Thank, God.
I retrieved my phone from the front pocket and made a beeline to the door, refusing to let anything else distract me. If I didn’t get out of here now, I never would. I managed to get outside and into the car without any issues.
My heart beat rapidly, and adrenaline raced through my veins. I needed to calm down, so I took several deep breaths and stared at the cabin. All the lights were still off, save for the one in the kitchen that was always left on, and there were no signs of movement.
Shoving the key into the ignition, I started the car, cringing as the engine purred to life. The headlights automatically came on, and I swore under my breath. Slamming the car into reverse, I backed out of the driveway and didn’t look back.
I sped down the road, not stopping until I was a few miles away. Then I pulled over and opened maps on my phone. I typed in Abby’s address, and the recorded voice told me to continue on this road for twelve miles.
Smiling, I eased out onto the road. The farther away from the cabin I drove, the more I relaxed. Turning on the radio, I sang along to several songs, my mood brighter than it had been in weeks.
Abby was going to be so excited to see me. So were Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean. I couldn’t wait to see their faces when I knocked on the door. The digital clock on the dashboard read 4:12 AM. According to the GPS on my phone, I’d arrive around 4:50 AM.
I scrunched up my face. That was awful early to be knocking on their door. What would I tell them when they asked why I was there so early? Or why I was there at all? They thought I was traveling with friends.
“No,” I groaned and eased off the gas pedal.
Questions I couldn’t answer raced through my mind. Where had I been? Who had I been with? Why didn’t I tell them I was coming? Did my father know I was there? Worst of all, why was I leaving again so soon? Where was I going? When would I be back?
What am I thinking? Going to visit them was a terrible idea, probably the worst I’d ever had. I couldn’t tell them what was really going on, and I didn’t have a lie good enough or big enough to explain my behavior.
“No. No, no, no,” I shouted and smacked the steering wheel. Disappointment settled over me. I couldn’t go home.
Something dashed across the road, inches from the car. I slammed on the brakes. My seat belt locked, jerking me back against the seat. I winced.
What was that? I peered through the windshield, trying to figure out what had run in front of the car and if it was gone. I knew I hadn’t hit anything.
There was nothing out there, and the night was silent. When my heart calmed, I eased off the brake pedal, and then a form appeared in the middle of the road. A woman.
I stopped the car again and squinted. Who was standing in the middle of the road like that? She moved closer, and suddenly, my confusion cleared.
Ivy.
She approached my car and opened the driver’s side door. “Get out,” she ordered.
I hesitated. Could I yank the door out of her hand and stomp on the gas before she realized what I was doing? Probably not. I unhooked my seat belt and climbed out of the car.
Ivy shut the door behind me, and the sound made me jump. “I warned you not to run.”
She thought I was trying to run and hide? My eyes widened, and I shook my head. “I wasn’t. I was—”
“Shh.” She held up her hand to silence me, and I clamped my mouth shut. “I told you we’d find you, Chloe, and now you leave me no choice.”
She raised her hand and motioned to something, or someone. Two women climbed out of a car that had appeared behind me and approached, eyes downcast as they awaited instructions.
My stomach dropped, and I took a step back. “I swear I wasn’t running. I was—”
Ivy held up her hand again. Words died on my lips, my voice disappeared, and dizziness consumed me.
Then, the world went dark.
KEEP READING
for a sneak peek at
ETERNAL BOND (The Cursed Series, Book 3)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Wow—there are so many people I need to thank, and I have no idea where to start! I fear I’ll miss someone, so if I do, please know that my oversight isn’t malicious but rather a combination of exhaustion and old age.
A massive thank you to all of my beta readers: Kat Daemon, Eden Plantz, Jennifer Pierce, Lynn Stevens, Courtney Lynn Rose, and a host of others. Without all of you, this story wouldn’t be in the shape it’s in today. Your insights have been invaluable, so have your constant pep talks during all the times I was ready to give up.
This book wouldn’t be as gorgeous as it is without my wonderful cover artist and formatter, Laura Heritage. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for so perfectly capturing everything I wanted on the cover.
To my editor, Rosie Somers, thanks for catching all my oversights and silly typos.
My publicist—Sara Beth Williams—you’ve been a Godsend. Thanks for all you do.
For all my readers—THANK YOU! Thank you for taking a chance on a new author, for falling in love with Trent and Chloe and Jax as much as I have, and for sticking with me on this journey. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without all of you.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you and “I love you” to my husband and children, who are forever putting up with my insane writing schedule, and the rollercoaster of moods that go along with it.
And now, here’s a sneak peek at
Eternal Bond: The Cursed Series, Book 3…
Coming
