50. Fable

Chapter 50

Fable

P anic sets in so thick, it spreads through my chest and forces me to move.

"What are we gonna do, Jethro?" I wheeze through my short breaths. "This isn't good. This isn't good at all."

He whines and I remember how he'd bitten Trent for grabbing me. I drop to my knees and wrap my arms around him, trying to calm him down, but it's hard to do when I'm spiraling.

"Shit," I rasp. "Shit, shit, shit. They're fucking drug lords. Or. . . something."

I don't know what they are. I didn't ask. Does it matter when they have millions of dollars of cocaine just sitting in their fucking barn?

I leap to my feet. "I gotta call. . . someone. The cops?"

I pull out my phone and stare at the screen. I flick open the call app and hit 9-1-1. My finger hovers over the send button, hesitates.

"For fuck's sake," I grunt. "They're keeping you prisoner, Fable. Just do it." When I still can't bring myself to hit the button, I growl in frustration and throw my phone on the bed.

Jinx appears, her eyes on me as I start to pace back and forth, my breathing growing more and more erratic as panic really starts to set in. I'm fucked! This whole situation is fucked! I should have just minded my own business like they told me. I should have let it go.

" What a conundrum ," Jinx says from her place on the bed. She sighs as I start hyperventilating. " You're going to pass out if you keep doing that, Everhart ."

I whirl on her, my chest tight, the corners of my vision growing fuzzy. I point my finger at her as tears start to drip over my lashes at a faster rate. The panic attack sets in so thoroughly, I get angry at it, at her.

"This is all your fault!" I scream. I grab the vase from the mantle and throw it, watching as it shatters against the wall behind Jinx. "You should be here with me! You should be here right now!" I cry, picking up something else and throwing it, gasping for air through my anger and my fear.

Her eyes grow sad as she looks at me. " I know, Everhart ," she whispers. " I know ."

I collapse to my knees, my chest so tight, I can't draw in air. I curl into a ball and hug my knees, the world descending into static so badly, I barely feel when Jethro lays beside me.

" Breathe, Everhart ," Jinx's voice whispers in my mind.

But I can't. I can't. I can't. . .