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Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Hope

I awoke hours later to the red sun setting behind the buildings and blinked away the remaining glimpses of a nightmare. The pain in my chest subsided to a dull ache before I registered Harry lying beside me in bed, peacefully sleeping. The dreams were getting so realistic now that for a moment I would believe I really had killed him. I buried myself beneath the covers and let my senses become filled by the earthy scent of his skin, like the woods after a rainstorm – clean and elemental. Not even five minutes later, I heard noises coming from outside – I counted ten heavy thuds, five quiet. Then the door knocked.

            I felt my heart migrate to my throat and slipped out of bed, careful not to make a sound. I knew that the only people who would have a reason to speak to me here would be Delilah or Victor, but he didn’t disturb us. The door knocked again, three steady beats. I glanced warily over at Harry as I pulled my jeans on underneath a grey t-shirt but he was still asleep, one arm dangling off the side of the bed like his body was too heavy for him. I walked towards the door and listened to footsteps again – five, then ten. Before following, I stole one last glance at the bed and then closed the door slowly behind me.

            The corridor outside had lapsed into a silence only interrupted by the squeak of my shoes against the floorboards. Darkness was just beginning to set, the red glow of the sun blotted out by a grey evening shadow leaking in through the windows. I turned at the end of the hallway and took the stairs, two at a time. At the bottom, I listened again for footsteps. Nothing. Silence rung in my ears. If it was Delilah, I figured she wouldn’t change her hiding place. I headed towards room number fourteen.

As I approached the final staircase, I thought I saw movement ahead of me, but when I stopped to squint, I could only see shadows. My heart rate picked up and I took a few more cautious steps before the curve of a jaw materialised in the light of the moon.

“Delilah?” It barely came out as a whisper. Silence lingered.

He wore a black t-shirt and dark jeans, but I could just about make out his silhouette as it stepped from out of the darkness, slowly heading towards me. Bile rose in my throat. I swallowed the bitter taste. My lungs begged for air but I couldn’t breathe.  He stepped closer, until he was only standing a few metres away. My eyes locked with his, which were grey, like the leftover wisps of smoke after a fire, and my blood ran cold. Jared.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. At the most, I expected Haven, but not him. Jared only did his own dirty work if there were no other options.  I curled my fists instinctively at my sides, and he smirked.

“What are you doing here?”

Jared stepped forward. The light reflected on the piercings biting along his one earlobe. His dark hair was shorter since the last time I saw it, shaven completely this time. A shadow of stubble streamed down his neck. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

I repeated myself a little louder. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you think I’m doing here?” The cruel smile remained resting on his lips, but his voice came out as a hushed snarl. “Play time is over, Hope. I don’t have much time for your little games. You’re starting to get on my last nerve.” Dark circles surrounded his eyes like empty black sockets. “Look, this is how it’s going to go,” he took a step closer, close enough to touch.  “You’re coming home with me, and Harry is going to be dealt with the way we planned.”

Panic wrapped around my throat. Somewhere in the distance I could faintly hear Victor closing up at reception; I prayed he would come upstairs to buy me some time. Jared raised his eyebrows at my stunned silence, waiting for a response.

            “Just go home, Jared, I’m not going anywhere with you.” I responded, forcing some volume into my voice. He thrust a hand into my hair and gripped hard. I bit my tongue to hold back a pained gasp.  

            “Keep your voice down.” He frowned, holding on until the click of the lights switching off downstairs killed my faintest glimmer of hope.

“Get off me,” I growled, my scalp burning where he tugged on my hair. Jared chuckled. I swung my fist hard against his neck; he made a gurgling sound at the back of his throat, and I ran. Not even ten seconds later, his footsteps thudded against the floorboards. The sound of my heart pumping blood hammered in my ears as I flew down the stairs. By the time I had reached the bottom, I could hear him at the top, chasing me.

“You don’t want to do this, Hope,” he warned behind me, on my heels. My breath ripped out of my chest, arms swinging hard to gather speed. I could feel his presence directly behind me, his fingers brushed my arm as he reached out to grasp it. I took a sharp turn left, then right down another hallway. I searched for an exit and stopped at a sign displaying directions. Toilets, laundry, reception, exit. Another right. I reached a hallway where the lights were off, darkness so complete I couldn’t be sure I had eyes. I walked this time, the sound of footsteps gone now. If I ran, I was afraid he would hear me and figure out where I was. My breaths shook with each exhale. I reached the exit.

It was cold on the other side, and the chill raised bumps on my arms. The darkness stretched along the car park, lined at the other end with street lamps streaking orange across the concrete. My chest felt tight; I breathed out slowly to release the pressure, but it was still there.  I squeezed my eyes shut and counted to ten, and that’s when the barrel of the gun connected with my head, just above my ear. Jared’s tanned arm wrapped tight around my neck, closing the space between my back and his chest. The black teardrop tattoos on his arm were visible from this angle. I swallowed hard.

“Why is your heart racing, Hope?” He whispered against my earlobe.

“I’m not used to running,” I answered through gritted teeth. Jared chuckled, sliding what felt like my phone into my fist with his free hand. I squeezed it.

“How did you get that?”

“You left it at reception yesterday. Not a smart move. Don’t you know that’s how people usually find out about their cheating girlfriend?” He walked forwards with me trapped in his arms until we reached his car, and he forced me inside. He kept the gun pointed at me and climbed into the driver’s seat. I squeezed my eyes shut. Before I opened them, I watched Harry crumple to the ground again.

“Call him,” he said, locking the doors. I shook my head firmly.

“That’s not going to happen. You’re not going anywhere near him.”

He slammed the gun against the side of my head again, harder this time. “Shall we try that again?”

I laughed under my breath. “You think that scares me?”

Jared spoke through his teeth. “You either call him and tell him you’ve left with your boyfriend, or I’ll call him and let him hear you die.” Jared laughed this time. “Maybe that way he won’t fight as hard when we kill him, too.”

            I paused for a moment, panic rising in my chest. I had to come up with a plan, but if I was going to do that, then first I needed to tell Harry I was leaving so I could put distance between him and Jared. I could find him before they would, I knew it. Or at least, I hoped.

My fingers shook as I pressed dial, and Harry’s name flashed up on the screen.