Trapped (Bullied Book 4) (Bullied Series) Vera Hollins (best large ereader txt) 📖

dark and cold. “I learned my lesson the hard way. This is the best way to hide a knife.”

“I see. Wait a sec.” I wriggled so I could get to my knees and kneeled in front of him, positioning my hands right over his groin. “Admit it—you did this just so you could have me close to your crotch.” I grasped the buckle.

“That was exactly my plan all along.” I yanked the handle and pulled the knife out. “Good. Hold it that way. I’ll just turn around and take it from you.”

He moved around, and I looked over my shoulder as he looked over his. He reached for the knife, and I made sure he didn’t touch the blade as I handed it to him.

“I’m going to cut your ropes first. Stay still.”

He started working, the serrated blade coming dangerously close to my skin, but I trusted him not to hurt me. We didn’t speak until he managed to cut through the rope, which loosened it enough for me to free my hands.

“Yes.” I exhaled, barely containing my voice that wanted to shout out my joy.

“Now cut mine.”

My heart pounded faster as I took the knife from him. If they returned now… I pushed the blade against the rope, making sure it didn’t come in contact with his skin. I managed to cut it, and he freed himself.

He smiled at me. “Thanks.”

Next were the ropes around our ankles, which he cut in a few quick moves, and we were free.

I stood up. “What are we going to do now?”

“You won’t do anything except run away. I’m going to deal with them.”

“What? No. You absolutely can’t do that. There are three of them!”

“In case you haven’t noticed, the back door is right behind the staircase. They were cocky enough not to lock that door”—he pointed at the basement door—“so that’s one less problem to deal with. I’m going to make sure the coast is clear for you to—”

I grabbed his forearms, getting colder and colder. “Do you even hear me, Blake? We should run away together! We’ll find someone with a phone and call the cops.”

“Jessie.” He took my hands in his. “I can’t miss this opportunity. I can’t just run away when I can finally get my revenge.”

“No, Blake. Please. Think about this. Please. I’m begging you not to do it. Let’s escape together and call the cops on them. They will get a long time in prison for what they did to Emma.”

He just watched me for a long time, and each new second was agonizing because my hope clashed with hurt, which consumed more of me. If he wouldn’t reconsider…

“Or…or you can just shoot them in the leg or something,” I added, getting desperate. “You can injure them badly. Yes. You can injure them and they will, like, bleed a lot and it will be satisfying, right?” I was babbling now, trying anything I could to make him change his mind. “You can make them suffer by torturing them long and slow, and it will still be cruel, right? There are a lot of ways to torture them—”

He squeezed my hands. “Jessie—”

“Please,” I whispered. A tear slid down my cheek. “Please don’t leave me.”

He cupped my cheek and brushed my tear away with his thumb, looking at me with sadness that was unparalleled. “I don’t want to leave you. I want to make you happy.”

“Then make me happy. Give us a chance. There are other ways to get your revenge. Please, Blake.”

“Jessie, I…” He dropped his hand from my face and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do. I have no fucking clue.”

“Live,” I said. “Find a way to break away from your past and live. And I’ll be here. I’ll wait for you to come out and help you the rest of the way.” I placed my hand over his heart, a few more tears escaping my eyes. “I’ll help you see that you have so much more to live for. You can be happy again. I’ll do my best to make you happy.”

He studied my face in the long seconds that ticked by, his heart thumping madly against my hand. I could hardly breathe. I fiercely hoped I was getting through to him.

He wiped one tear from my face, then another. And another…

“Okay,” he said, after what seemed like forever.

My heart stopped. “Okay?”

“Okay. Let’s get out of here.”

Relief unlike anything before surged through me, and I pulled him into my embrace, wrapping my arms around his waist tightly.

“Thank you!” I said into his chest. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Save your thanks for later. Let’s go before they return.”

He took my hand and headed for the door. The pounding of my heart sounded too loud to my ears as he reached for the door handle, and a hundred bad scenarios passed through my mind as I waited for him to turn it. I exhaled a long breath when he opened the door and there was no one on the other side.

We climbed up the stairs to the first floor then he stopped at the top step. “Wait for me here while I check if the back door is locked,” he whispered, releasing my hand.

A grim thought that it was my last time to hold Blake’s hand flashed through my mind, and I stood glued to the ground. This is bad.

He peeked around the wooden banister to look down the hallway we’d come from and treaded silently to the back door, which now seemed too far away. My body was itching to move, to check if they were anywhere close—to rush Blake out of that door—but I didn’t do anything, counting seconds that seemed like hours.

He tried the door, but it was locked. Bad. This is so bad. Beside that door, the hallway was a dead end, which meant the only way out was how we’d gotten here in the first place. We