“Yeah,” I laugh. “I was getting there.”

I pull on my panties and shorts, and straighten my hair out. I lean over, kissing Cade once more before turning and leaving the shed. As I walk through the compound, I relish in the good feeling that’s swelling in my chest and spreading through my body. I’m finally happy, and it fucking rocks. I know I should ask for a lift, but Jackson’s house is close and it’s on a main highway. It will be time wasted getting a lift, so I decide to walk. It will be fine.

I head out of the compound and begin walking down the road, enjoying the fresh air. All I can think about is Cade’s body over mine. God, I can still smell him all over me. I don’t hear the car stop behind me until its engine switches off. That’s when I realize how heavily I was daydreaming. I spin around expecting to see Cade, but he’s not who I see. Instead, I see Jasper. Everything in my body comes to an abrupt stop; I’m almost sure of it. I can no longer feel my heart beating, or my legs moving. I’m just standing in complete shock.

“Well, well, bet you didn’t expect to see me?” he hisses.

Oh God. This isn’t good. Jasper has a gun in his hand, and he twirls it in his fingers. If I make a move to get my phone, it’s quite likely he’ll shoot me.

“W-w-what do you want?” I say.

“You know what I want. I want revenge.”

What can I say to that? Right now my words are stuck in my throat. I can’t get them out, even if I try. They’re just lodged in my throat, along with my heart.

“What’s that? Nothing to say to me, snake? That’s perfectly okay, because soon enough, you won’t be speaking at all.”

“Just leave me alone,” I rasp.

He throws his head back and roars with laughter. “Leave you alone? Now you’re just being funny. Get in the car.”

“No,” I whisper, trembling.

He points the gun at my groin, and I stiffen.

“Don’t make me ruin all my plans by shooting you now. I have so much to do to you first. Get in the car, or I put a hole in you right now.”

Oh God. My legs wobble as I walk toward the old van. Jasper follows me and presses the gun against my back. I close my eyes, praying someone comes past. Please don’t let him take me again.

Jasper leans over me; I can smell his stale breath as he opens the back of the van. “Get in, and if you even try and get out, I’ll scatter your brains over the road.”

I climb in, my whole body fighting against me. If I don’t get in, then I could likely die right now without giving Cade a chance to find me. I still have my phone. I can only hope I get a chance to use it before Jasper takes it away. Jasper steps back, slamming the back of the van, then he walks around to the front seat. If we weren’t on a big, open road, I’d leap out and run, but I have no doubt Jasper would put a bullet in me if I tried that. When the van lurches forward, my stomach follows suit. I wrap my arms around myself, and pray for escape. I peer out the glass in the back wishing there was a way out.

As if my prayers are answered, I see Spike and his MC club members ride up over the rise behind us. I peer through the glass, and slowly put my hands up just enough that they can see me waving, but Jasper can’t. Spike raises a hand, to indicate he’s seen me. Then he raises a gun. Oh no, that’s not a good idea. If Jasper gets killed, he could roll this van at the speed he’s going, and I’d very likely die, too. I wave my hands, shaking my head slightly. Spike lowers his gun, and speeds up, that’s when Jasper notices them behind us.

“Who the fuck is that?” he roars.

“I don’t know,” I lie.

“Put your fuckin’ hands up!”

I do as he asks, giving Spike my best ‘please, just go get help’ look. Jasper points the gun over the seat, and he aims it at me.

“Tell them to fuckin’ back down!” he orders.

I shake my head at Spike, pleading with my eyes for him to turn away. Jasper speeds up the van, and my heart begins to race. Spike gets closer. I can see his eyes now, and it surprises me to see that he looks as though he’s worried. I shake my head again, and he shakes his back, like he’s not willing to back down.

“I’ll fuckin’ shoot you. Tell them to back the fuck down!” Jasper roars.

I put my hands together as if I’m begging, and mouth over and over. “Call Cade, please. Call Cade, please.”

Spike looks torn. I can see it in his face. I am paying so much attention to him, that I don’t even notice that the guns gone off, until I see blood splatter across the back of the van window. Then I feel the deep, burning pain ripping through my shoulder. I open my mouth and scream, and my body slumps forward. Jasper shot me. I vaguely see Spike slowing down. I guess seeing me get shot made him realize Jasper isn’t playing. The bikes spin around in the middle of the road, and go full throttle in the opposite direction. I scream out in pain as my back hits the floor, sending the pain shooting further into my shoulder.

“You think I’m fucking joking, snake?” Jasper roars. “You’ll die for what you did to me!”

My vision begins going fuzzy as the pain takes over, rushing through my body like liquid fire. I can’t even hear my own screams anymore. I’m fading out.

“Shut up!” I hear Jasper roar. “Shut the fuck up.”

I feel my eyes roll; it’s all just too much. It hurts too much. I feel my lids flutter closed, before my entire world goes black.