Chapter 49

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

The glass shard finally sliced through the last strand of the rope, and Brynlee’s wrists fell free. A gasp of disbelief escaped her lips, quickly followed by a surge of hope that felt like a wildfire igniting in her chest. She stared at her raw, trembling hands, barely able to believe she’d done it. But there was no time to savor the victory. She had to move. Now.

She cast a quick glance at the broken window, the only possible escape from this nightmare. It was a tight, rectangular opening, barely wide enough for her to squeeze through, but it was her only chance. Brynlee knew she couldn’t afford to waste a second.

Wincing at the pain in her hands, she picked up the threadbare sheet she had used earlier. Carefully, she folded it over and began sweeping the shards of glass from the floor beneath the window, pushing them into the corner as best as she could.

Fallon glanced over at her, eyes large and full of tears. “Wait! I’m not ready yet!”

“Keep going,” Brynlee urged. “I’m going to get the glass out of the way, then we need to get out of here.”

With the glass mostly out of the way, she turned her attention to the window itself. The broken glass was still embedded in the frame, jagged edges waiting to tear into her flesh if she wasn’t careful. Grabbing up the bucket, she turned it upside down and placed it beneath the window, then climbed on top. She used the sheet to knock out as many pieces as she could, wincing as a few larger shards clattered to the floor beneath her.

“Come on, Fallon!”

Brynlee folded the sheet several times and draped it over the windowsill. The fabric was thin, but it would cushion the sharp edges and give them something to grip onto as they climbed. The window was high up, and the concrete block wall was smooth and unyielding, but she couldn’t let that stop her.

“Almost there!” Fallon called, her voice cracking with fear. “Don’t leave me!”

“I won’t. I’ll go first, then help pull you out.”

Taking a deep breath, Brynlee braced herself and jumped, fingers grabbing the outside edge of the windowsill. The muscles in her arms screamed in protest as she pulled herself up, her feet scrabbling against the wall for purchase. She managed to hook one leg over the sill, then the other, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps as she squeezed her body through the narrow opening.

She could feel the cold early morning air on her face, and goosebumps broke out over her skin, but a smile split her face. She was almost there!

Suddenly, the sound of a door slamming open, followed by the heavy tread of footsteps pounding on the stairs reached her ears.

“Brynlee!”

Fallon’s panicked cry was right behind her, and her blood ran cold, panic surging through her veins as she twisted her body, trying to wriggle through the rest of the way before he reached her.

"Get back here!" The man’s voice was a harsh growl as he grabbed her hips, his fingers digging in like claws.

Pain and fear exploded outward, and she screamed. "Help! Somebody, please!"

She kicked wildly, trying to push herself out the window, but her body was wedged in tight, her hips caught in the narrow frame. She felt his hands on her legs, strong and unforgiving as they yanked her back.

"No!" Brynlee shrieked, thrashing against him with every ounce of strength she had left. “Help!”

But it was no use. He was too strong, his grip like iron as he dragged her back inside, the stars disappearing from view as her head was pulled through the window.

He threw her to the floor with a vicious force, her body hitting the ground with a thud that knocked the breath from her lungs. She barely had time to catch her breath before he was on her, his fists raining down on her in a flurry of blows. Pain exploded in her head, her vision going white with each strike.

"Stupid bitch!" he snarled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "You think you can just leave me? After everything I’ve done for you?"

Brynnlee tried to curl into a ball, to protect herself from the onslaught, but the blows kept coming, relentless and brutal. She could taste blood in her mouth, feel it trickling down her face. Her body screamed in agony, every nerve ending alight with pain. She could feel her strength fading, her consciousness slipping as her vision blurred at the edges.

"You're just like the others," he hissed, his voice full of venom. "But you won't get away from me. None of you ever do."

The last thing Brynlee saw before the darkness claimed her was his face, twisted in rage and something else—something almost like despair. Then, with one final, brutal blow, everything went black.