Chapter 16

16

T he hand of dread reaches into my chest and squeezes my heart, turning my blood cold. The hairs on my arms rise, and my fingers clench tighter around the towel.

What am I going to do?

I race over and steal a peek into my room. A silhouette strolls past the doorway, making me duck back into the bathroom.

"Hiding will do you no good. I'll find you,then I'll kill you."

I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping this is all a dream. When a door slams, I jump out of my skin. Then I hear the click of another door. I take that as an opportunity to run. Peering out of the bathroom into my bedroom, the moonlight shines through my open curtains.

"Well, well, well."

I freeze at the sound of the menacing voice in my doorway. Flicking my head toward it, I back away, my back hitting the cold glass, sending a bitter chill down my spine. I swallow the concrete which has formed in my throat. "What...what do you want?" My voice is so high-pitched I sound like a frightened mouse.

I try looking around the room for something to use as a weapon.

"What do I want?" he shouts, followed by maniacal laughter, sending shivers down my spine. "I'm your little brother, and I've come to kill you so I can run our family business." He takes a step closer, and my reaction is to try to move back, but I can't.

Panic seizes my fight-or-flight reaction, and I do neither.

There is no way out for me. Is this how my life is going to end? By the hands of my own brother?

"You're M-Miles?" I tumble over my words.

I can't see him clearly enough to make out his features. The moonlight hits his face lightly, and it's as though his eyes are as dark as onyx.

The eyes of death.

"Ding, ding, ding." He holds up his hand like he's ringing a bell. "Wow, you're a smart one. They kept you hidden well. Dear old Granny, keeping her girls safe." He cackles.

Clearing my dry throat, I say, "How did you know I was here?"

His finger comes up to his chin. "Well, now, let me see. I've been watching Hunter and his minion for some time now. I can't say it was my most favorite job, but it paid well. His father will be disappointed to know that Hunter has betrayed his own flesh and blood." He tsks, waving his finger in a disapproving manner.

"I'm no one. I have no idea who anyone is."

"I don't believe you," he roars. "I'm going to be in charge, and all my siblings will be put to death. But first, I need to remove you from the equation. You're the next in line, and if you should marry the traitor, then his family won't be able to stop you both."

Hunter's words come to the front of my mind. The whole time, he has been trying to protect me from the evil trying to hurt me, and I've been stopping him.

I feel useless. I don't have the strength to survive the man standing before me. His threatening words and the vile he spews at me are things I should be used to, considering some of the families I grew up with, but the chill down my spine says otherwise.

"Are you ready to die?" He sneers, taking another step closer.

He's so close to my trembling, towel-covered body. I watch his arm slip around behind him, then come back into view with what looks to be a gun.

"You don't have to do this. I don't want anything to do with your family or Hunter's. Please, just let me be." I hold my arm out in front of me.

"You really think I believe you? Just like Nash said he didn't know anything about you."

My eyes dart to the dark figure at the mention of Nash. "Did you kill him?"

Miles holds the gun out in front of him, the end pointing in my direction. This is it. No more narrow escapes. There's no one here to help me.

His smile is menacing. "Yes. Don't worry. You'll be seeing him very soon. It was a pleasure meeting you, big sister."

I freeze with fear.

Then the lights flick on. I duck and press my body hard against the glass door. The gunshot echoes around my room, and a searing slice of pain stabs me in the shoulder. I don't have time to register it as my heart slams into my chest like it's trying to escape. The next thing I know, I'm falling through a shower of glass.

The door I was pressed up against shatters over my body. Sharp pricks of pain shoot up the entire right side of my body, and a burning sensation in my left shoulder has my fingertips reaching for it. They come away blood-stained, and a sob rips out of my chest.

"Dammit," Miles curses, forcing my head up to watch him.

He steps my way. A surge of adrenaline pumps into my veins, and I lift my body from the glass, trying my hardest to keep the towel on me. I wince at the pain that sears from my feet right up my legs.

I need to move.

Thankfully, the house isn't high off the ground. I lean on my left arm on the rail to climb over, but it gives out from under me. I cry out, as sharp rocks dig into the side of my face, the skin tearing open, tears fill my eyes.

What's happened?

"You're not going to make it very far." Miles' voice is closer than I expected, and my breath catches.

I ignore all the agony my body is experiencing. My fight-or-flight mode kicks into high gear. I lift myself off the grass and run onto the road, taking off to the nearest tree. The gravel stones dig their way into the flesh of my bare feet. The pain is unbearable, but I need to keep going. I can't stop.

Another shot booms out into the night.

I heave in a large breath. My lungs feel as though they're unable to function properly. Miles curses again. I peek around the side of the tree and see him jumping over the patio.

This is it. My moment of survival.

I have to run.

I push myself off the tree, ignore all the torment I'm experiencing, and run straight for the barn. Not stopping, I head straight out the back. Another gunshot echoes, but it isn't near me this time.

I pause and turn to glance behind me, just in time to catch a dark figure running my way.

A new level of panic takes over.

I must keep going.

My head is dizzy, and every bit of energy I have seems to be dwindling fast. Inhaling the night air, I push forward once again.

I finally stumble into the tree line I'd been admiring this morning and find a thick bush, burrowing my way into its center. Collapsing into the ground, I suck in gasps of air. I can't keep my eyes open anymore.

"Aelina?" a familiar voice calls.

"Hunter?" I ask breathlessly, choking on his name as a ball of emotion clogs my throat.

I need to keep my eyes open. Is it Hunter, or am I dreaming?

"Where are you?" It's the same voice, and I pray my mind isn't playing tricks on me.

"Here," I croak out.

I push and kick my tender body along the ground through the thicket of bushes. A rush of footsteps crunches on the surrounding debris and stops at my head. A deep voice curses, and then I'm being lifted against a familiar body.

"I'm sorry, Little Red." Warmth is pressed to my forehead before white bubbles dance in my vision, and darkness swallows me up.

* * *

"Will she be okay?" Hunter's concerned words break the blanket of silence.

My eyelids are too heavy, and I can't force them open. Who is he talking to?

"She will be. Just a few stitches on her side, a couple of cuts that aren't too deep. The bullet wound is a through and through, so it will heal nicely. I would recommend rest."

I've been shot? What happened last night?

"Yeah, okay," Hunter says, and a hand gently presses onto my forehead.

"I mean it, Hunter. She needs rest. After everything you've told me that's happened these last few days, I'm concerned she's going to burn out and harm herself somehow."

How much more could happen?

It's been three damn days since Hunter wormed his way into my life, actually, more like inserted. I'd hate to see what years or even another week together would entail. I'm positive I'll die.

"Yes, I will make sure she rests. May will make sure as well." Hunter sounds irritated at being told what to do, and it kind of makes me want to laugh.

Instead, a sudden bout of drowsiness clouds my mind, and my body becomes weighted to the bed.

Darkness envelops me once more.