face. His hands were beautiful, magical. She was consumed by his stare, by his power. It was sexy. It was heavenly. In a matter of seconds, he had managed to undo a teenage life spent in ugliness and shame. With one touch, one kiss, he had cleansed her from the very thing she hated about herself.
She crunched her abdominal muscles and bent over to press her lips against his. But before they touched, she heard the sound of brakes, of tires moving over snow, crushing it like the fragile powder it was. Her stomach leapt with equal caution and anticipation. The gun’s metal lip now nudged up against her hip bone. Emery grabbed the gun, readied it for use.
The vehicle stopped. A Suburban. The SUV resembled the vehicles that had been parked on the side of Adam’s property, enormous black beasts constructed to drag frightened teenagers away. Emery didn’t move, but her pulse instantly spiked. She waited for someone, for some creepy guy to step out of the vehicle. She’d blow him away without even feeling bad about it. She’d glare at him as she pulled the trigger and pray the bullet ripped into the heart.
Hesitation. Blink. Another icy breath. She had to see who it was. Emery tried to get a good look, peering out the driver’s side window, past the clouded glass, but it was unclear. She kept waiting. The gun felt so comfortable in her grip. She was on edge, but she wasn’t nervous, not at this moment, not like the pathetic girl who clung to Adam’s side because she had been paralyzed by fear. He wasn’t here to do any saving. She was alone. And maybe she’d have to kill.
Emery counted the next few seconds.
Then it finally happened. A body stepped out of the Suburban. She listened for the crunching of snow beneath winter boots. The foggy glass made it impossible to identify the walker. So she didn’t wait any longer. Emery raised the gun and shouted, “Don’t freaking move!”
The mystery man froze. When would he reach for his weapon? Would he dare call for backup? She didn’t look over her shoulder, for maybe backup was already here. She swore in that moment she felt a buzzing in her ribcage. But then she blinked, and the sensation dissipated.
“Don’t come any closer, or I’ll blow you away.” She almost sounded tough.
“Have you ever fired a gun before, sweetie?”
A new chill snaked down Emery’s back. It was a woman’s voice, muffled a little because of the glass, but the words had a certain serious and unflinching manner attached to them.
“Saying you’re gonna blow somebody away and doin’ it are two entirely different things.”
Emery squirmed. Her nostrils flared as she swallowed the biggest gulp of her life. She could do it. She knew she could pull the trigger. “What do you want?”
“I’m not a nosy person by any means. But you’re on the side of the road in a sports car, and a storm’s about to roll through these hills. Saw the hazards and couldn’t in good conscience just drive off and leave ya stuck, if that’s what ya are.”
“Is that the truth?” Emery asked, wondering why no other cars had driven by. Or maybe a few had, and she just hadn’t noticed.
“God’s honest. Honey, I got no reason to lie to you.”
“Cut that out!”
“What?”
“Calling me honey and sweetie . We’re not friends.”
“Well, what’s your name, then? Now’s as good a time as any to get ourselves acquainted.”
“Why should I tell you?”
“The choice is yours as far as I can tell. You’ve got the gun, and I’m standing in the road with my hands raised in the air. I couldn’t bring any harm to you if I tried.”
Emery’s tongue spread over her lips, but she never once took her finger off the trigger.
“So I suppose it’s too early for names. Fine. Do you want help or not?”
“We’re okay,” Emery lied, but her voice wavered. “We don’t need your help.”
“ We? There’s somebody else in there with you?”
Way to go, you idiot. You never should’ve opened your
She crunched her abdominal muscles and bent over to press her lips against his. But before they touched, she heard the sound of brakes, of tires moving over snow, crushing it like the fragile powder it was. Her stomach leapt with equal caution and anticipation. The gun’s metal lip now nudged up against her hip bone. Emery grabbed the gun, readied it for use.
The vehicle stopped. A Suburban. The SUV resembled the vehicles that had been parked on the side of Adam’s property, enormous black beasts constructed to drag frightened teenagers away. Emery didn’t move, but her pulse instantly spiked. She waited for someone, for some creepy guy to step out of the vehicle. She’d blow him away without even feeling bad about it. She’d glare at him as she pulled the trigger and pray the bullet ripped into the heart.
Hesitation. Blink. Another icy breath. She had to see who it was. Emery tried to get a good look, peering out the driver’s side window, past the clouded glass, but it was unclear. She kept waiting. The gun felt so comfortable in her grip. She was on edge, but she wasn’t nervous, not at this moment, not like the pathetic girl who clung to Adam’s side because she had been paralyzed by fear. He wasn’t here to do any saving. She was alone. And maybe she’d have to kill.
Emery counted the next few seconds.
Then it finally happened. A body stepped out of the Suburban. She listened for the crunching of snow beneath winter boots. The foggy glass made it impossible to identify the walker. So she didn’t wait any longer. Emery raised the gun and shouted, “Don’t freaking move!”
The mystery man froze. When would he reach for his weapon? Would he dare call for backup? She didn’t look over her shoulder, for maybe backup was already here. She swore in that moment she felt a buzzing in her ribcage. But then she blinked, and the sensation dissipated.
“Don’t come any closer, or I’ll blow you away.” She almost sounded tough.
“Have you ever fired a gun before, sweetie?”
A new chill snaked down Emery’s back. It was a woman’s voice, muffled a little because of the glass, but the words had a certain serious and unflinching manner attached to them.
“Saying you’re gonna blow somebody away and doin’ it are two entirely different things.”
Emery squirmed. Her nostrils flared as she swallowed the biggest gulp of her life. She could do it. She knew she could pull the trigger. “What do you want?”
“I’m not a nosy person by any means. But you’re on the side of the road in a sports car, and a storm’s about to roll through these hills. Saw the hazards and couldn’t in good conscience just drive off and leave ya stuck, if that’s what ya are.”
“Is that the truth?” Emery asked, wondering why no other cars had driven by. Or maybe a few had, and she just hadn’t noticed.
“God’s honest. Honey, I got no reason to lie to you.”
“Cut that out!”
“What?”
“Calling me honey and sweetie . We’re not friends.”
“Well, what’s your name, then? Now’s as good a time as any to get ourselves acquainted.”
“Why should I tell you?”
“The choice is yours as far as I can tell. You’ve got the gun, and I’m standing in the road with my hands raised in the air. I couldn’t bring any harm to you if I tried.”
Emery’s tongue spread over her lips, but she never once took her finger off the trigger.
“So I suppose it’s too early for names. Fine. Do you want help or not?”
“We’re okay,” Emery lied, but her voice wavered. “We don’t need your help.”
“ We? There’s somebody else in there with you?”
Way to go, you idiot. You never should’ve opened your
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