Page 81 of CHASE: Captive to the Dark

Jeff’s eyebrow rose and he turned back to watch. In a blur of movement, Jim lunged to the side next to me and surged with his hand. In a slashing motion, the blade he held disappeared behind his frame, blocking my view for only a moment. But I knew. Jeff rocked toward me in slow motion. Blood poured from his throat and his fists shot up in reaction. Those wide eyes connected with mine for what felt like forever before he hit to the ground. The thud bounced throughout my insides as if a cannon had gone off.

“Shh.”

Jim already had his palm covering my mouth as he crouched beside me. “No screaming, Kit. I wouldn’t want to have to stab you, too.” His hand tightened. “You don’t want that, do you?”

Frantically, my head shook.

“Good.”

My eyes lowered, taking in how Jeff’s head was right up against my boot. A small sound escaped as I slid my foot away.

“They’ll be leaving soon. When they do, I’ll make a few calls. Tonight, we leave.”

“Leave?” The word was muffled against his hand. He dropped it and I repeated the question, steadier than I had before. “Where are we going?”

Jim glanced toward the town, keeping his stare straight ahead. “Not too far away, but far enough.”

The group scattered in all directions as they began heading back into the houses. Chase walked toward the one we’d been staying in. My purse hung from his shoulder and I felt even more fear. My phone was in there. Although it was probably dead, there was a chance—I had charged it before the doctor’s office that morning.

Palo’s yell traveled the distance between us as he jogged to catch up. Chase glanced back over his shoulder, but continued walking. Out of nowhere, he came to an abrupt stop. I all but stopped breathing as his head lifted and his stare rose. Jim’s fingers tightened on my shoulder while Chase seemed to stop right on us. I knew he probably couldn’t see where we were hidden with how dark it was getting, but I couldn’t help but think there was a chance.

“Don’t you fucking make a sound,” Jim said, lowering even more. “Don’t even move.”

The barrel pushed into the middle of my back again, but I didn’t care. My mind begged for Chase to see us. To come rushing in our direction and try to save me.

It didn’t happen.

****

My jaw wouldn’t stop chattering. Even with the heater on in the old pickup I was riding in, I couldn’t get warm. It was well after midnight. My limbs were stiff, frozen from the exposure as the temperature dropped even more.

The people of Untold hadn’t left Cedar for hours. They continued their search, even moving more toward the outline of the mountains. Jim hadn’t waited around to see if they’d come our way. They’d started further down, not anywhere near where we were, and the moment he saw that, we headed in the opposite direction. When we made it around to the area of the main road, it wasn’t long before cars headed past. They were leaving, which only meant one thing: so were we.

Jim had jumped on his phone, calling someone to pick us up. It hadn’t taken long for the old man to arrive and when he had, I couldn’t stop the gasp that left me. It was Walter, from the hotel. I’d met him on my first day. Upon seeing him, my emotional status broke. Tears poured down my face and I’d thrown myself at him in a fury, regardless that he was behind the wheel. The old truck had a bench seat and I had been pushed in the middle. Jim barely got control over me as I lunged at the driver. Even now, I couldn’t stop the anger from escaping.

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew Rory when I met you? If you had, I wouldn’t be in this mess. I could have gone back to Florida that night! Why didn’t you tell me?”

Again, I tried to swing. Jim had his arms pinned around my chest, preventing me from hitting him. If I wouldn’t have been worried about the baby, I might have tried to spin and kick the old man.

“I asked you a question,” I exploded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t my place. You could have been anyone. Besides, I did come back after I talked to your brother. You were gone, never to return.”

Sobs shook me and I thrashed, causing Jim to let go.

“It’s done, Kit. From now on, you take Rory’s spot. You’re going to be my face. You’re going to make the deals.”

A shuddering breath left me as I looked at him in horror. “What? I can’t do that. I...”

“Will. It’s perfect. You’re going to meet with my contacts. You’re going to run this town for me.”

Bile rose in my throat and I dove over him for the window, barely able to roll it down. I hung my head in the frigid blast, praying I’d wake up from this nightmare. A hand settled on my back and although the need to be sick was there, I somehow managed to get control of myself. I had to do this if I wanted out. If Jim could learn to trust me, I’d have more freedom. I’d run.

I moved back into my seat, breathing in steadily as numbness began to settle in. After the last few weeks, my mind couldn’t handle anymore. I was shutting down. Losing myself in their world. I felt a hardness take over as I turned to glare at him. “If I’m going to be working for you, you better start treating me like an employee instead of a fucking kidnap victim. I want food, clean clothes, and a fucking shower. I want a doctor. My baby is my top priority. My mother raised me alone and did a shitty job. I don’t plan to make the same mistake. My baby deserves the best. That includes prenatal care. If you can give this to me, we have a deal.”

A smile pulled at the corner of Jim’s lips and he held out his hand to shake mine. “I happen to know a great doctor. She’ll have no problem coming to pay you visits. As for the rest, that’s easy enough.”

“Good.” I glanced at Walter. “Are we staying with you?”

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