Page 128 of Kiss of Deceit
He scrambled back, swaying on his feet when I charged him again, only to leap to the side, barely missing his blade when he swung it. Movement from behind him caught my eye, and I realized soon it would be two against one when his partner woke up.
Another noise turned my attention toward the kitchen. Kole was moving—barely—but it meant he was alive. And he was waking up.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
dani
I reared back,avoiding the blade as I side-stepped, making sure I didn’t corner myself. I stared at the masked monster advancing toward me. Based on the last minute, I could beat him in a fight. But what if I didn’t? Ice flooded my veins when Kole let out a groan. I didn’t have a chance if either of them got to that gun before I did.
My heart fell. They’d kill Kole.
But they didn’t want him.
They wanted me.
“Coward,” I spat out, making sure his attention stayed on me when Kole made another noise. “Always hiding behind a mask. It might not be tonight, but I swear to fucking god, I will rip that thing off you,” I screamed, pain from my past bleeding into my voice. “I’m going to look at your face when I slice your throat. You hear me? You will die by my hand.”
Red lined my vision, rage taking over. He was right fucking here. Someone so evil they had no place on this earth. My mind was screaming to just kill him. But I couldn’t chance it. Not when it was more than just my life on the line.
I backed up, glancing at Kole on the floor. They’d follow me if I left, and Kole would be safe. Spinning around, I dashed through the kitchen, my bare feet slapping on the floor. I hit the back door, fumbling with the lock, my heart thumping in my ears. I ripped open the door, taking a second to crouch down and snatch up my winter boots. I ran outside, my breath catching from the cold. The wind cut through my thin shirt, making me shiver. I wouldn’t last long out here with the freezing temperature slowing me down.
My feet tingled, each step turning more painful from the frozen snow. I sprinted in a wide turn, my heart skipping when a gunshot went off near my feet, forcing me to run toward the woods. I cursed under my breath as I ran into the forest. They were purposefully keeping me away from town.
I darted between the trees, grateful there wasn’t any fresh snow. The ground was packed and frozen, preventing them from following my footsteps. The soles of my feet screamed in pain, feeling like I was being stabbed with pins and needles. I ducked behind a pine tree and peeked around the thick branches. No one was in sight, and I dropped my boots, slipping my numb feet into them.
My teeth chattered, my nose so cold I couldn’t feel it anymore. I flexed my fingers, knowing it wouldn’t be long until my moves became sloppy. If they found me, I didn’t stand a chance of winning a fist fight, especially when they had weapons and I didn’t. I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to run in this frigid weather.
I silently rounded the pine tree, searching the dark woods. Even with a full moon, it was difficult to see anything. The wind blowing made it harder to listen, and I crept away from my hiding spot, trying not to step on any branches that would give my location away.
“Come with me, and we won’t hurt you.”
The deep voice came from behind me, and I whipped around to see one of the masked attackers. It was the taller one, and he had the pistol aimed at me. I glared at him, trying to place his voice. It wasn’t his real one; the deepness and tone making me believe he was hiding it. Why? Did I know this monster? Between him distorting it, the cutting wind, and my own beating heart pounding in my ears, I couldn’t place it even if my life depended on it.
The snow crunching behind me had me looking over my shoulder. A cold dread wrapped around me, squeezing tightly. The other masked asshole was inching closer, a blade in his hand gleaming in the moonlight. A stab of panic tightened my chest. I was too fucking cold for this to be a fair fight. I could barely feel my fingers. I returned my attention to the one in front of me who still had the gun raised.
“Won’t hurt me?” I snarled, my voice trembling uncontrollably from the cold. “I call bullshit. Take off that mask, and maybe I’ll come quietly.”
He tsked, shaking his head. Annoyance flared when he didn’t speak again. Was he worried I’d recognize it? I sucked in rapid breaths. Iknewwho was standing in front of me.
His words were lies. The second I was under their control, they’d hurt me and kill me after. I needed to get out of these woods before my body stopped functioning from the cold.
“You won’t shoot me.” I called out his bluff. “You want me alive. How accurate are your shooting skills in the dark?”
My mocking didn’t get a reaction out of him. I bit my tongue, realizing he was waiting for the cold to slow me down. He wouldn’t have to wait too much longer.
I bolted back between the trees, hearing their footsteps quickly approaching. I hissed out curses, my legs spasms getting worse. My muscles were cramping, and nothing but warmthwould help me. I spotted thicker pine trees ahead, and pushed myself faster, hoping I could find a hiding spot.
Until someone grabbed my wrist, yanking me behind a tree. My yell was cut off when a large hand covered my mouth. My heart thrashed, my weak struggles doing nothing as I was dragged away.
“Shh, it’s me.” Kole’s voice had me sagging in relief. I relaxed, letting him practically carry me deeper into the trees. I was shivering violently, noticing Kole’s body wasn’t much warmer than mine. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
Tears pricked my eyes, his words soothing me in a way I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to. He cared for me, and I craved it more than I could describe.
His hand dropped from my mouth, and he swung me into his arms, carrying me down a small hill. He slid onto his knees, and I noticed a small, dark, cave-looking thing. He crawled inside, wrapping his arms around me to keep me close.
My teeth clattered, and I couldn’t stop shaking even with his tight hold. Footsteps crunched in the snow close to our hiding spot. My heart hammered as I kept my eyes trained on the opening of this tiny cave. When the noises began fading, I tensed.
They were so close. If we could get the jump on them, we had a chance. As if reading my mind, Kole squeezed me tighter.
