blood boil under your skin, won’t send a shock wave straight to your perfect little pussy.” He drops the blade, replacing the sharp edge with the tight hold of his hand. “Not like this will.”
Marek’s harsh movements catch me off guard. There’s nothing gentle about him. Abrasive drives and quick thrusts take over my senses. The fabric of my dress rips and tears from the pressure against my back, beads and sequins falling to the ground like mirrors, shining the harsh truth at us. Wicked always wins, and Marek is as wicked as they come. He just hides it better than the others.
His grip tightens on my throat, and at first, I can’t deny the way it makes me feel. A mix of pleasure and pain, fear and lust, has my hand reaching up to grab the branch above me, suspending my body between us.
“You’re never going to break,” Marek whispers, tilting his head to the side and closing the space between our lips. “Are you?” His breath on my cheek is like a cool breeze on a summer day, subduing me.
I wrap my other hand around his wrist, squeezing his flesh and muscle as hard as I can, tightening his hold even harder around my throat.
“Weston girls don’t break, Marek.” My words are slow and strained through the hold on my neck. “But go ahead and keep trying.”
His lips crash against mine, owning my body and soul. Whatever these boys are doing, whatever fuels their hatred for me, I’m certain Marek’s is overrun by his attraction to me. Whether it’s physical, or runs deeper than that, I’m not sure. I’m certain of only one thing. Marek is hard, and my feelings for him are harder.
“You taste like sin and sunshine,” Marek whispers between our lips. His hand releases the tight hold on my throat. Red smeared over his skin frightens me. I brush my fingers over my neck and find blood.
Marek takes his time, slowly pumping in and out of me. Our time at the mountain house had had a certain kind of finality. I would have lived happily with the way we’d ended things, but right now, this moment, me scared and us alone in the woods, this seems more like us than anything I’ve ever known.
When he’s finished, he lowers my feet to the ground and kisses me one last time.
“Run, Palmer. Now. Don’t look back.”
******
I’m lost.
Everything around me seems familiar. Leaves and broken branches start to look like each other. My sense of direction is completely gone. I stop at a tree, resting my hand on the trunk to catch my breath. The wind whipping through the woods has me paranoid. A monster nips at my heels, so stopping isn’t the smartest thing to do. With a deep breath, I push on, hoping to find the edge of the woods.
Thirsty and scared aren’t good enough reasons to stop running, while the urge to give up, surrender to whoever is chasing me, almost breaks me. With nearly frostbitten feet, I push forward. Although, dying from the elements would be a far happier ending than whatever the boys have planned.
A cold brush of wind steals my breath. I stop again, almost positive I see light up ahead. Is this my freedom, or is my mind playing tricks on me? I stumble forward, giving my lungs a break until I finally reach the edge of the woods.
I check my surroundings and find the coast clear. I dance through the shadows, staying close to the darkness, hidden from those who are out to get me.
To say Marek confuses me would be an understatement. At first, I’d thought he was in the woods to erase me like a bad memory. But in the end, he’d seemed desperate for me to get away, giving me one last chance to survive whatever this is.
“Oh, Palmer,” Byron singsongs from somewhere close. “Palmer Weston, where are you? Where could you be hiding?” Every word is manic, shaky, but not out of fear. Something far worse hides behind his voice. Desperation.
I duck behind the sign at the front entrance of Glass Heart Academy. Braving a quick look around, I see Dixon and Byron surveying the grounds. They seem to be the ones in control. Behind them, Breaker is whispering something to Marek.
“Come on, baby girl!” Byron shouts. “We just want to talk to you, is all.”
They killed my sister. I’m certain of it. Why else would they be doing this? There’s no other explanation. I’ve tried