“I’d love to hear the mean way she’d say that,” Robert says with a smirk.
“No, you don’t,” Amanda cackles and turns to me “Let’s go findsome water.”
Before I can step away, a large, warm hand grips my waist. “Hope you’re ready to fly, little bird, because I’m coming for you,” Tate whispers in my ear. I can feel his breath on my neck and his scent overwhelms me. It’s a mix of a woodsy musk with a hint of citrus. When I think of the word lust, this scent is what I imagine. This man is intoxicating.
I turn to face him and his height is intimidating. The way he stares down at me, sends a shiver up my spine, but makes the heat pool in my core. His gaze looks as if he is trying to learn all of my deep, dark secrets. Men like him want to count the skeletons in my closet and if he keeps charming me with his darkness, I might just have to help drag them all to the light.
“Don’t keep me waiting too long, Tate,” I say with a sweet smile. Tate’s eyes flash something like happiness before his frightened indifference slips back into place.
Amanda loops her arm with mine and pulls me away from Tate and Robert. We move over to another group and get some water. Everyone looks on edge and all of the guys around look like they are waiting.
“Do we get any kind of head start or what?” I ask Amanda.
“Robert wouldn’t tell me,” she says. “In the past, the girls got five minutes. I’m just going to go with the assumption that they’ll come after us immediately.”
“I don’t know if Tate scares me or turns me on,” I laugh. “Do you have any idea who might be after you?”
“Noah,” she smiles. “He told me last night.”
“Ladies,” Robert calls out. We all spin around to face him, and he smiles brightly as he looks around at all of us. The guys are lined up behind him. My eyes meet Tate’s, he winks at me making a blush creep up my neck and envelop my cheeks.
“Girl,” Amanda whispers. “He is laser-focused on you. I hope you can run.”
“You get a thirty-second head start,” Robert says with a sinister smile before bringing the whistle to his mouth. “Run.” A second before he blows the whistle, Amanda grabs my hand and pulls me back before we both turn on our heels and sprint to the wood line. We are ahead of the others by a few yards.
Amanda and I run hand in hand for upwards of five minutes before we duck down behind a bush to rest. “This is nerve-racking,” I say quietly as I pull my phone out.
I open the group chat to see one guy has already sent a selfie of him with a girl slung over his shoulder. “It’s hardly started and she’s already been caught,” I say.
“She probably wanted it,” Amanda laughs. My phone buzzes and a text pops up at the top of my screen.
Unknown: I can’t wait to hear you sing, little bird.
I turn the phone to show Amanda and she giggles. “You have fun with that. He’s nice but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t scare me,” she says.
“I think it’s just his face,” I laugh. “The man has a resting bitch face.” My phone goes off again and the words make me jump up and look around.
Tate: Such naughty words for a little church mouse. How will you repent to me?
“He’s here,” I say. Amanda stands up and looks at my phone.
“Oh shit,” she laughs. “We should go.” I nod and we continue on our way. Instead of running, we walk. I’m hoping to be able to hear him before he shows himself.
Occasionally, I hear the crunching of early falling leaves or a twig snapping. I glance behind me, and I expect to see Tate, but I see Noah. “You should run,” I laugh and shove Amanda ahead of me.
Noah lunges forward and nearly catches her but she squeals and takes off running into the woods. I can’t help but laugh. I resume walking. I don’t stop for more than a few minutes at a time.
I’m realizing he is waiting me out. He could have very easily caught me by now if he wanted to. He’s kept pace with me the entire time even though I don’t see him. He knows eventually I will get tired enough and stop for longer than a minute or two.
I pull my phone out and see that it’s eleven. I’ve been walking for three hours now. I’m curious how long it will take him to approach me. I get within thirty feet of what they consider the safe zone for getting water. I’m going to let him approach me, but then hopefully get to the safe zone before he actually gets me.
I stop to rest with a tree behind me and the safe zone just through a break in the woods. I feel safe until suddenly I’m not. I don’t even get a chance to move away from the tree when I sensemovement behind me before a hand wraps around my throat and keeps me pinned against the tree. Tate pushes his fingers past my teeth to pry my jaw open so he can put what seems like a belt in my mouth. I try to move away, but I quickly realize this man has me gagged and tied to the tree.
My breathing is rapid and my heart is pounding against my ribs. It takes him a second to actually walk around the tree. He watches me for a moment before he kisses my cheek before pulling my shorts and underwear down.
It’s a really good thing that I am entirely consenting because I could not say my safe word. Somehow, I think that’s likely the reason he has me gagged. He doesn’t have to stop if he doesn’t hear me say it.
Tate leans down and scoops my legs up so that they are together and on his shoulder as I am folded in half against the pine tree. My hands tightly grip his forearms.