back home. For now, you've gotta warm up.”
My hands trembled as I attempted to wrench the half-frozen coat off. He yanked it free, tossed it to the ground, and reached for my soaking wet shirt. When he ripped it off over my head, I let out a cry. Snow fell on my shoulders and soaking bra. Cold rushed over me all over again.
“W-w-what are you doing?”
“It'll take us at least thirty minutes to work our way back through the trees, maybe twenty by the road,” he said, ripping his own jacket off. “You can't be wearing those clothes that whole time. You have to start warming up sooner, at least at your core.”
Bare arms slipped out of his jacket. He only wore a short-sleeved shirt beneath his winter jacket, which he jerked around me, then zipped up while I pushed my arms through the sleeves. They were warm from his heat, thick with his reassuring scent.
“Wh-what about you?”
“I'm fine.” He scoffed. “Hot as an oven.”
