Chapter 2

I shifted my gaze away from Abigail, ran my tongue over my cracked lips, and looked straight into the phone pointed at me. My voice came out hoarse but steady.

"Done enjoying the show? Now come and pick me up."

The chat froze for a second before exploding.

[Is this guy crazy?]

[After everything that's happened, he's still talking tough?]

Abigail laughed. There was nothing but contempt and impatience in it.

She let go of Mason, leaned out of the car, and looked me over from head to toe.

"Keep acting tough. We'll see how long you can keep it up."

She said to the bodyguard in the front seat, "Let the dogs out. He's moving too slow. Maybe they can help him pick up the pace."

Mason frowned, putting on a concerned look. "Don't do that. You're gonna scare him."

Abigail patted his hand, her tone turning soft again. "Relax. They're on leashes. They won't kill him."

The car door opened, and two large hounds lunged straight at me.

My whole body went cold.

I was a grown man, but I had been afraid of dogs since I was a kid.

Abigail knew that. She liked dogs, but after we got married, she never kept one. She would even go out of her way to avoid people walking their pets, just so I wouldn't have to see them.

And now, she was setting them on me herself.

The dogs lunged toward my feet. I didn't think. I just turned and ran.

The pavement felt like a cast-iron skillet under the noon sun.

I had barely gone a few dozen yards before my shoes came off and blisters started forming on the soles of my feet.

Behind me, the dogs barked wildly, closing in.

[Damn, he's fast!]

[At that speed, he could qualify for the Olympics.]

[Didn't see that coming. For a guy who looks like he sits behind a desk all day, he's pretty fast.]

[This is hilarious. They can't even catch him!]

[He's Ms. Sullivan's husband. Guy probably lives in the gym. Of course, he's in shape.]

The chat was moving too fast for me to read, but I could imagine the look on Abigail's face.

She leaned out of the car again, the smile on her lips tightening.

Mason leaned closer to her, his voice filled with just the right amount of concern. "Carter's really fast. I don't think I could keep up with him."

She didn't respond. She just narrowed her eyes and watched me.

I had already run close to half a mile. The blisters on my feet had burst open, and every step sent a sharp stab of pain through my soles.

The dogs were still chasing me, but they had slowed down. The bodyguard held them back, tugging on the leashes to keep control.

Mason leaned halfway out the window and called after me, "Carter, just apologize! Abby won't make things difficult for you!"

I clenched my teeth and ignored him.

His expression darkened slightly before he slipped right back into that self-pitying act.

"Carter, I grew up poor. Walking a few miles is nothing to me. But you don't need to do this."

His voice trembled, and his eyes reddened. He looked every bit like someone genuinely worried about me.

Abigail pulled him back into his seat and patted his shoulder, her voice so gentle that it barely sounded like her. "You're too nice for your own good. You always try to carry everything by yourself."

At some point, the pavement gave way to a stretch of loose gravel. The rocks were sharp and jagged.

The moment I stepped on them, blood seeped from the soles of my feet.

The scent sent the dogs into a frenzy. Barking wildly, they lunged forward so hard that the bodyguard nearly lost his grip on the leashes.

I stumbled forward, gravel grinding into open wounds. Every step felt like walking across broken glass.

More blood spilled behind me, and my footprints grew darker with every step.

The livestream viewers got even more excited.

[Place your bets! I've got another mile on him!]

[I'm taking 500 yards. Look at him. He's about to drop.]

[One mile. No more than that.]

[Three miles. I'll bet he makes three.]

The chat turned into a betting pool. Odds started popping up as more people flooded in just to watch.

Abigail stared at the numbers climbing on her screen, a faint smile forming on her lips. She looked pleased. Then she glanced at me again, her eyes completely cold.

"I want the whole country to see what happens when you cross Mason."

Mason leaned out again, staring at me, his voice still wrapped in false concern. "Carter, stop pushing yourself. Just say you're sorry, and this will all be over."

"I'm not apologizing."

For a split second, his smile froze. Then the innocent expression slipped right back into place.

He turned to Abigail, his eyes reddening again. "Did you hear that? He still won't forgive me."

The edges of my vision started to blur.

I had lost too much blood, and my body was reaching its limit.