Page 49 of Better Run
“Thanks.”
I see him throw me a glance while wiping the snow off his hair. I ignore him and start helping put the groceries away.
“You’re going to need to let her in,” I state.
He grunts.
“It’s too cold outside. She’ll die before you can fuck with her anymore. I’m assuming that’s why I’m still alive. You aren’t done with either of us.”
Jayden calmly pulls out a bag of apples. “No. You’re alive because you belong to us.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m yours, whatever.” I stop and catch his glance. “Oh, I forgot. I have HIV. Serves you right.” I don’t, but I want him to live in a little fear.
He laughs a deep gravelly sound. Cole chuckles too.
“And I expect you to go back and get me Plan B.”
Silence. Jayden has stilled. I look at him, and his demeanor has totally changed. He looks deadly. He doesn’t move toward me, but I feel I need to take a step back.
“No.”
“No?” Outrage flushes my cheeks. “You don’t get to decide, no,” I sputter. “It’s my body. I won’t want to be pregnant, especially with,” I wave my hands at him, “you.”
He snatches me up around the neck. His hand is firm but not painful. His voice is measured and angry, and it makes me shiver. “You’ll do whatever I decide, kitten. If I want to see you carrying my child, then I will. If I want to get you birth control, then I will. You belong to me. And I said no. Don’t question me again.” He lets me go.
Fear and anger mix in a heady cocktail. That and…lust. Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with me? I tamp those feelings down.
Jayden continues with the food. “Cole, bring Sage in. We’ll move the kitten to my room. She makes a good point. Don’t want her freezing to death just yet.”
Cole nods and whistles as he goes outside.
***
In the evening, Jayden makes me stay in bed with him since Sage is in my room. Cole also joins us, so I’m sandwiched between the two of them. Jayden said he can’t trust I won’t run again. He’s not wrong. I lay awake the first night, tense, ready for them to make a move. But they don’t. And they don’t the next night or the next. They keep a close eye on me, always having one or the other within hearing distance. Anytime I try to snoop around, they follow me.
I keep trying to talk to Sage, but they keep her doped up. Maybe so she won’t talk to me, I’m not sure. She stares at the wall with a glazed expression. She doesn’t even want to eat. I worry. She doesn’t have much weight to drop. I try and force water down her, and she sometimes accepts that. They’ve also taken my paper clip and all the rest in Cole’s room.
Cole lets me whittle when he’s around. I use the knife that he seems to have an emotional connection to. I pry him for more information, but he says he’ll answer if we fuck. So I leave it alone.
This becomes increasingly difficult as every time I’m around either of them with their strong bodies and handsome faces, my cunt practically purrs. I try to get her on board with the kidnapping and lack of morals, but she doesn’t get the message.
I mostly sit in Sage’s room, staring at the wall, wondering what I can do. I fight the realization that their defenses are down the most when mine are. Which means I have to let my guard down to get anywhere. Or at least pretend to. Carefully, because they seem to be able to sniff out a lie from a mile away.
I fight the idea of getting in bed with the devil. I’m worried I won’t make it out if I do. But I also worry I won’t make it out if I don’t. Clearly, I haven’t gotten anywhere by fighting them. Well, I have gotten somewhere. Fucked. Maybe it’s time to try something else. It’s not just me I’m fighting for anymore. It’s Sage too.
On the evening of the fourth night, since Sage came inside, I convinced them to let me help her shower. She’s started to smell, and I can tell it annoys Jayden. He helps carry her downstairs and sits her down on the shower floor.
“Make sure she doesn’t drown. She doesn’t get to get off that easy.” He stalks off.
Sage raises a weak hand and flips him the bird. But he’s already gone. I try to get her out of the shower so I can warm up the water, but she’s dead weight.
“Sorry, girl, it’s going to be cold at first.” She doesn’t even flinch when the water hits her. Soon it warms and fills the room with steam. I consider Jayden’s words. If he has worse plans for her than drowning, maybe it would be a mercy to let her go.
I widen my eyes, realizing where my mind went. Did I just consider murdering someone? I feel like throwing up.
“He’s a dick,” Sage slurs out.
I startle and look down at her. “Yeah.”
