What if he pushes me back down? I clamp my jaw closed, forcing the thought away. If this fucker pushes me...
The man steps back, allowing me to move upward on the ladder until I am almost out. Leaning forward, I pull myself out of the hole and through the dirt and grass, but there is nothing to hold on. My foot slips from the top step, and I start to slide back down.
A shriek rips from my chest as I dig my fingers deep into the dirt. For a moment, I think I’m going to fall back into the hole, breaking my fucking neck for sure. My heart stops, and pure terror paralyzes my body.
In a flash, the new guy lunges for me and grabs my arms. He pulls me up like I weigh nothing, and releases me in the next instant. I slump to the ground, trying to catch my breath.
As relieved as I should feel, my muscles ache, and fear lingers as I find myself in a compromising position on all fours. I pull myself from my knees, getting my footing ever so slowly.
“Oh, no, you don’t…” Asshole smirks as he grabs my shoulders. My knees wobble as his hands push me down, keeping me in place.
“Let go of me,” I grit through my teeth. I’m so over being treated like dirt. Crouching down on his heels, so we are eye level, I take in his familiar-looking eyes. They are a deep green, and within them are the answers to the questions I long to know.
One of his hands leaves my shoulder and reaches for my face. His thumb grazes the bottom of my chin. I flinch away, turning my head away from him.
“I know why he wants you… Your defiance can be smelled from miles away.” His breath is cool against my face, and all I want is to turn and spit right into it. My emotions are all over the place, but one thing hasn’t changed—I’m mad as all fucking hell.
“I’m not defiant, asshole. I’m just not one for being held in a hole in the ground, having buckets of water thrown on me, and being talked down to like a fucking dog. Defiance isn’t even the word to describe how you make me feel.” I’m seething.
Shaking his head, he grabs his mask and pulls it off.
“Eli…” I gasp, not sure if I am happy or scared to see him. Did Enzo send him? Or is he working with Mack? He seemed surprised by Mack’s betrayal, and he was shot, but he seems fine now. Was that all an act? Did he betray Enzo as well? Shit, I don’t know what to believe.
I watch as the side of his lips lift into a half-smile.
With a blink of my eye, he is standing again, his voice raised as he laughs at me. Confusion settles into my bones. What the hell is he doing here?
“Your face. It’s hilarious.” I listen to him talk while coming to a stand as slow as possible.
“Do you even know why you’re here?” Eli asks as if that is the most prevalent question right now.
“I think we went over this already, but let me tell you why I think I’m here.” I pause a moment surveying the land. There is a clearing with trees on all sides, and we are deep in the woods. My breaths come in as pants as my eyes catch on an old rotting stump off in the distance.
“You were saying…” He mocks, his eyes glittering with amusement, and though I can see this is all funny to him, there is a darker secret being kept in his eyes.
“You know why I’m here. You know something…” I growl, not caring if my accusation gets me thrown back in the hole. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looks down at me.
“And you know nothing…”
“Tell me.” I refuse to let him taunt me. I need answers. I need to know why I’m here… here in this place I know so well.
“Tell you what? That Enzo is dead, and your father is hiding you in a hole near your own home?” My eyes grow big, and my heart races as I take a step back. Did he say Enzo is dead? No! It can’t be. I heard Mack. Enzo is alive.
“It’s shocking to see someone pulled from your life, isn’t it? Shocking to know your daddy isn’t the person you thought he was?”
No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop a tear from escaping my eye. One single tear. One single fucking tear defines my life.
“Enzo wasn’t pulled from my life, and my dad... he would never.” The words slip from my mouth, but does that make them true? Is my dad the person I think he is?
Eli smirks, his body eating up what little space is separating us.