Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“Oh, Emily! Baby!” Gina hobbled toward her. It seemed she hadn’t been shot at all with how quickly she reached her.
“Gina, we need to get out of here right now,” I said.
“Yes—uh, my keys. My keys are right there. On the hook on the wall.”
I rushed to the hook she was pointing to and followed her to the garage. She slammed a bloody hand into the button to open the gate and hustled to the BMW.
“Alright. Come on, baby. Get in.” Gina’s voice wavered as she put Emily into her car seat. Her hands shook as she tried strapping her in.
“Here. Let me help.” I swapped places with her. “You get in the passenger seat.”
Gina swallowed then nodded, moving out of the way.
“Where’s Daddy?” Emily asked as I clicked the chest buckle into place.
“He’s . . . busy.” I forced a smile at her, clicking the bottom buckle in. “You’re okay.”
Gina was already in the passenger seat. I closed the door and push-started the car, ready to peel out. Before I could, I spotted a figure standing in the driveway behind the car.
Victor.
He stood in the way, holding my gun again. He started to raise it and that’s when I slammed my foot down on the gas pedal. Victor dodged to the left as I peeled out. I switched gears, putting the car in drive and drifting off. A gunshot went off. I gasped and ducked. The car made a weird clunking noise and veered to the right. I tried gaining control of the wheel, but the car seemed to have a mind of its own as it spun out of control.
Gina screamed. Then her side of the car slammed into a tree.
Emily began to cry.
He was going to end up killing us.
“Shit.” I pressed on the gas, but the car wouldn’t budge. “No! Come on!” I pressed again and could hear the car wheels rolling, the engine roaring, but the car didn’t budge.
“We’re stuck.” Gina squeezed her eyes shut. “Damn it, we’re stuck.”
I looked through the rearview mirror and spotted Victor trudging toward the car.
“Gina, get Emily out of here, find the keys to your husband’s car, and leave. Okay? I’ll lead him somewhere else, so he doesn’t try to hurt you just to get to Emily.”
“What?” she squealed.
“I don’t think he knows you two are in the car. He wouldn’t have shot otherwise. He’d never hurt Emily.”
“But he’ll kill you.” Gina panicked as she reached for me, but I was already climbing out of the car.
Yeah. He probably was going to kill me, but I’d rather it be me than her.
I closed the door before she could say anything else, shooting a quick glance at Emily, whose face was crumpled with worry and her eyes were full of tears. Then I made a run for it. Another gunshot pierced the air, striking a tree trunk.
I could hear Victor’s rapid, heavy steps behind me. On one hand, I was glad he was coming after me and not Gina. On the other, I wished that I loved running, like Eve. I wished I’d spent more time on the treadmill because this much exertion was foreign to me. Every limb in my body ached.
Regardless, the need to get away from Victor was what drove me. My adrenaline had spiked, and I refused to slow down. I ran through the dark woods, unsure which direction to go in. If I could make it back to Twilight Oaks, maybe I could find a place to hide long enough until Kennedy arrived.
I stumbled over a tree root but caught myself. Victor’s huffy breaths sounded closer, louder.
Owls hooted in the distance. The treetops swayed, rustling the leaves. Branches groaned with and creaked. My lungs felt like they were about to collapse. But I kept running until I spotted a light ahead. Twilight Oaks. I’d never been so happy to see that little cottage.
The front porch light was on. I hustled around the house and dashed through the backyard, but before I could reach it, another gunshot rang. This time, the bullet grazed my upper arm. I cried out and stumbled. Unable to catch myself, I fell. I started to get up again, despite the burning of my arm, but someone clutched a handful of my braids and wrenched me back.
“You should’ve minded your own fucking business,” Victor growled as he pulled back hard enough to slam me on my back.
The breath whooshed out of my lungs. My ears started to ring. I coughed, trying to kick him away, but he stepped back just enough to glare down at me. His head swayed as he scoffed.
“You’re pathetic, Rose,” he spat out. “I see why Eve didn’t respect you. What kind of woman allows the shit you did? What kind of woman knows their friend fucked their husband and still looks for her? You’re so damn desperate.” He leveled the barrel of the gun on me. “Maybe this is what you want. You must have some kind of death wish. I’d hate my life too if I were you.”