4. EVERLY

EVERLY

FOUR

W hat does it mean that I'm upset Ronan didn't drug me and throw me in the trunk? You'd think getting to ride shotgun as we head toward a hotel would be a good thing, a step in the right direction. But right now, I just want to be unconscious. I tried falling asleep about an hour ago, but every time I close my eyes, I see that man. I can still smell his blood and hear the blade entering his neck as I delivered the final blow.

I'm a murderer.

I can't believe I killed that man. I mean, sure he deserved it and had I not, he would've succumbed to his injuries that Ronan inflicted but, I ended his life. I stole a soul and to make matters worse, I fucked my killer-kidnapper next to that dying man before driving a knife into his neck. I'm sick, I'm twisted and demented. I'm going to Hell; I'm going to prison and then Hell and everyone at both places will know me as the whore who fucked a serial killer as a thank you for saving her from a rapist.

Looking at my hand, I see a red spot on the top by my knuckle. "Oh my god!" I scream, while scraping my hand with the sleeve of Ronan's hoodie.

"Fucking Christ Everly!" Ronan growls, swerving the car before whipping onto the shoulder and throwing it into park. "You can't scream like that out of—God dammit not again!" He roars as I fall out of the car, but it's not to run, no, I need to vomit.

My knees hit the blacktop as I try to stand but it's too late, vomit races through me and I hurl my guts over the side of the road, sobbing in between each painful wretch.

"Oh, Angel," Ronan sighs sympathetically as he comes over and helps me stand while pulling my hair back. "Baby, you're alright." I hold on to his arm for support as I continue to wretch. How I have anything in me to throw up, I don't know.

"Y'all alright?" a male voice calls out and I stiffen while trying to finish heaving. I spit a final time before turning my head. It's another person. Another normal person with a vehicle. I look up to see the built man in front of his SUV. He's not as built as Ronan but still very fit under his…oh my god, that's a military uniform. I stare back at Ronan who is refusing to look at me. His eyes are straight forward and his sharp jaw ticks away. He knows. He knows I can run now and there's nothing he can do to stop me.

The man walks closer and I stand up straighter, causing Ronan's arm to drop to his side. He's not going to even try to stop me? Is this a test? How could it be? Ronan can't kill this man if he's in the military. He's not some no name woodsman living off the land. This man has places he has to report to and if he doesn't, people will look for him. I step toward the man and I feel a tightness in my heart.

"You okay, miss?" he asks cautiously as he eyes me up and down. I must be a sight with my scratched face, snarled hair, lack of shoes, and pants.

"Morning sickness," I state weakly and feel Ronan's eyes on me. "Swear it's worse in the afternoon than the morning though." I give him a smile while wrapping my arms around my abdomen. The man relaxes and an easy smile pulls at his lips.

"Oh I know all about that, my wife is currently pregnant with our third. Those red and white peppermints help her when she's in the car and she starts feeling ill, I might have some in the glove box if you want some." He starts walking toward his car and I take a step, waiting for Ronan to stop me—he doesn't. I take another, and another until I'm at the man's car, out of earshot from my captor. The man comes back out of the car with a small handful of wrapped mints in his large hand.

"You sure you're alright?" He whispers, a smile on his face as he hands me the mints. "Scrunch your nose and I can protect you. I promise." My heart squeezes as my heart rate picks up. He could save me, and this all could be a horrible memory. But I can't walk away from Ronan…I don't know why, but leaving him now, like this, feels like a betrayal. It makes no sense, I owe that jerk nothing, I can't even say he saved me because if it weren't for him taking me in the first place, I wouldn't have been in the situation to begin with! Still…

"Oh!" I laugh lightly. "Because of my face? I went on a hike, stumbled and raked my face on the tree then landed in a creek! I feel so bad because my poor husband over there has been getting all kinds of dirty looks over it all day. I told him we could cut our trip short since I seem to be hellbent on messing things up but he's determined to give me one last vacation." I give him a friendly smile, making sure my nose doesn't move. "Thank you for the mints though. It's our first and I don't know what I'm doing." The man stares at me for another moment before nodding and getting into his car.

"You take care of yourself," he states and I move away as he pulls back onto the road. Once he's out of sight, my smile drops and I head over to Ronan. His eyes are wide and his jaw is slightly lax as if he's in shock by me standing here.

"What?" I ask as I pop a peppermint into my mouth. Before I can close my lips, Ronan sticks his fingers into my mouth and rips out the mint, gagging me in the process. He takes the mint and throws it against the ground before his hand grips my throat softly as he moves me so my back is against his car.

"You don't take candy from strangers, Angel." I roll my eyes which seems to annoy him further. "Okay fine, you don't take anything from another man. It's bad enough you walked over there in nothing but my hoodie."

"And whose fault is that?" I snap back, causing him to lean in, his lips just a breath from mine.

"Next fucker to offer you a hand, loses it. Now get in the fucking car," he grits out. His eyes betray him though. He looks nervous, confused but also relieved. His jaw isn't as tense and his eyes aren't as dark. Why though? Why is he nervous?

I slide my foot into the car as he releases his hold on my neck to allow me to take my seat. He closes my door and walks around to the driver's side, getting in before putting the car in drive and taking off down the road once more.

"You didn't leave." His voice is soft and almost timid. It's unnerving coming from him.

"You won the game," I reply softly while looking at my hand, the blood spot is gone, but it's like I can still feel it. Using my nail, I scratch at the spot, trying to make the feeling go away.

"Don't bullshit me," he snaps while whipping into the parking lot of the hotel. I'm shocked, it's actually a nicer looking hotel than I thought he was going to take us to. I don't know why but I saw a by-the-hour room in my future.

"Ronan, I can't go in there like this," I say while gesturing to myself. Ronan looks me over and shrugs.

"Stay in the car then, I'm going inside and taking a shower."

"You're going to make me walk in there, filthy, with no pants or underwear?" A small smirk pulls at his lips as he stares at my lap before frowning.

"What are you doing?" He asks, gripping my hand and jerking it to him. I look to see I've dug at my skin so deep I'm bleeding.

"I had an itch, I wasn't thinking."

"Why didn't you leave me?" He asks again while reaching in his glove box and pulling out a tissue pack.

"Because I couldn't," I whisper as he pulls the tissue out and dabs at my scratch. He's so gentle it's almost unnerving. This man is a killer, right? Why is he fussing over my scratch?

"You could've," He says, though he seems distracted as he reaches back into the glove box again and pulls out a tiny first aid kit. "You're an attractive woman, and you told him you were pregnant. I watched his protective side flip on. I know he asked you to give him a sign if you needed help. He could've gotten you in the car and drove off before I could've stopped him. So why did you stay?" He places a bandage over the scratch as his green eyes bore into my soul.

"You asked me not to," I whisper, my gaze falling to his mouth.

"I never asked you anything, "

"I felt it," I swallow before touching my chest. "Here, I felt something. And I think it was you, begging me not to leave you." His earlier words hit me and I reach out with my hand and touch the side of his face. The act seems to almost scare him and as he flinches away, I repeat his words. "It was as if you needed me. Like I'm needing to save you." His eyes look almost fearful as he looks down at my hand.

"If that's really what you think, Angel," He shakes his head before opening his door. "Then you should've dove into his car when you had the chance."