Page 129 of Yours to Keep
No.
No.
He drags me toward the stairs.
“Finn!”
I wrench against his grip with everything I have.
“FINN!”
There is no answer.
The stairs creak beneath our feet before the heavy door slams shut behind us, sealing Finn on the other side.
For the first time since we were taken…
I am completely alone.
I am forced onto my knees. Carpet burns beneath them through my jeans as I struggle to steady my breathing. My shoulder throbs. My wrists ache. My heart pounds so violently I can feel it in my throat.
Someone walks toward me.
Not the heavy boots from downstairs; these footsteps are quieter.
Measured.
Unhurried.
Controlled.
My blood turns to ice.
No…
I know those footsteps.
I have heard them walking toward me in hallways… outside locked doors… across polished timber floors before everything changed.
My breathing stops.
Fingers hook beneath the hood and tear it away.
Adrian.
“Hello, Elijah.”
His smile is calm, almost warm, and somehow that makes it so much worse. He hooks two fingers beneath my chin, forcing my face up until I have no choice but to look at him.
“You can stop being afraid now, Elijah.”
His thumb brushes lightly across my jaw, the touch familiar and unwanted. My stomach churns at the touch.
“I’m here now.”
31
Finn’s POV
