I relax. Just a fraction. He’s still at the car. I have time. I can figure out a game plan, call Thea, tell her where I am—
My phone flies out of my hands.
The impact jolts through my wrist, sharp and painful. The phone goes sailing through the air, disappears into the darkness.
I gasp, not knowing how he got so close to me without vividly hearing him.
“Gotcha.”
His voice is right behind me.
I turn and run full speed, but it’s only seconds before he catches me. His arm wraps around my waist, yanks me backward against his chest. His body is hard, solid, and I can feel his heart racing against my spine.
“I knew I could trick you with locking the car,” he whispers against my ear.
I kick, trying to get free. My heel connects with his shin, but he doesn’t even flinch.
“What’re you going to do to me?”
“You made this too easy.” He releases me. Steps back. “Run.”
I don’t hesitate.
I take off, forgetting about my phone, forgetting about everything except getting away. My legs pump, arms swing, lungs scream for air.
But before I can get out of the trees, he catches me again.
His body slams into mine from behind. We stumble, and he uses the momentum to spin me around, press me back against a tree. His chest heaves against mine. I can feel his heart racing—or maybe that’s mine. I can’t tell.
He grabs the front of my hoodie and yanks it up over my head, so now I’m blind.
“What the fuck!” I scream, trying to claw it off my face. The fabric blinds me, smothers me. I can’t see. Can’t breathe.
He grabs my arms, pins them above my head with one hand. His grip is iron.
“Please stop! Stop it!” I’m thrashing, panicking, because I can’t breathe through the thick fabric pressed against my nose and mouth.
“Nobody’s going to save you, Lexi.” His voice is a whisper, dark and smooth. He leans me harder against the tree. I feel the bark scrape against my shoulder blades through my shirt. “You’re all mine.”
“Fuck you!”
He leans his full body against mine, pinning me completely. “You are. And I get to do whatever I want with you.”
“Don’t you fucking dare!” My voice is raw, breaking.
He presses his face close to mine, the hoodie pockets between us like a barrier. I can feel his hot breath through the fabric. “Don’t tempt me, Lexi. I wasn’t planning on doing what you’re thinking, but on second thought...”
I push against him with my body, trying to create space. But instead, I feel how hard his body is. How solid. How—
Oh god.
“I can’t believe this bullshit!” I snarl through the fabric. “You’re fucking sick!”
“You haven’t seen anything yet, Lexi,” he whispers.
Something wraps around my wrists. Rope. Rough and tight.
“Are you fucking tying me up!” I’m shouting, all the fight draining out of me. “Are you fucking serious—”
