I was jerked awake by the sound of a horn blaring. When my eyes adjusted to staring out the windshield, I saw what was sounding the horn and let out an ear splitting scream. In surprise, Cole jerked the wheel to the left, sending us dangerously close to the ditch.
We were in the other lane.
There was a truck barreling it's way right towards us.
I was officially going to die.
At the last second, after speeding by two cars on the right side of the road, Cole pulled hard back into the correct lane, sending me flying against the door frame. I really should have put on a seatbelt.
"What the hell are you doing!" I screeched out. Cole's knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel, and he kept glancing in the mirrors. "You aren't driving a corvette," I yelled when neither of them answered. Rosen was busy rummaging in his backpack for something, and Cole was focusing on the road.
"Ellie can you please be quiet? I'm trying not to kill us here," Cole pleaded, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror.
"You aren't doing a very good job," I retorted. I leaned between the seats so I could see the both of them clearly. When I finally caught on to Cole's persistent looking around, I turned to face the back window, trying to see what he was looking at. There was a line of cars, now pretty far back as we were pushing past the speed limit at eighty-five miles an hour, but no sign of what he was freaking out over.
I heard a click and looked back to see Rosen holding a small handgun. The black metal glinted off the sunlight. The last time I had seen a gun was that night in the alley. Why did I never tell anyone what had happened? I was so incredibly stupid.
I started panicking, searching for a way out of the car. But I knew there was no way I would be able to jump out when we were going this fast and survive.
"Pull over," I demanded, my voice high and shaky.
"Please don't puke in the car," Rosen groaned, sliding the gun into the glove compartment. "They are right on our tail, we can't pull over," he added, turning to shoot me a stern look.
"Who?" I questioned, my heart beating fast. I looked back again, but saw nothing.
"The people who took you Ellie. They're after me and Cole. Look, this is a really long story and I don't even know where to begin. But Cole and I are not the bad guys here, okay? They are." Rosen stared at me, and I blinked in return. This wasn't the first time they mentioned someone taking me. and I still didn't believe them. It's blurry, but I could remember Cole putting me in their car. I had no memory of anything before.
"You guys took me," I stated, confused.
"Don't you remember?" Rosen asked, shaking his head. " They ambushed you in the parking lot, drugged you, and then stuffed you in their car. We pulled in right as they were leaving and recognized the vehicle. We followed them until they finally made a stop at a gas station, and stupidly enough left you alone as they went inside. Cole got you out? Remember?"
That would go along with my memory of Cole carrying me. I still didn't believe a word they said. They probably drugged me so they could lie and blame someone else taking me.
"This better not be some sick game your playing," I whispered, my voice hoarse from screaming.
"You're safer with us Ellie," Cole assured, looking at me through the mirror. "They had you out pretty bad when I found you, you probably forgot everything because of that." I felt sick to my stomach. I didn't know what to believe or who to trust anymore. They were either telling the truth, or were completely psychotic.
I'd hoped the later wasn't true or that meant I was surely going to die.
"I think we lost them?" Cole sighed, slumping down in the drivers seat. He looked over to Rosen. "You want to take the last shift of driving?"
"Where are we going?" I dared to ask. Cole turned to look at me as he pulled off to the side of the interstate.
"New York,"
☾
The city came into full view right as the sun was starting to set. I hadn't said a word since they announced where we were going. They had taken me out of my state, my home. I had never left the state before and yet here I was in New York with two strangers who kidnapped me.
What a story this will make.
The traffic was insane and we were held up for almost an hour before we finally got to our exit. We didn't go straight downtown, and instead stayed on the outskirts of the city. My eyes scanned the homeless people sitting outside with cardboard signs, praying for someone to take pity on them and leave a few coins.
"I didn't really grow up in New York, but I lived here for a year," Rosen stated, clearing his throat. Another lie.
I cringed and slouched in my seat, seeing the tattered buildings and grass growing out of the cracked sidewalk a foot high.
This didn't look like a very nice neighborhood.
I looked at the City skyline longingly, knowing being there would have been my best bet at escape. It would have been easy enough to lose them in a crowd, and beg someone for directions to the nearest police station. But this neighborhood would most likely not even bat an eyelash if I started screaming bloody murder.
My throat was tight when we finally pulled up to the curb in front of a small two story house. The white paneling on the outside was peeling, revealing withered wood beneath it. I eyed the weeds overtaking the yard, and the step on the porch that was broken off.
Why did they take me here?
Rosen was the first out of the car, stretching his legs and pulling his arms over his head, making his shirt rise up. I looked away quickly. I had to remember that he wasn't the same boy I had known back in Shorely.
Cole turned to me and gave me a nod and a small smile. He reached back to touch my shoulder, but I moved away staring at him hard.
"We'll be safe here for a while," he said quietly before leaving and joining Rosen.
The screen door flung open suddenly, the wood slamming against the side of the house. A women no older than thirty with pale skin stepped out onto the porch, a wide smile forming on her face. Her caramel colored hair was pulled up into a ponytail, setting off her sharp cheekbones. Although her face looked young, her eyes appeared wary of age. She did not look like a girl who lived in the backstreets of New York City.
"Rosen and Cole is that you standing out there? What trouble have you caused this time," she called, carefully avoiding the broken step as she walked through the weed infested lawn. I noticed Rosen's eyes light up, and the first real smile I had seen since we had left Shorely appeared on his face.
I couldn't help the stab of jealousy that impaled my heart.
The two embraced, both smiling. Even Cole had brightened up and was looking excited.
The three of them exchanged a few words and laughs, and I wondered if the boys had just forgotten about me. But then the smiles faded and Rosen looked concerned, maybe even afraid. He nodded towards the car and I thought about ducking down so they wouldn't see me. The lady's eyes met mine only momentarily before she swung back around to Rosen.
That's when she started yelling. And I knew she was yelling because I could hear it. Maybe I could convince her to take me to the police or at least drop me off somewhere. I'd get to the police on my own if I had too.
"Rosen Parker what were you thinking? You don't bring no girl into this mess. You don't bring anyone into this mess," she scolded. Rosen said something back, but he spoke in a low enough tone where I couldn't hear him.
Cole started walking towards my side of the car, and I scrambled to the other side. When he opened my door he peeked his head inside and sighed.
"Come on out Ellie, we're only trying to help." He held out his hand to me and I stared at it a few moments. I knew I would have to get out eventually, especially since I had to go to the bathroom like crazy, so I placed my hand in his. Cole's grip was firm, but gentle as he helped me out of the car, slamming the door behind me and making me flinch from the sound.
I stood on the curb as the lady and Rosen both stared at me.
"Oh hon, you must be terrified right now," she suddenly spoke walking up to me and pulling me into a hug. I stood there, paralyzed. When she pulled back, she inspected me closely, but what for I had no clue. "I'm Amanda," she smiled warmly at me, setting a few of my jitters to rest.
"Ellie," I replied back quietly, glancing towards Rosen and Cole who were watching with interest. "Can you help me?" I whispered quietly, my voice breaking from strain. Amanda gave me a pitying look.
"I'm going to do the best I can to keep you safe. I know my boys will do the same," She reassured. Her boys? Were Cole and Rosen brothers? Amanda looked a little bit too young to have kids, but I guess she could be older than I first thought.
"Who you got staying here? Got room for us?" Rosen asked, nodding towards the house.
"Just Jayden. Knox had been here a few weeks ago, but said he went looking for you. Poor kid still had a hole in his leg from that bullet. Did he find you wherever you was at?" Amanda replied. I jerked at the recognition of Knox's name. A memory floated into my mind. Knox was there the night I was taken. Did he have a hand in my kidnapping? What side was he on? If he had been here, he must be on Rosen's side... but then why did Rosen hate him so much?
"Yeah he found me, wouldn't leave me alone either," Rosen snorted. "He's probably the one that lead the Def onto our track." Cole looked surprised.
"Knox was there and you didn't tell me. What the fuck Rosen," Cole demanded, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. I looked between the group, clearly seeing I was the odd one out here. "We could have booked it out of there before the Def even got a whiff of us." Rosen looked over towards me, a sad look in his eyes that I couldn't decipher. Cole followed his gaze to look at me too, and he only got more angry.
"Calm down," Amanda muttered, but her words were heard on deaf ears.
"Really?" Cole seethed. "You couldn't leave because you had a stupid crush on a girl. Well news flash, you probably just ruined her whole entire life so great job." He snorted.
"It wasn't stupid," Rosen replied quietly, looking me directly in the eyes as he said it. I
felt my heart flutter, damn emotions.
Cole rolled his eyes and stalked off towards the door. Before he stepped inside he turned back.
"Love doesn't exist for us." The door bounced closed behind him.
"Come on Ellie, let's get you some clean clothes and some food. I'll show you to your room," Amanda smiled, guiding me by my shoulders towards the house. "Hopefully this will only last a few weeks and then we can take you back home," she said in my ear, but I was barely paying attention. I was too busy reeling in all the information I had just head. Who were the Def? Was that the group Rosen and Cole were talking about?
Before I stepped up onto the porch, I glanced over my shoulder to see Rosen standing near the car with his hands in his pockets.
He kicked a loose piece of sidewalk onto the road, muttering something under his breath before looking up towards me. He seemed surprised to see I was already watching him.
I looked away.
OOOOHHH
THANKS FOR READING! Chapters are starting to get a little longer because we are really delving into the plot now :)