Page 46 of No Mercy
“What the hell?” I rip off my mask, making sure I’m seeing this right.
He holds the rope up, the coarse fibres dangling ominously between us.
“Please tell me you didn’t bring me here to kill me,” I manage, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound calm.
He laughs, the sound deep and unapologetic. “Okay, I won’t tell you that.”
My face must betray every ounce of horror I feel because his laughter only deepens.
“Relax,” he says, his tone lighter now. “We’re going to play a game.”
A game? I blink at him, my gaze flicking between his mask and the rope. “What kind of game needs rope? Because last I checked, jump rope isn’t exactly a two-person sport.”
He swings his leg off the bike, stepping closer. “We’re going to play a little game I like to call Hide and Seek.”
His words hang in the air, confusing me further. What kind of hide-and-seek involves rope?
“You hide,” he continues, his voice dropping into a teasing drawl, “and when I find you, because I will, I get to tie you up and taste you as my prize.”
I freeze, every part of me processing his words.
He takes another step forward, and instinctively, I step back, my heart thundering in my chest. His movements are deliberate, slow, like a predator sizing up its prey.
“You better run, buttercup,” he murmurs, his tone dripping with challenge.
And I do.
I turn on my heel and sprint into the trees, my breath ragged as adrenaline surges through me. Behind me, his low laugh echoes through the crisp autumn air, followed by his voice, smooth and dark.
“Ready or not, here I come!”
CHAPTER 24
AXEL
The second she takes off,a grin spreads across my face. I knew she was quick, but even that speed took me by surprise.
I head towards the trees, the leaves crunching underneath my feet with each step I take. When I approach the tree line, I take a moment to scan the area, trying to see which direction she could have gone.
The setting sun softly filters through the tree’s, causing shadows to form as a distraction.
I growl in frustration, a part of me hoping this would be an easy win.
A flick of movement catches my attention to the left but when I turn, I see a branch softly swaying in the breeze.
“Fuck.”
She’s clever, I know she is. She won’t make this easy for me, especially when her career involves her hiding in plain sight.
“Come on, buttercup,” I call out, hoping the sound of my voice will lure her out. “You can’t hide forever.”
Moving deeper into the words, my eyes trace the scattered leaves and broken twigs on the ground, only to discover a footprint sitting nicely in-between the two.
She’s left me a trail, whether that is on purpose or not, we will soon find out.
The forest is silent, causing my footsteps to echo, making my presence known to whoever else may be lurking in the woods.
Keeping a close eye on the footsteps in front of me, a rustle to my left pulls my attention away.
