Page 75 of Forever Only Once

“Be a good girl, and maybe he can live. You fight Chris one more time, and I’ll shoot your little friend in the head. You fucking him like you’re fucking his brother? Because I’m pretty sure you were always a whore. I tried to clean you up, but that was never good enough, was it?”

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I couldn’t let Macon die. I couldn’t let Cross’s brother die.

“See? You’ve already learned your place. Be a good girl, and you won’t hurt too much more. But you know I love your screaming. When we’re in a better place, you can scream all you want. You’re going to need to, you fucking bitch.”

Thomas hit me, this time with the gun in his hand, and everything went dark.

I opened my eyes again as he dragged me out into the trees behind the building. I could just see a shadow on the porch behind Chris Cross.

Macon.

He was crawling towards us. He was trying, doing so much, and yet it wasn’t enough. He was going to die trying to help me. He was going to die trying to save himself. And there was nothing I could do.

More blood pooled in my mouth, and I spit it out, trying to focus, trying to do something. Anything. All those self-defense classes, and yet none of it helped against a gun.

I moved again, trying to twist my body. Someone kicked me in the side, I didn’t know who it was, Thomas or Chris, but I knew I’d have a footprint on my flesh.

Honestly, it didn’t matter who it was. It could be either one. This would be how it ended.

They dragged me through the trees, the rocks digging into my legs and back. I had cuts and abrasions forming all over my body, yet I didn’t feel it. Only the pain in my head and arms from where they dragged me.

They pulled me toward a wood cabin I hadn’t realized was there, and I let out a breath, trying to focus. There had to be something I could do, some way out of this. Only I didn’t think so.

“She won’t stop fucking moving,” Chris grumbled as he tossed me onto the floor. The grain of the wood dug into my cheek as my head slammed down. I swore my teeth ratted, and I instinctively moved my hands to try and calm the throbbing in my face.

“What did I say, pet?” Thomas asked, his voice low and steady.

Too steady for a man with no soul.

“I’ll go back and kill him if you don’t stop moving.”

He paused.

“In fact, Chris, I have one last thing for you to do. It’ll help cover up any of your misdeeds.”

“What?

“There’s gasoline on the side of the building. You know what to do.”

I froze, my whole body shaking.

“And Macon?” Chris asked, his throat working hard as he swallowed.

“Kill him. I don’t care. Just take care of the building. Then get back to me. If you want the money.”

Chris looked frozen for a second, as if he didn’t know what to do, but then he was off. Fear crawled over me, its silky fist smooth around my throat, my heart, everything.

“That’s a good girl,” Thomas said, his hand around my throat.

I didn’t move because I wasn’t sure what they were going to do with Macon—or what they would do with me.

“I waited so long for you, Hazel. Why did you leave me? You should’ve stayed with me. You tried to get away. I found you. Then you sent me to jail. Why?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but he slapped me again. Tears stung my eyes.

“No. This isn’t the time for you to speak. We’re done with that.” He turned away from me before facing me once more.

“You’re going to listen. You put me in jail. How could you do that to me? I was everything to you. I was yours. You took my gifts for granted and spat in my face. You were always a whore, I knew that going in. But I took care of you. I always cherished you. But instead of accepting my benevolence, you threw it in my face.”