Masuk*VALERIE*Anna's words still bothered me long after she left. They spun in my mind even as the doctor treated the injury at the back of hand, inflicted when the needle ripped off.I couldn't hear what he said to Zachary, all I knew was that after they exchanged words, my eyes began to droop till I drifted into a deep sleep.When I woke up, Zachary was no longer in the room. He was now replaced with Cara.Her teary eyes met mine and they were immediately flooded with relief.âValerie,â she croaked throwing herself into my arms, the impact nearly knocking the breath out of me. âI thought I'll never see you...â the rest of the words got muffled as she buried her face into my neck, tears sliding off her cheeks and dropping down my shoulder.I could barely lift my right hand, so I just wrap my other hand around her and rubbed her back soothingly.âI'm fine, Cara, really.âI meant for the words to calm her, but it merely made her sob even harder.Her shoulders shook as she clung to me, her
*VALERIE*She that I never expected would be here.Anna. Her red lips were set in grim line as her eyes darted between us, suspicious. I let my eyes sweep over her form. She looked different. Her ginger curls were now dyed black , cropped at the shoulder length. Her eyes were no longer different colors. They were now brown. She stepped in fully, shutting the door behind her. âValerie,â she cooed, a sly smile tugging at her lips. âLong time no see.âI didn't share in her enthusiasm. I know first-hand the manipulative snake she was. I wonder what trick is up her sleeves this time. Zachary rose from where he sat beside me and marched towards her. âWhat are you doing here? â He asked, grabbing her arm harshly. âI came to see an old friend, of course.âHer voice dripped with fake sweetness.She wrenched her arm from Zachary's grip.âBesides,â she murmured, rubbing her arm. âI helped in saving her.âMy brows pulled into a frown. âWhat exactly do you mean?âHer eyes glinted with
*VALERIE*Beep. Beep. Beep. The steady rhythm drilled into my skull, dragging me out of darkness.I groaned, trying to roll on my side but a sharp searing pain shot through my arm.My eyes peeled open. Everything was blurry at first. I blinked a few times, my eyelids feeling heavy and slowly, the fog cleared. Harsh fluorescent lights glared from above from the white unfamiliar ceiling.The sterile scent of antiseptic drifted through my nose.A thin tube trailed from my wrist, connecting to the beeping machine.My throat felt like sandpaper...dry and scratchy.I swallowed hard, trying to piece together how I got here.Then it hit me all at once.Panic flared in my chest as I jerked awake.Someone groaned from my side. I stiffened.My head turned slowly and my gaze landed on a figure slumped over the edge of the bed, his messy curls falling over his face.His breath was even, his lips slightly parted as he snored softly.Zachary.His name left my lips in a whisper.Unconsciously, m
*VALERIE* I froze, the cold metal pressed against my temple. My eyes squeezed shut, my heart pounded violently. This is it. I'm going to die. âLower your guns.. or I blow off her skull.â No one moved. Gareth's fingers pressed against the trigger as he cocked the gun. The officers lowered their weapons and my eyes widened in fear. What are they doing? âStep back! â he barked and they followed his orders. Then he backed away slowly towards the waiting car, the muzzle of his gun still pressed to my head. He pulled open the car door and shoved me inside like a ragdoll. Pain shot through me as my injured shoulder made contact with the leather chair. Without waiting for a second, he swung into the driver's seat and stepped on the pedal. The engine roared to life. Tires screeched as the car lurched forward away from the clearing into the moonlit road. Bullets rained after us as the officers open fire. A bullet hit one of the side mirrors but that
*VALERIE* Beep. Beep. Beep. The steady rhythm drilled into my skull, dragging me out of darkness. I groaned, trying to roll on my side but a sharp searing pain shot through my arm. My eyes peeled open. Everything was blurry at first. I blinked a few times, my eyelids feeling heavy and slowly, the fog cleared. Harsh fluorescent lights glared from above from the white unfamiliar ceiling. The sterile scent of antiseptic drifted through my nose. A thin tube trailed from my wrist, connecting to the beeping machine. My throat felt like sandpaper...dry and scratchy. I swallowed hard, trying to piece together how I got here. Then it hit me all at once. Panic flared in my chest as I jerked awake. Someone groaned from my side. I stiffened. My head turned slowly and my gaze landed on a figure slumped over the edge of the bed, his messy curls falling over his face. His breath was even, his lips slightly parted as he snored softly. Zachary. His name left my lips in a whisper.
*VALERIE* I froze, the cold metal pressed against my temple. My eyes squeezed shut, my heart pounded violently. This is it. I'm going to die. âLower your guns.. or I blow off her skull.â No one moved. Gareth's fingers pressed against the trigger as he cocked the gun. The officers lowered their weapons and my eyes widened in fear. What are they doing? âStep back! â he barked and they followed his orders. Then he backed away slowly towards the waiting car, the muzzle of his gun still pressed to my head. He pulled open the car door and shoved me inside like a ragdoll. Pain shot through me as my injured shoulder made contact with the leather chair. Without waiting for a second, he swung into the driver's seat and stepped on the pedal. The engine roared to life. Tires screeched as the car lurched forward away from the clearing into the moonlit road. Bullets rained after us as the officers open fire. A bullet hit one of the side mirrors but that didn't stop Gar
*ZACHARY* As soon as the jet touched down in New York and the stair descended, I hauled Anna to her feet. I had brought her along despite her protests. âPlease, I can't be seen in New York,â she had protested, now in decent clothing. âI promised you protection till I get my answers,â I assured
*VALERIE*Pain was all I felt as I stirred awake, a sharp ache throbbing at the side of my neck.A groan escaped me when sunlight poured through the blinds and pierced my vision.Blinking against the light, I forced my eyes to focus on the room around me.Only thin streaks of daylight sliced throug
*ZACHARY*I sprinted into the police station when I made sense of Ian's text. He found the necklace which means there was progress. For the first time in days, I felt hope but it all drained away when my eyes landed on a frail girl, curled up under a thin blanket in a far corner. She hugged her
*VALERIE*The door burst open, slamming against the wall. Two men in matching dark suits, their faces carved with permanent scowls, shoved a small figure into the room. The young girl stumbled forward, her head concealed in a plastic bag.She gasped for air through the thin material. âAccept this







