Chapter 55

RILEY

I bent over, gasping for breath. I listened intently for footsteps, anything to tell me if Leith's stepbrother was closing in. He must have been hurt, moving slower than usual.

Don't underestimate your attacker.

Eric's words echoed in my mind. Just thinking about him brought tears to my eyes. I wiped my face, shocked to see blood smeared across my hands.

Keep moving. Don't stop.

I stumbled forward. I was nearly at Granddad's hideout. Concealed in the trees, it should keep me safe until Eric or Alex arrived.

"Please, let them have read my texts." Leith's stepbrother was angry, wanting revenge. If he found me, I was dead.

My feet flew across the uneven forest floor. Soft, mossy ground gave way to dry leaves. Decaying pine trees became spruce and oak. I needed to move closer to the lake, but not too close. If Leith's stepbrother was near the shore, he could?—

"You're going to die!"

I tripped, falling to the ground with a sickening thud. Pain ripped through my leg. Oh, God. He sounded close, but sound traveled differently over water. Biting my lip, I sat up, holding back the moan that tore through my throat.

Blood oozed down my leg. A branch had sliced my skin, leaving my shin raw and weeping. It was just a flesh wound. It would heal.

I tore the bottom of my T-shirt with my teeth. With shaking hands, I bandaged my leg, knotting it tightly across the wound.

Keep moving. Don't stop.

"Did you hear me, Riley? I'll carve you into little pieces and feed you to the wild animals. No one will ever find your body."

I gritted my teeth. I wouldn't listen to his cruel taunts. He wanted to scare me, hoping I'd give up and make his job easier. I rolled onto my feet.

Ignore the pain.

Blinking back tears, I hobbled forward. My heart pounded as I moved toward the hideout.

The trees thinned, giving way to the plants that grew along the edge of the trail. Crouching low, I crawled between the undergrowth. My body shook with fear as I peered around the lake, searching for any sign of Leith's stepbrother.

Nothing looked out of place. I focused on the edge of the forest, the trees that could easily hide him. Still nothing.

I crept back into the forest, making my way toward the hideout.

"I'm getting closer." His voice boomed across the lake. "It's the perfect place to die. And you will. Slowly and painfully."

There. Granddad's treehouse was less than twenty feet away. Hidden between the trunks of four tall pine trees, it melded into the landscape. For now, it was better than stumbling through the forest.

The old rope ladder was covered in moss and fallen branches. Carefully, I pulled on the rungs, hoping it wouldn't drop out of the trees. It stayed firm. I climbed about two feet into the air. So far, so good.

The rope swayed as I rose higher. For years, Granddad had climbed this tree, squeezing between the knotted trunks. I didn't know how he did it, but that was Granddad. He had the stamina and strength of a man half his age. It took a drunk driver to show him how fragile life could be.

I looked at the ground and swallowed. If the rope gave way, I wouldn't have to worry about Leith's stepbrother. I'd be a splattered mess on the forest floor.

Taking a deep breath, I hauled myself onto the bough of the tree. The trunks of the four trees had become so intertwined they'd created a small platform—Granddad's dream space.

My hands trembled as I pulled the rope ladder toward me. When I was finished, I curled my legs to my chest and leaned back. With my spine pressed against the trunk and the branches providing shelter, I tried to make all six feet of me invisible.

I closed my eyes and prayed. It would take a miracle to get out of here alive.