Jake took a step forward, his expression enraged. He didn’t lower the gun. “Let her go, Celeste.”
“No!” Her voice was high and panicked now. “We’re going to leave here now, Jake. You’re going to give me my money, and then you’ll get her back. But if you don’t play by my rules, Charlie will kill her.”
Jake hesitated, unmoving. “I’ll give you five minutes to leave Mallory and walk out of here, Celeste.” His voice was cold and merciless. “The police are on their way. You had better run, or you’ll be going to jail for a very long time. I promise you that.”
“You’re bluffing,” Charlie snarled as he pressed the knife into Mallory’s throat, breaking the skin. She stilled, hardly daring to breathe.
Jake growled and cocked the gun. Celeste shot him a cold smile.
“You won’t do it, Jake,” she said assuredly. “You care more about her than you do about getting revenge on me. You’re going to let us leave now. And she’s coming with us. I won’t let her go until I get my money. I’m not going to jail, Jake. I won’t.”
Celeste and Charlie began slowly backing towards the back door, dragging Mallory along with them. She wanted to struggle, to fight her way free, but she didn’t dare try anything while the blade was pressed to her throat.
“I’m so sorry, Jake,” she whispered, hating herself for being so stupid and putting him in this position.
His expression was anguished. “I won’t let them hurt you, Mallory,” he promised.
“I won’t hurt her if you let us get out of here. Don’t follow us,” Celeste commanded. “We’ll be in touch when you’re allowed to come get her. And I’ll be long gone by then.” She smiled triumphantly.
Charlie shot her a quizzical look. “You mean ‘we,’ don’t you, my love?” He asked, anxious.
“Of course, dear,” she answered absently. Mallory felt Charlie heave a sigh of relief, but she could tell from Celeste’s contemptuous expression that she planned to leave him behind, to leave him holding the bag for her crimes.
“She’s lying,” Mallory gasped out. “Listen to me, Charlie,” she said desperately. “She’s going to leave you.”
“Shut up, bitch,” Charlie ordered, pressing his thumb into her wound. Mallory couldn’t hold back a small scream. As angry as she was at herself, it was nothing compared to her hatred for Charlie and Celeste.
“Don’t hurt her!” Jake barked, furious, but desperation laced his tone.
Celeste was smiling at him icily, her hand on the doorknob now. “Oh I won’t. Much. But the longer you wait to give me what I want, the worse things will go for her. I don’t think you’ll like her so much if I mess up her pretty face.” She blew him a little kiss. “Goodbye, Jake.”
But then Mallory heard one of the sweetest sounds she had ever heard in her life: police sirens in the distance, growing louder with every second. Jake smiled cruelly back at Celeste. “Did you really think I was bluffing? I gave you your chance, Celeste. Now you’re going to pay.”
“Celeste!” Charlie cried in a panic. “We have to run!”
In his hurry to get away, the knife eased away from Mallory’s throat with his distraction. Seizing her opportunity, she brought her elbow back hard, driving it into his stomach. Although he was fairly fit, he hadn’t tensed his abs to protect himself. She heard all of the wind rush out of him as he doubled over, releasing her as he clutched at his stomach.
Mallory tried to dart away from him, but he was on her in an instant, knocking her to the floor with a snarl. He turned her over roughly, and she watched as he raised the knife high, ready to plunge it into her heart. She felt strangely detached as she watched it descend, as though this were happening to someone else.
There was a sudden howl of rage, and Charlie’s weight was lifted from her as Jake’s body collided with his. She watched in horror for a moment as the men grappled, the knife flashing silver between them. But she breathed a sigh of relief as Jake squeezed Charlie’s wrist hard, and the blade clattered to the floor as he cried out in pain. Jake was holding his gun to Charlie’s head, and the man stilled beneath him.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mallory saw a streak of platinum blonde hair swinging out of sight as Celeste darted out the back door. Jake could clearly handle himself without her help, and there was no way that she was going to let the bitch get away. The police might have arrived, but it wouldn’t be difficult for Celeste to lose herself in the vast wood.
The sirens had almost reached them as Mallory ran out into the night, momentarily blind as her eyes adjusted to the blackness. But she could hear Celeste crashing through the underbrush, and she followed the sound. The forest began to materialize around her as the world turned from black to darkest blue, the tress dark shadows around her. She could see a bright point of light ahead of her where the moonlight shone down to illuminate Celeste’s blonde hair.
“Got you, bitch,” she whispered as she raced toward her.
Celeste suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground, crying out as fallen tree limbs broke her fall, scraping against her pale skin.
You think that hurts, bitch? Mallory thought savagely. I’ll show you pain.
Adrenaline coursed through her, giving her the speed and agility she needed to catch up to Celeste before she could pick herself up again. When she reached her, Mallory flung herself atop the blonde, her knees on either side of her bony hips, trapping her beneath her. Mallory could see the whites of her widened eyes.
“Don’t hurt me!” Celeste’s voice was high and tight with fear.
Mallory smiled evilly down at her. “Beg, bitch,” she ordered in a mocking tone.
“Please,” Celeste said in a strangled whisper. “Let me go!” The last was a broken sob.
Mallory cocked her head at her, as though considering. “No,” she said softly, pitilessly. “I don’t think I will.” She grinned madly, vengeance filling her heart. “How about we mess up that pretty face of yours?”