Twelve of Roses - Natalie Bennett Page 0,22

his brutality as I looked him in the eyes.

My heart skipped a beat when he approached and lifted a hand to my face. Instead of striking me again, he simply cupped my jaw.

“I should fuck your sweet ass right here and give you a reason to scream. Think Grandpa Earl would like that?” he mocked with a smile full of devilry. I swallowed audibly and shook my head slightly.

“Didn’t think so; get in the truck before someone sees us.”

I did as I was told, climbing in and praying to God I’d find a way out of this. Con climbed in the driver’s seat and wordlessly backed out of the driveway.

We rode away from my home, away from the only family I had left, straight towards a future as bleak and grim as my foolish heart.

Chapter Twelve

Past

He drove for hours, making me climb into the backseat and lie down whenever he needed to get gas.

By the time he stopped, the sky had long ago turned black and I knew we were far beyond Ponty-Poole. I woke up from an involuntary catnap just as he turned down a private grassy road.

As I readjusted in my seat, my bladder screamed, and my stomach roared. I peered out the window into the trees, seeing the faint distant glow of a fire. I glanced at the clock, counting how long it took him to make it down the road. Twelve minutes exactly.

“Planning an escape already?” he asked with ill-timed humor in his tone.

I didn’t bother giving him a response. Not even a minute later, he came to a stop in a small, circular clearing.

Looking to my left, I saw a square cabin that was moderate in size; to my right, a bonfire was raging, and people were sat around it on tree-stump benches.

“Where are we?” I asked daringly.

“Home,” was his blunt, monotonous response.

“Let’s go; they’ve been waiting for us.” He pushed his door open and got out, slamming it shut and walking away from me without a second glance.

Did he think I wouldn’t run?

No—he knew I wouldn’t. Not when his parting words were, they’ve been waiting for us. I had to know who he was referring to. Aside from that, the only things around me were eerie, naked trees. Running off into the wilderness without some idea of where I was would be incredibly stupid.

Since he’d brought me here, there was a high possibility that he knew these woods well.

Steeling myself for what I might witness, I got out of the truck and made my way in the direction Con had gone. Grass and leaves brushed against the bottom of my bare feet. The soft breeze was a stark reminder that the only thing covering my body was a simple, slightly torn T-shirt and his drawers.

As I got closer, the shapes became clearer and I had to blink to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Molly sat between Justin and Darren, her pale face splotchy, her overall look disheveled. Wes, Darcy’s ex, sat in front of Vicky, who had a small knife pressed to his throat.

I picked my pace up, charging into the circle they all sat in.

“What is this?” I looked directly at Con, who had managed to take a seat and crack open a beer in the time it took me to get out of his truck.

“There’s my Rosie,” he announced proudly, smiling at me affectionately. The orange flames danced across his face and cast him as the devil. It was fitting for the role he was choosing to play.

“Come here.” He patted his leg, indicating where he wanted me.

I shot a quick look in Wes’ direction and silently made my way over to Con. None of the Burrows said a word, but their smug expressions spoke volumes. When I reached my destination, I sank down and sat on Con’s lap stiffly.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” he asked no one in particular, running his nose up the side of my neck.

“She looks better than the last one,” Justin agreed, bringing a beer bottle to his mouth.

“The last one?” I asked.

“Well, you’re not the first. As a matter of fact, you’re my last. Remember what I told you last night?” Con asked, placing a kiss on my shoulder.

“I don’t understand. Why me?” I looked around, willing one of them to answer my question.

“We’ll get to that a little later. First, we’re going to entertain our guest,” he whispered in my ear, gently nibbling on the lower lobe and reaching around me to slide his beer bottle