The One You Can't Forget (The One, #1)

forty-five

Hainsey

I gape at Emyln.

What the hell is she doing here?

I know we discussed attending these exchanges together, but I didn't think she would follow me here. Hell, I thought she was tucked safely in her bed for the night.

Nothing has ever scared me as badly as this moment. Not when I broke her nose or when I realized I was going to be alone after she left. I can barely breathe as I watch one of Clayton's goons handle Ems in a rough manner. It takes every fucking fibre in my body to not go over there and pummel him to a pulp.

"Do you know this girl?" Clayton asks me.

I process what's happening, and then try to decide whether or not I should lie. Lots of people go on night runs in Whistler during the summer, but that's usually around Lost Lake or along the local roads. No one would come out this far to an old logging road that no one has used for years.

"Yeah," I nod.

Clayton raises his eyebrows and turns to face Ems, inspecting her like a hungry wolf does before it attacks its prey.

Fear twists my insides into a massive knot. I swear to God, if they lay a hand on her...

I clear my throat and go for the best option: the truth. "She's my girlfriend," I say slowly. Clayton turns back to me and raises his eyebrows, silently telling me to go on. "I told her about this" – I make a hand gesture between us – "and how I buy the heroin for my mom. She promised she'd keep it a secret, which she has." I shoot Ems a worried glance. The fear in her eyes sickens me. While I want to point out that I made the right choice in not telling her and that she's a fucking idiot for following me, the fear overpowers everything. If she gets hurt, it's all on me. "I didn't consider her following me. But I can promise that she won't say a thing."

Clayton runs a hand over his buzz cut, and then turns to Ems. "Who was that call from?" he demands.

Ems's eyes widen in shock. "I-I don't k-know," she stammers. "I didn't p-pay attention to who was calling. I j-just shut the sound off."

He contemplates her words for a moment. I hope he believes her. I sure as hell do. Ems is terrified at this moment, so nothing but the truth is going to come out.

But I'm wrong. So fucking wrong because Clayton's fist collides with the right side of her rib cage with such a force that I feel nauseated. Ems keels over, clutching her torso area, a cry of pain escaping her mouth. If his goons weren't holding her up, she'd definitely be on her knees in the mud.

"I said," he says in a deadly tone. "Who called you?"

Tears are streaming down her face as she tries to catch her breath. "I-I don't know," she gasps through the pain and tears. "I really don't know!"

Clayton ignores what Ems has to say and hits her again in the same spot, just ten times harder. That's the moment I ask myself, What the fuck are you doing? If he keeps doing that, you're going to need to take Ems to the hospital.