Evangeline

chapter 14

Evangeline

I'm running and running like hell. The frisk cold air whisps past my cheeks as I'm sprinting through the trees. Not strategically not looking for anything, just running. A flare is seen just above my head and I know its a sign that whoevers out there knows where I am.

 My heart burns and my lungs feel like they are going to explode. When I hear movement from behind me I decide not to turn around. I don't know how but I gather more speed and then I hear gunshots from a distance. Zane. I go to look back and in return see a group of men fully armed running toward me and the blood pumping through my veins seem to increase its stamina.

 Running harder than I have ever run, I cut a corner between some bushes and shrubs that are crowded with trees and find a small hole to make myself small in. I dive in and try to cover my panting breath. My feet absolutely ache, i didn't have shoes on as Zane took them off in the car. I didn't even need to look to know how busted up they were. I hear a sudden clock of a gun and I estimate a seven meter gap between the noise and I.

I pull the gun from my waistband and slowly raise it up. I'm laying on the floor and have a small gap between the bushes to see feet moving toward me. Three men in the distance "that girl can run" one of them says still catching his breath "yeah well catch your breath and find the bitch" says the other. "We aren't allowed to kill her yet, we have specific instructions from A. shes the key to getting Torrento".

My eyes flicker as I gather the information. I'll be the bait. I go to take the shot pulling back the safety and putting my finger on the trigger. Sometimes the good guys have to be worse than the bad guys? I sigh trying to press the trigger but my hand shakes uncontrollably and the bullets rattle and shake in the cold metal gun. 

"Gotcha!" I'm startled by a man picking me up from behind with my hair, I face the gun down and shoot him in the foot "you bitch!" he screams in pain as he drops to the floor with his large gun beside him. I go to reach it when a cold metal sting hits my temple and I hit the ground.

The last thing I remember was a shadow standing over me, whispering "lights out flower".

I awaken in a dark room, I feel the strain around my wrists and ankles. I've been tied down to a chair. I look around for some sort of figure or object to get me out when a small flicker of a red light catches my eye in the ceiling corner of the room, camera. 

I hear a door click and see a line of light open and large slowly with an aching scratch as the metal door screeches against the cement floor and makes my nose scrunch. The scratch finally stops and a man walks into the dark room, 'shit'.

You're probably wondering why I have said that, well flashback to when I was 10 my father had hired a group of people to help with the gardens. Just the basic upkeep and maintaining its beauty. And of that group of men was one who was a boy, 13 years old at the time and learning from his fathers trade, Austin or at least that's what he told me was his name. 

We met as I was walking through the field of tulips and beautiful white roses when a voice startled me and I turned around to see austin. he was only just taller than me, lanky and well covered in dirt. And as the story would go he fell, I didn't. He was my best friend... my only friend.

But of course he saw more. One night he tried to bring me a tulip that he had picked from the garden, but my father caught him sneaking in. He almost killed him but instead he had cut up his face. I begged him to stop as soon as I heard him screaming so my father, the cruel man that he is, said "you never stop smiling boy, where's that smile now?" he screamed out in pain when my father cut a smile on his face cheek to cheek. One of the worst sights I had ever seen.

My father made sure that he and his family were nowhere near me or our gardens. Years went by when suddenly an anonymous person began messaging me, stalking me, sending me pictures of me walking around the gardens and sending me tulips. When one day it suddenly stopped and I was free, or so I thought.

"Austin?" my breath hitches in my throat as the name leaves my mouth. A light is flicked on and there he is. The still menacing scar stretched across his pale face. His blue eyes and blond hair are the same colour. He hasn't changed a bit. Even his height is the same, I'm sure I would be taller than him now.

"Flower, you're awake... what a pleasant surprise, thought you were failing on me for a second there" my head falls in defeat and his sweaty hand brings up my chin "shame" i say with sarcasm and slither away from his disgusting touch.

"Oh we are going to have fun with you" he snares. My wrists ache from the zip tie holding them together behind my back. I suddenly remember the pocket knife stashed in the back of my waistband. Austin leaves the room with a chuckle. 

Now's the time, I sit back and try to fidget my fingers between the chairs' holes and to the bottom of my back. I struggle for a moment but finally grab ahold of its small figure. I press the small button and I hear the knife switch open and I begin slicing and cutting the zip tie. It finally snaps and I hold onto it.

The door clicks and I put my hands back in the place they were before and austin comes in with a smug smile, I hear the squeaking of a chair against the pavement and shiver at the unwelcomed noise. I try to think of how I'll do it, can I really kill him? Suddenly through the door a man appears tugging my father by the chair he is tied to. He muffles in anger as tape restrains his mouth.

"I lost my love for that man a long time ago, do with him what you want" the words leave my mouth as I stare at my father then to Austin. "Oh he's not here just for you, he's here for us flower". My brows furrow at his words. "You see, you were meant to marry me, I was the Anonymous buyer... it was meant to be me, and then your pretty little boy toy came and bid me out"

 he slowly strides over to my father and whispers something in his ear. "I am marrying Zane" the words leave my mouth and I remember how much I miss him. "No, you will marry me... and your fathers going to tell you to do just that".

He rips the tape from my fathers mouth, "tell her '' Austin says. There is a long silence befor his voice is heard "No" this catches me off guard. The person I knew to be my father would do anything to stay alive, something strange in the air. "Not only did Zane out bid you, I chose him because he would give you a better future angel"

 he looks at me with tears in his eyes. "What?" I stutter. "Tell her!!" Austin screams. My father stays silent and he gives me a small warm smile. "Dad?" before He can respond Austin grabs him by the hair and grabs a blade from the man standing next to him, "NO" I call. Austin begins to cut across his face an upside down smile. And my father shakes and tries everything to move from his clutch.

Now