The Sinner's Club [18+] Complete

chapter eighteen.

CLICK.

Nothing happens. No loud bang, no recoil, no bullet.

It's empty.

A gasp leaves my mouth as I stare at the gun in my shaking hand.

No, no, no.

Dario doesn't even flinch, like he knew all along the gun wasn't loaded.

"Oh, Gabi," he sighs, shaking his head. Disappointed, chiding, condescending.

I throw the gun at him, hearing the thump of it hitting his chest as I scramble out the window, dropping onto the dew-wet grass below. Without giving myself even a moment to breathe the fresh, crisp air, I take off running for the gates.

"Hey! Stop!" The guards have spotted me, and I can hear them already in pursuit. I don't dare look back.

Slamming into the fence, I grip the bars and pull myself up. It is easy, borderline effortless; I have been holding my weight on poles for years now in the club.

I climb up, lifting a leg and slotting my foot in between the wrought iron railheads lining the fence.

The dismount is far less graceful.

"Come here!" One of the guards has reached me and jumps up to try and pull me back.

I jump forward, landing amongst leaves and dirt and moss, then quickly shove myself up and take off running as fast as I can.

The forestry quickly becomes dense, blotting out any moonlight, and I trip over roots and bushes alike.

God, I can hardly see anything. Regardless, I keep running. Forward. Forward.

Panting and puffing, I refuse to stop. Surely eventually I will reach a road or a neighbouring house. Something, someone, anyone.

But the forest stretches and stretches, seemingly going on forever.

I slow down, gasping for air, looking around to try and get my bearings.

That's when I hear them, not far behind me. They're loud, trampling through the forest without abandon. I have no choice but to keep moving forward.

Racing onwards, I swerve around a tree but suddenly the ground falls out from beneath me.

A short ravine that I couldn't see in the dark.

I tumble down, scraping my arms and knees as I go, until I land on my back with a thump. The breath is knocked out of me, stars dancing across my vision.

"Up here! Come on!" the voices of Dario's men draw ever closer. I want to push myself up and keep running but I know they'll see me from their vantage point above, so instead I roll in close to the side of the small ravine. Tucking myself into a ball, I try to stay absolutely still even as I feel bugs crawling across my skin.