didn’t want to hurt her. But the longer Rosemary was with him, the greater the chance that he would lose control, which meant I had to find her. And it had to be fast.
Chapter Four
He had to pick the rest stop in the middle of nowhere. Away from the highway, surrounded by nothing but flatland, making it impossible to hide. It consisted of nothing but two bathrooms and a vending machine. I was on my own.
“Be quick,” Jack told me as he uncuffed my hands and turned into the men’s bathroom. “We have to leave soon.”
I shook my hands, grateful to have the cuffs off, slipping off my jacket to put it on the bench beside the door. I nodded at him and pretended to head into the women’s room.
Once the door shut behind him as he went into the men’s, I bolted. I got out the door, spinning in circles. Nothing but flat farmland. It was a horrible place to run. But I had to try. I headed to the car, opened the driver’s door and looked for the keys. No good. He wasn’t that dumb. The highway was a mile off. Could I make it?
I had no option. Running as fast as I could I turned towards the interstate and started booking it. My breathing was already labored from my fear, and my lungs swelled up in my chest, fit to burst. What would happen if he caught me?
Don’t think that. This is just like racing with Noah, I thought, and as I remembered his name a pang shot through my heart. Me and Noah are just having another race, and he’s right behind me. He’s not going to win this time. He’s not going to win.
That wasn’t Noah behind me. But Noah was faster than Jack, and I could run almost as fast as he could, which meant maybe I could beat him. I push my body faster and faster, leaping off of my toes to make my strides longer. As the highway nears, I feel a bit of hope. Can I make it?
“ROSEMARY!”
The roar of the dragon rings in my ears and I cry out as I stress my body to its limits. I glance behind me, see the flaming red eyes, the yellowed teeth clenched in fury. Go, go, faster, faster! Don’t let him catch you!
Jack is gaining on me. He’s faster than I thought. “Please, no!” I scream, and I put on one last burst of speed but it’s no use. I’m exhausted. Before I know it the weight of the entire world is tackling me down to the ground and slamming me into the dirt.
“Get off me!” I scream. I slap him across the face, hard, and then try to dig my nails into his eyeballs. It does no good. He grabs me and pulls me to my feet, keeping a firm grip. “Stop this! Stop this right now!” Jack starts shaking me roughly. “You stop!”
It feels like an earthquake is running through my body. I hear things crack as he jolts me back and forth. I feel as if my neck will snap. “Are you done trying to run? Are you done?”
I let out a whimper and he stops shaking me, breathing erratically. Sweat is running down his face and he grabs the back of my neck, saying, “Do you think I’m that stupid? Do you honestly think that I’m an idiot? I knew you were going to try and escape!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” I say, terrified he’s going to shake me again, and this time do permanent damage. “I had to!”
“You don’t have to do anything but stay put, that’s all I ask of you,” he hisses. “I should’ve known better than to trust you. Not yet.”
“What are you going to do? Keep me prisoner until I give in? I won’t!” I say, shouting into his face.
He starts dragging me back towards the car. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Rose.”
“Is that a threat?” I ask as he opens the passenger door.
“I’m not trying to hurt you,” he says, bracing himself against the door. “But I don’t think you understand the situation. Things aren’t what you think they are. You need a reality check.”
“Excuse me? I’m the one that needs a reality check?” I ask him. “You’re the crazy maniac who kidnapped me. Don’t even go there.”
“We’re not discussing this
Chapter Four
He had to pick the rest stop in the middle of nowhere. Away from the highway, surrounded by nothing but flatland, making it impossible to hide. It consisted of nothing but two bathrooms and a vending machine. I was on my own.
“Be quick,” Jack told me as he uncuffed my hands and turned into the men’s bathroom. “We have to leave soon.”
I shook my hands, grateful to have the cuffs off, slipping off my jacket to put it on the bench beside the door. I nodded at him and pretended to head into the women’s room.
Once the door shut behind him as he went into the men’s, I bolted. I got out the door, spinning in circles. Nothing but flat farmland. It was a horrible place to run. But I had to try. I headed to the car, opened the driver’s door and looked for the keys. No good. He wasn’t that dumb. The highway was a mile off. Could I make it?
I had no option. Running as fast as I could I turned towards the interstate and started booking it. My breathing was already labored from my fear, and my lungs swelled up in my chest, fit to burst. What would happen if he caught me?
Don’t think that. This is just like racing with Noah, I thought, and as I remembered his name a pang shot through my heart. Me and Noah are just having another race, and he’s right behind me. He’s not going to win this time. He’s not going to win.
That wasn’t Noah behind me. But Noah was faster than Jack, and I could run almost as fast as he could, which meant maybe I could beat him. I push my body faster and faster, leaping off of my toes to make my strides longer. As the highway nears, I feel a bit of hope. Can I make it?
“ROSEMARY!”
The roar of the dragon rings in my ears and I cry out as I stress my body to its limits. I glance behind me, see the flaming red eyes, the yellowed teeth clenched in fury. Go, go, faster, faster! Don’t let him catch you!
Jack is gaining on me. He’s faster than I thought. “Please, no!” I scream, and I put on one last burst of speed but it’s no use. I’m exhausted. Before I know it the weight of the entire world is tackling me down to the ground and slamming me into the dirt.
“Get off me!” I scream. I slap him across the face, hard, and then try to dig my nails into his eyeballs. It does no good. He grabs me and pulls me to my feet, keeping a firm grip. “Stop this! Stop this right now!” Jack starts shaking me roughly. “You stop!”
It feels like an earthquake is running through my body. I hear things crack as he jolts me back and forth. I feel as if my neck will snap. “Are you done trying to run? Are you done?”
I let out a whimper and he stops shaking me, breathing erratically. Sweat is running down his face and he grabs the back of my neck, saying, “Do you think I’m that stupid? Do you honestly think that I’m an idiot? I knew you were going to try and escape!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” I say, terrified he’s going to shake me again, and this time do permanent damage. “I had to!”
“You don’t have to do anything but stay put, that’s all I ask of you,” he hisses. “I should’ve known better than to trust you. Not yet.”
“What are you going to do? Keep me prisoner until I give in? I won’t!” I say, shouting into his face.
He starts dragging me back towards the car. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Rose.”
“Is that a threat?” I ask as he opens the passenger door.
“I’m not trying to hurt you,” he says, bracing himself against the door. “But I don’t think you understand the situation. Things aren’t what you think they are. You need a reality check.”
“Excuse me? I’m the one that needs a reality check?” I ask him. “You’re the crazy maniac who kidnapped me. Don’t even go there.”
“We’re not discussing this
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