Page 28 of Vengeful

"Tell me about these assholes," I said. "Anyone I know?"

"No one you want to know," he said. "But probably several you're acquainted with. Casper is leading that middle team."

"Fuck," I said under my breath. That was not what I wanted to hear.

Casper wasn't his real name, as far as I knew, and he was far from friendly. He was one of the meanest sons of bitches I ever met. If he lay a hand on Lila, he'd be one of the deadest ones.

Yeah, I know that's not a word. I don't give a shit.

"I'm guessing his days are numbered." Kent followed along behind me. "To be honest, I've been looking for an excuse to kill him for a while now. No, that's not true, I have plenty of excuses and even opportunities, but not when it won't come back to bite me in the ass. I'm averse to being bitten in the ass, unless it's by one of those hot women we were talking about."

"You have my blessing to take the shot if you get one," I said. "Don't miss and get me instead."

He laughed. "I'll try not to, but I make no promises."

I stopped. "Don't make me kill you now before it becomes a problem." I stomped on before he could respond.

CHAPTER 11

LILA

I woke with a groan. My head hurt like a bitch. What the hell happened?

Right. One minute I was walking through the forest, then the ground gave way under me. I tumbled, windmilling my arms. A searing pain went through my shoulder and the side of my head and…everything went black.

Hoping like fuck I wasn't in the back of a truck, I forced my eyes open.

Fuck.

Not a truck. It was worse than that.

The sky was a long way above me. Little more than a glimpse of darkening blue in gaps in the canopy. All around me were steep dirt walls. I lay on a flat patch of dirt and leaves. A section of rock dug into my hip.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position. My breathing was already ragged with the beginning of a panic attack. The dark, hand dug walls started to press in on me. Dirt slithered down from the mouth of the hole and scattered around me. Loosened by my footsteps and fall, it added to the growing fear.

Trembling, I glanced up. The dirt was going to fall in on me at any moment. I was sure of it.

I was going to die here, buried alive.

Alone.

I bent my knees and pressed my head down between them. Each breath came with a whimper or a sob. I struggled to calm myself.

Giving into panic wasn't going to help me.

What the fuck is?I asked myself.

I was alone in the dark and it was only going to get darker. Once night fell, I wouldn't even have starlight to see by. Maybe that was a good thing. I wouldn't be able to see the walls crumble until they collapsed on me.

I'd be able to hear them though. The rumble, the slither, the slide of dirt on dirt as it piled onto me bit by bit. Or maybe it would fall quickly, burying me in a second or two. That would be the merciful way to die.

Tears dripped off my cheeks and onto the ground.

Calm the fuck down, I told myself.The guys are out there…

The guys.

My head shot up. I winced at the jolt of pain. A light touch to the side of my head with my fingertips felt wet with blood. A gash down the side of my face, and across my ear. The earring holding the tracker was smashed. I must have landed on it somehow.

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