Not Me

chapter 15

I'm about to grab Levi's hand and make a run for it when Joe snaps his fingers, and a big, bulky man moves with lightening speed to force me into a headlock. I begin to scream, but the man clamps his hand over my mouth, efficiently muffling my cries for help. I painfully look over at Levi, who is held between Carter and the other large man, struggling and punching blindly as they gag and tie him. I wonder if they'll do the same to me, but no, Joe is approaching me, a smirk on his face. I know he won't restrain me, with ropes, at least. He wants to see me fight as I die.

He pulls out a knife and I stiffen as he teasingly traces my face with it. "I know you want to die, Violet," he whispers. I can smell alcohol on his breath. Has he seriously been drinking? I thought he'd be smarter than to take the chance of messing this up with beer.

"Don't, call me that!!!!!" I scream through the strong man's hand, lashing out my foot at Joe. I make contact, harder than I thought I would, with his knee. He swears and presses the knife into my cheek. I yell out in pain and try to pull away from him, but the big man holds me good. Joe finally stops pressing and pulls away the knife, now red with my blood.

My blood. It trickles, warm and sticky, down my tear-streaked face, the right side of my face covered in the oozing liquid. My face is on fire, painful fire, nothing like the kissing fire I'd felt earlier. Agonizing fire.

He did it. He drew my blood. I always knew he would. He just never had before. He'd hit me, bruised me, even tried to drown me. But he'd never spilled my blood before.

It was in this moment that painful realization hit me. He was really going to kill me. There was no doubting this now. He had no conscience, no heart. He'd feel nothing when I was dead.

And then he'd kill Levi.

I cared nothing about myself, but Levi was everything to me. If I was responsible for his death, even in death I wouldn't forgive myself.

I would fight for Levi. Even if it means my death, I will make a way for him to escape. So I do.

I pretend to go limp in the man's arms. "Kill me," I say, loudly enough that, even though muffled, Joe can hear it.

Joe smiles. "As you wish," he murmurs.

I see Levi's eyes go wide, and he struggles harder against his bonds. I shake my head at him and raise my eyebrows. "Trust me," I try to say with my eyes, "trust me." He hesitantly nods.

Joe is again tracing my face, leaving blood streaks from the gory knife all over my skin. And as he is touching the knife to my lips, I do two things simultaneously.

I dig my elbow hard into the strong man's stomach, and I pull the knife from Joe's grasp with my teeth. The man, doubled over in pain, releases me and, before Joe has time to react, I throw the knife in Levi's direction.

"Untie yourself!" I scream, but in all of the chaos, Joe has recovered and is in hot pursuit of me. I'm smart enough to know I don't stand a chance against all of them. But if I can distract them, Levi does.

So I run, faster than I ever have before. I turn briefly, and with a smile, I see all the men have followed me, giving Levi time to free himself and flee.

But the cut on my cheek is deep, and I'm losing too much blood. Before long I'm dizzy, and I stumble, because instead of two feet, I see four.

I round the corner, only to run smack into the big one's chest. He smacks me hard, right where Joe cut me, and the pain is so intense my vision turns black around the edges. I scream, louder than I've ever screamed before. Before my sight fades entirely, I catch a glimpse of Levi, sneaking behind the big one, wielding the knife. I painfully shake my head.

And then everything goes black.