I take a deep breath and put the mountain at my back, deciding that heading directly away from it is better than continuing to move toward it. Going downhill is much easier, but my legs already feel like jelly and I keep tripping, scratching my hands as I scramble to catch myself on branches and tree trunks. When I find a narrow space between two rises, I don't have the energy to climb up the sides, so I just keep walking forward. There's a dense collection of branches and leaves and pine needles gathered here by rain that slow me down, but it's giving me the chance to rebuild some of my energy.
A few minutes later it starts to open up, widening as the rises on either side descend to meet the land again, and that's when I hear him.
He's whistling. Like this is some kind of casual stroll through the woods.
Rage and fear spike in equal measures inside me, and I use the fresh rush of adrenaline to look for a place to hide. There's a fallen branch that has caught a bunch of the random detritus from the forest floor in its branches, and I carefully pick my way over the ground until I'm close enough to crouch down and crawl deeper into the prickly needles. Every muscle twitch seems to make some leaf crinkle around me, and so I wrap my arms around my legs, trying to stay completely still as the whistling gets closer and closer.
Oh God.
I can hear his footsteps, the soft, measured crunch as he keeps pace with the weird little tune he's whistling. I almost recognize it, and then he starts singing in a creepy, too-happy-to-be-hunting-your-girlfriend voice. "If you go down in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise..."
My breath catches, an icy shiver rolling down my spine as he gets louder. Closer.
"If you go down in the woods today, you better go in disguise..." Jared starts humming again, the disturbing children's song continuing without words, but I don't need him singing the end of 'Teddy Bear Picnic' to know that he's practically right on top of my hiding place. I don't even think I breathe as he walks past me, heading into the ravine from the opposite direction I came from.
Did he lose my trail?
I don't move an inch as I watch him moving confidently over the hidden rocks beneath the dead leaves and dirt. My heart is pounding so hard against my ribs it feels like it's trying to get out, but I refuse to move even when every cell in my body is screaming at me to run.
Don't be an idiot. Don't die because you're stupid. Wait.
Fucking wait.
It feels like it takes an eternity for Jared to disappear around a slight curve, but I stay still. I know I'm going to make a lot of noise getting out of this weird little branch cocoon, and while I'm so tempted to just lay down and rest... I can't risk him giving up and backtracking. If he comes back this way, there's no way he won't see me, and I've already pressed my luck enough when he didn't turn around as he walked past.
He starts singing again, the same lines, and his voice echoes off the high walls, but I know he's farther away now. Taking a deep breath, I move as gently as possible, flinching at every crunchy leaf and snapping twig under my hands and knees. A rock jabs into my shin, but I bite my lip to stay quiet as I shift my position and continue crawling out of the hideaway that saved my life. When I'm finally able to stand up, I quickly get behind the nearest tree and fight the urge to peek around it. Instead, I angle away from the ravine, moving as quickly as my legs will carry me so that even if he comes back, I'm long gone.
I'm pulling myself up another rise in the land when I hear something and then my leg explodes in pain. I scream before I can bite down on it, collapsing against the tree beside me as I grab for my thigh and my hand comes away with blood.
No, no, no, no.
Raw panic pours through my veins, burning like fire as I look ahead and see a fucking arrow in a tree maybe twenty feet ahead.
"HARPEEERRRRRR!" Jared calls, and I choke on a sob as I try to keep moving, but my leg hurts so fucking bad.
Limping, I force myself to move from one tree to the next, not even caring about the tears anymore. I just wipe them away and keep going, groaning through the pain as the motherfucker starts whistling again.
"You've sent me on quite a hike today, babe," Jared finally says from behind me, and he's way too fucking close. I don't turn my head though, I just pick the next tree and limp toward it, a whine forcing its way through clenched teeth as I finally get to it and lean on it, taking the weight off my leg for a moment. "It's over, Harper."
It's his low laughter that gives me another boost of energy as I wipe my eyes and choose another tree, shoving myself toward it as I shout, "Fuck off, Jared!"
I've only limped a few steps when another arrow flies past me and thunks into the tree I was aiming for. Dead-center on the trunk.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Harper. Don't make me actually hit you with the arrow this time."
Stumbling to the side, I catch myself against a much smaller tree and finally turn to face him. He's got the bow drawn, another arrow ready to go... and he's pointing it right at me. Sniffling, I try to stop the tears with a hard swallow before I lift my chin. "Go on. Do it."
"Done with our little game?" he asks, tilting his head away from the bow to smile at me, and I hate that it's Jared's face looking at me like that. That it's his voice speaking to me like this.
"You found me." I lift a hand in the air, using the other one to support myself with the tree. "That means you win, right?"
Jared relaxes the bow, spinning the arrow in his fingers before he casually puts it in the quiver over his shoulder. "I have to be honest, Harper. I'm impressed."
"Go to hell," I growl, and he laughs. It's a big laugh that bounces around the silent forest like the trees themselves are joining in.
"That's my girl. Still so damn feisty." He plucks my phone out of his pocket and glances at it before holding it up. "Almost five and a half hours, Harper. You should be proud. I had faith that you'd make it for a while, but even I didn't expect our little game to last this long."
"So glad I surprised you," I answer, and he shakes his head, still grinning like this is the best time he's ever had.
"You really did, babe. I mean, that trick you played on me right off the bat with the multiple trails, and none of them were right?" He mimes his head exploding, and all I can think of is how much I wish his head would actually explode. "That was so damn smart."
I shake my head at him as he chuckles and leans the bow against a bush, taking the quiver off to set it aside as well.
Snapping his fingers, he raises one in the air. "Oh! And going uphill? I have to admit, you had me mixed up for a while with that shit. I had to turn around and figure out when you started going for higher ground." Jared shrugs, rolling his neck for a second before he looks at me again. "Unfortunately, that's where you fucked up."
"Slowed you down, didn't it?"
"Definitely." He nods, unhooking the water bottle from his hip, tilting it back and forth in his hand, and I can hear the water sloshing inside. "But you fucked up because the cabin isn't toward the mountain, babe. You were on track to make it there. Hell, you started to make me nervous that you'd find the road before I found you... but then you turned around and started heading back out. It's like you wanted me to find you."
"You're not Jared. I don't know what you are, but you're not him."
That dark smile slithers over his face just before he tries to look hurt. "But... I thought you loved me, Harper?"
"I love Jared. I hate you." I spit the words and he drops the sad puppy act, smiling at me again as he walks closer, and all I want to do is try to run, but I know I'm done. I'm bleeding, and I don't know how deep the gash is, but it hurts like hell, and even if I weren't already exhausted I'd have trouble moving in the woods while limping.
I expect him to grab me, to hurt me, but instead he stops a few feet away and holds up the water bottle. "Do you hate me enough to refuse some water? Because, I know I'm thirsty. I mean, I could easily finish this right now, but I figured you might be a little dehydrated after your stroll in the woods."
&
nbsp; Between the goddamn grin on his face, and the bullshit tone he's using, I want nothing more than to slap the fucking bottle out of his hands and spit in his face... but I don't think I actually have enough moisture left in my mouth to do it.
"Come on, Harper," he says with mock sweetness, dangling the water bottle closer to me. "You know you want it."
I lunge for it out of desperation, but he yanks it back and I almost lean too far, putting weight on my bad leg. Clenching my teeth against the groan of pain, I grab for the tree again and blink away the tears so I can glare at him.
"Say please for me, babe."
"You're a fucking bastard," I growl, and he shakes his head slowly, a low chuckle floating on the air between us.
"Okay, Harper." Jared unscrews the top and tilts it up, spilling some of the water past his lips as he takes a long drink. Swallow after swallow, and I hate myself for it, but I buckle.
"Fuck, fine! PLEASE! Please let me have the water." I force the full sentence through clenched teeth, but Jared rights the bottle and looks at me over it, just before he tilts his head down and spits the water in his mouth back inside it.
"Here." He holds it out, closer this time, but I don't reach for it. Sighing, he takes another step toward me and shakes it. "I won't take it away this time. Promise."
"Your promises aren't worth shit."
"Just put out your hand, Harper. We're not done yet, and I really don't want dehydration to be what makes you finally pass out." The words come out so calm, so casual, but they make my stomach twist.
I'm afraid. I'm fucking terrified, but even though it's shameful as hell I hold out my hand and he sets the water bottle on my palm. Closing my fingers around it, I immediately bring it to my lips to drink. If he thought that spitting in the water was going to make me not drink it, he's an idiot. I’m so thirsty I would have drunk from the first water source I came across even if I’d watched something pissing in it upstream. It doesn’t take long for me to empty it, and I let the last mouthful swish around for a long minute before I finally swallow. When I screw the cap back on, I look down at the metal bottle and shift my hold on it, carefully wrapping my fingers around it.
"Harper... you've been so smart today. Do you really want to start being stupid now?"
13
Harper
“Being smart hasn’t helped me much, has it?” I ask, and I’m relieved by how much easier it is to talk now that my throat isn’t sandpaper dry. Jared steps closer, and I drop the bottle to my side, keeping it out of his reach.
"I don't know... I'm pretty sure you've impressed the forest by now."
"I don't give a fuck what your stupid fucking forest thinks!" I shout, and he shakes his head slowly, his gaze moving from the bottle in my hand to meet my eyes.
"You should care what it thinks, Harper. It's the reason that arrow just grazed you." Holding his hand out, Jared wiggles his fingers a little. "Come on, babe. Just hand it to me."
"Come and get it."
His eyes widen for a second, but I'm ready when he lunges at me. He goes to tackle me, but I keep my hand free and bring the bottle down as hard as I can on the back of his head. Blinding pain shoots through my leg when I land on it, amplified when he lands on top of me, but I don't stop. Screaming through the agony, I hit him again and again until he digs his fingers into my thigh, and it hurts so bad my vision flickers and my stomach churns, threatening to return the water.
"Fucking hell, Harper!" Jared shouts, throwing the empty water bottle into the woods as he sits up, feeling the back of his head, and I'm incredibly disappointed when his fingers come away without any blood. "That actually hurt."
"Good!" Rearing back with my good leg, I kick him in the chest, and I know it's only because I caught him by surprise that he falls, sprawled on his back as I grab for the pistol on his leg. I manage to yank his jeans up with one hand, my other brushing against the snap holding it in place, and then his shin comes up, connecting with my mouth and nose in a flash of white-hot pain. The tears are unavoidable now as I hear him cursing, shouting something that I can't make out through the ringing in my ears. All I can do is turn over to my stomach and drag myself forward. Whatever few inches I gained mean nothing when Jared grabs onto the ankle of my bad leg and yanks me back. I scream, in too much pain to do anything except sob as he grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks my head off the ground.
"What the fuck were you going to do with the gun, Harper? Shoot me?!" He's laughing. He's actually fucking laughing as he shakes me, ripping out strands of hair. "What was your plan after that, babe? You had five fucking hours of wandering around out here and you didn't find shit! You think you'd do any better bleeding and limping around in the goddamn dark?"
Jared shoves me back to the ground, and I don't even have the energy to catch myself. I just lie there, whimpering as I feel him reach underneath me to undo the button on my jeans.
"I knew you'd fight me. Hell, I was looking forward to it! But I think you almost cracked my skull open with that fucking water bottle." He blows out a breath, and I know he's leaned closer because he only whispers the next words. "I have a feeling this is going to hurt a whole lot more though."
"Please," I beg, but I barely get it out before he yanks my jeans down. They're stuck to my skin with sweat and blood, and I dig my fingers into the ground and bite down on the scream as he changes his hold and tugs again. My leg is nothing but pain, overwhelming every other sense as it throbs, every beat of my heart trickling out more of my blood to soak the earth. When he finally tears them free, I can't do anything but try to breathe, waiting for the torment to subside.
"You still with me, Harper?" he asks, shoving the hair out of my face as he leans down, a wide smile stretching his lips. "There's my girl. I'm glad you're still awake."
"Don't. Please don't," I whisper, and he smears the tears across my cheek with a stroke of his thumb.
"This is what today's all about, babe. You and me." Jared slips his thumb between his lips, licking my tears free with a quiet groan. "I really do love the way you taste. Now... let's see what noises you make for me."
Whining, I fist the dirt and leaves under my hands, but even pulling as hard as I can, I don't move more than an inch or two before his hand lands in the small of my back and presses me into the ground.
"Oh no, babe. No more running." He shifts his weight into his hand, pinning me, and the sudden silence in the woods around us makes the sound of his zipper sliding down too loud.
"No!" I shout, but it doesn't sound very strong as my voice breaks with another sob.
"That's the spirit, Harper. Try and fight me," he growls, leaning over me. I expect him to spread my legs, but he doesn't. Jared plants his knees outside my thighs and his cock brushes against my ass. I can't hold back the whine of fear as he rocks his hips, his shaft sliding between my cheeks. When he leans down, I brace for pain, but he goes still. "I'm not going to fuck your ass. Today anyway. That's not how I'm meant to claim you now... but I will have you in every hole. Nod for me."
I nod, trying not to let the relief spread in my chest because I know this isn't really mercy.
"Tell me thank you," he commands, and I feel his hand working between my thighs, his fingers seeking. Jared's forearm presses down between my shoulder blades, crushing me as he grabs a handful of my hair and jerks my head up. "Say it."
"Th-thank you," I whisper, whining when he lets go of my hair and immediately forces two fingers inside. I'm still sore from yesterday, but that ache is nothing compared to my thigh. Even when he adds a third, ignoring that I'm not wet in the least, I know I can handle it.
"See? We're in love, we're having fun, right?" he growls against my ear, pumping his fingers in and out, but when I don't respond at all he rips them free and sits up. "We're going to have so much fun."
I take a deep breath as my ribs are able to expand again, and when I open my eyes, I try to blink away the spots dancing in my vision. The dappled sunlight is blurring between the trees in a gold
-green haze, and for a split second I think of how pretty it looks. Then I hear him spit, and even though I know it won't help, I tense. His hand lands on my back again, pinning me to the dirt as he presses his cock against me.
"You're mine, Harper. Inside and out." The first thrust is so hard it moves me across the ground, and I scream because everything hurts at once. He's stretching me too fast, forcing another inch in as I start sobbing again, and every shift of my body only makes my thigh throb.
"Please, please, please..." I mumble into the dirt, digging furrows with my fingers as he slides back and thrusts again, just as hard, and I choke on the cry. It hurts, but I can't even put it into words as he picks up a rhythm.
"This cunt is mine." Jared runs his other hand up my side and back down, squeezing my ass. "This body is mine."
I want to tell him no. I want to tell him he's a monster, a bastard, a fucking asshole. I want to be strong enough to fight him, to claw the skin off his face, but there's not enough left in me to do any of it. Worse, I can feel my body betraying me. Easing the way for him, and his groan as he slides through my early wetness makes me want to escape myself.
"That's right, babe. You like this," he groans, removing his hand from my back to brace it on the ground. "What did you say yesterday? That you'd like if I was a dominant alpha male sometimes?" Jared nips my shoulder, driving in deeper as I stifle a sob. "Well, how am I doing? Dominant enough for you?"
He doesn't wait for me to answer, he just laughs and starts to fuck me harder, the powerful thrusts rocking me against the rough ground, and all I feel for him is hate when the first inkling of pleasure breaks through the wall of pain.
No. No, no, no.
I try to fight it, but there's something about the position he has me in that makes every stroke of his cock hit the right place inside me, and it's like once I'm aware of it... it's all my mind wants to focus on. I swallow the first moan that's more pleasure than pain, and I plead with whatever god might be listening for him to finish before he makes me come — even though the temptation to feel anything other than pain and exhaustion is so alluring.
Hunted (The Dirty Heroes Collection Book 13) Page 11