He tried to climb over the edge of the roof with
Ashley. The rope, which I’d tampered with,
snapped. He dangled, screaming for Ashley to
help him. She ran.
“Help! Help me!”
Jason’s screams echoed as he fell. He landed
with a sickening crunch, bones protruding from
his legs. Ashley didn’t even look back. She
yelled for her getaway car.
But she saw me. Her face twisted with jealous
rage. She stopped the car, pulled a gun. “Claire, this is all your fault! If it weren’t for
you, I’d be Miss High–and–Mighty Carter!” She pointed at me. “Tie her up! What I can’t have,
no one can!” She waved the gun. “Back off! Or
I’ll shoot her!”
- 10.
They tied me up in front of everyone. Ethan’s
face was shattered.
The car sped away, up into the mountains. We
switched cars, ending up at some abandoned
factory. They dragged me out, threw me on the
<
ground. I heard them arguing about what to do.
Ashley spat, “How the hell should I know? That
idiot got caught! What now?!”
I smirked. “You risked everything for him? You
sure dumped him fast. So, you were in on the
kidnapping, too.”
Ashley glared at me. “Don’t be naive. Men use
you. They take everything and act like they gave
it to you. Like they can take it back whenever
they want.”
“What do we do with her?” A one–eyed guy
leered at me.
“What’s the problem? Plenty of lonely guys will pay for fresh meat. Ma’s coming to pick her
up.”
A skinny guy rubbed his hands together.
“Maybe we can have some fun first.”
Ashley waved her hand dismissively. “Just don’t
kill her.”
They came closer. I pulled out a razor blade I’d hidden. As the skinny guy’s hand reached my ankle, I slashed his arm. While he yelled, I jammed the blade into the one–eyed guy’s
<
good eye. He screamed and rolled away. I
grabbed his gun. The skinny guy whimpered.
“It’s modified! It’ll blow up! Don’t! Please! I’||
let you go!”
Bang. I shot him in the groin.
Ashley ran in. “I said don’t kill her!”
I pointed the gun at her head.
- 11.
Ashley’s eyes widened. “How…?”
I smiled. “You think I came quietly because
you’re scary?”
“You won’t shoot. You don’t want to be a
murderer.”
I shrugged. “It’s your gun. I’m just a helpless
victim. How could I have done it?”
“You planned this! Why are you doing this to
me?”
My eyes hardened. “Ask yourself that
question…from your past life.”
Ashley realized I remembered. She ran. I shot
her in the legs, then the arms. Screaming, she
tumbled into a ravine.
<
“I’m curious. Jason gave you my life. Why abuse
him this time?”
“You don’t get it!” Ashley sobbed, clutching her
wounds. “He married me, but it was for the
money! He cheated, called me a stray dog he’d
picked up, useless now. Said I deserved to be
put down.” She laughed, a chilling sound. “So I
killed him. Got a do–over.” Her face twisted.
“But you…you ruined it! I should have
everything! You ruined it! You deserve to die!”
A van pulled up. The driver, seeing my gun, tried
to run. I stopped him.
“I don’t know anything! Just delivering!”
I glared at him. “You’ve done this before, haven’t you? You’re a woman, and you’re
profiting from the suffering of other women.”
“So what? They’re easy to trick. Better this
than marrying some loser.”
