Evade (The Ever Trilogy) (19 page)

O
pportunity never knocked.

Aside from having no idea where we were—Ridley had maneuvered the van through mountain roads with nothing to see from the back of the van but trees through the front window—by the time the van slowed to a stop, J had climbed into the back to help Q restrain me. Apparently one captor wasn’t enough to keep me from running. Which was kind of silly when I thought about it—I wasn’t very big, or very strong, but I’d gotten the slip on Q—however short lived it had been. Good for me.

Of course, I was still kidnapped, still in the clutches of Tweedle Dum, Tweedle Dee, and Captain U.P.S. up there, and still on the run for my life. Or my soul. Or something. So,
good for me
didn’t really apply.

“There’s nowhere to run up here, kiddo,” Q said. “So please don’t even try. Your face is pretty messed up from earlier, and I don’t want it to get worse.”

“Thanks for caring,” I grumbled. Was this guy serious? Who else would end up with a sympathetic kidnapper? “You do know it’s your fault my face hit the pavement, right?”

“Only because you ran. I asked you not to.”

The back doors opened wide, revealing Ridley draped in shadow. Sun poked through the trees in little rays, but the canopy of pine and redwood was high here, blocking most of the sunlight.

Ridley’s dark gaze was unsettling, though his forced smile was most likely an attempt not to appear creepy. His face was hard, the planes of his cheekbones and jaw well-defined. Had he not been so masculine, his full lips and labret piercing would have been a touch feminine. He was dark and brooding, and if he hadn’t been the ringleader in my most recent kidnapping, I’d go as far as to say he wasn’t nearly as terrifying as he wanted to be.

But, he kidnapped me, so.

Ridley stepped aside as I climbed out of the van with Q and J flanking me. They each wrapped a hand around my elbows, guiding me toward the cabin. I scanned the exterior and surrounding area for anything distinguishing. If I managed to escape, I wanted to be able to guide the cops…or Toby and Ted…
anyone
…back here. Unfortunately, like the less-than informative names of my kidnappers, and the unmarked black van, there was nothing that would distinguish this cabin from any others—wood siding and roof, large front steps, large wooden double doors, no address or indicators of any kind, no—

My breath hitched as the doors swung open, the light from inside silhouetting a woman standing in the doorway. With one hand on her hip—

Oh, hell no.
I’d know that stance anywhere. My stomach sank as my jaw slammed tight, my teeth clenching in response to her presence.

“Oh, look! My favorite sister is here! Well done, boys.”

Ariadne strolled to the edge of the deck, stopping at the top step. Her Cheshire cat smile pulled her red lips wide, revealing those perfectly white teeth. Her yellow eyes sparkled with mischief. She winked, her long black lashes briefly fanning her cheek.

I didn’t think I’d ever hate her more than I already did, but she was determined to prove me wrong.

“You
kidnapped
me?” I shrieked, breaking free of my momentary stupor. “What the hell is
wrong
with you?”

“Calm down, Eleanor,” she said—calmly, as though this wasn’t a kidnapping. “It was for your own good, hon.” She began to descend the steps, and her gaze flicked over my face. “What the hell, you guys? Who did that to her face? Jayson, if this was your doing—”

“Relax, babe,” Ridley drawled, his voice its usual hoarse calm. “It wasn’t J. The chick ran. Q stopped her.” Ridley shrugged, then stepped up to where Ariadne stood on the stairs.

Her eyes tightened as he approached, then he leaned in and—

“Eeew,” I whispered as their lips met. I turned away.
Gross.

“Asshole,” J whispered.

“Shhh,” Q snapped.

I looked first at Q, then to J, who shrugged sheepishly then lowered his gaze to the ground, kicking at the dirt with the toe of his boot.

“Look, Ari,” Q began, “I told her I didn’t want to hurt her. She didn’t give me a—”

“Enough,” Ariadne snapped. She left Ridley and walked to my side, then grabbed my chin between her fingers and thumb. Turning my face side to side, she clucked her tongue. “Oh, Ever, hon…
your face
.”

“Like you care,” I snapped, pulling my chin out of her grasp. “And anyway, I’m fine.”

Her yellow-green eyes glinted. “Of course you are. So brave these days, aren’t you? You’re welcome.”

I scoffed. “Excuse me?”

“Well, I think we can both agree that before I came along, you were a weak little girl pining over a ghost. Now look at you. You’re on the run, you’ve been kidnapped twice—even put up a fight”—she glanced at Q—“and you’re not even a virgin anymore. All because of me. But, no matter. You don’t have to thank me. Your silence is thanks enough.” She waved a hand in the air, then turned around and strolled back up the steps. “Come along, kids. And Q, if you hurt her again, you’ll have me to deal with.”

Ridley smiled, then followed Ariadne inside.

Q and J began to lead me, but I dug my feet into the dirt. “Wait. Are you guys serious? Why do you listen to her? Why do you do what she says?”

J shrugged, so I looked at Q. After Ridley, it was clear that Q was next in line as far as authority around here. J was just a hapless, lovesick puppy, from what I could see.

“It’s just a job, kiddo. Ari pays well.”

I didn’t know what to say. Eventually I closed my mouth, so as not to catch flies, then Dumb and Dumber pushed me inside. At least I knew who I was dealing with now, and could be better prepared to hatch an escape plan. I mean, what harm could Ariadne possibly cause? It wasn’t like she could mark my soul any more than it already was.

I snorted at that thought, then shook my head when Q glanced back at me with his eyebrows raised.

Inside, the cabin was warm and homey, fully decorated in exactly the way I’d picture a cabin in the woods. A wooden ladder stood to one side of the couch, draped with various quilts and Navajo-style blankets. The couch was large and overstuffed, with a plaid blanket draped over one side. A fire burned in the fireplace, even though the time of year was completely wrong for a fire. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Ariadne.

“What? I like the ambiance,” she said with a shrug. “Plus, it gets cold up here at night. Anyway, are you hungry?”

“Well, actually, I was about to eat at”—I paused, remembering why I hadn’t been able to eat my patty melt at the Hi-Lo Café, and it wasn’t because Q kidnapped me. Gracie Lynn’s wide, dead eyes floated through my mind, and I shuddered.

“What?” Ariadne asked, her voice impatient.

“The Seeker…”

“What about Seekers? Did they find you?” Ariadne approached me, pulling my elbow out of J’s hand. “Ugh, Jayson, she’s not a prisoner.”

I glanced back at Jayson as Ariadne pulled me to the couch to sit down. Not a prisoner, huh? Then why the hell had she kidnapped me?

“I thought none of the Seekers had found you?” Q asked.

“I never said that. Where’s Toby?”

“Ooh, good question, Eleanor. Rid, how’d you get her away from Tobias?”

“He’s in his trunk,” Ridley answered, his lips pulling up at the corners.

“What?” Ariadne and I shrieked at the same time.

“What the hell, Ridley! Go get him!” Ariadne snapped.

“Relax, babe. He’s not going to suffocate. And Trey’s bringing him now anyway.”

“You let Trey drive Toby’s
Mustang
?” Ariadne asked, her voice rising in pitch and shrieking on the last word. She brought her gaze to me, her eyes wide. “He’s going to kill me.”

I shook my head, flabbergasted. “You’re kidding me, right?” I asked, shocked at how crazy she was. “You
branded
my soul, Ariadne, whatever that means. People are
hunting
me. Then, you have your hired goons kidnap me and lock Toby in his
own
trunk, and you think the fact that one of them
drove his car
is what’s going to seal the deal for your death warrant?”

“He doesn’t let anyone drive that car,
Eleanor
. You should know that.”

“I’ve driven it.”

“What? You’re lying.”

I shrugged. Maybe I was. She didn’t need to know.

Ariadne’s eyes narrowed, then she brushed it off with a wave of her hand in the air. “Anyway, we didn’t really kidnap you, and Ridley hates Toby, so the trunk part was just for fun. A little revenge on my ex-boyfriend from my new boyfriend. No biggie.”

“You’re truly psychotic; you know that, right?”

“Aw, Evvy, that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Here they are now,” Ridley said, interrupting the most absurd conversation I’d ever been a part of. “See? No harm no foul.”

Just as the words left Ridley’s mouth, I glanced out the large window and watched Toby’s classic Mustang come sliding through the clearing in the trees, dust flying behind it like a tornado shooting out from the exhaust pipe. The driver—Trey—slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching, and
sideways
, halt in front of the steps. I flew off the couch and out the door, then ran down the front stairs.

“O
pen it!” I shouted at no one in particular, my finger extended toward the trunk of the Mustang.

The driver opened his door and climbed out, his head hanging down and making his dirty blond hair drape across his eyes. He had an ear bud in each ear, and he fiddled with an iPod in one hand while his other hand jiggled the car keys. He was really tall, though with his head and shoulders drooping downward, he appeared smaller. Built like a runner—long and lean—he was probably well over six feet tall when not hunched over. He didn’t even notice me standing behind the car in a panic.

The passenger door opened, and I gasped.

“Toby!” I shouted, then ran around the car and flew into his open arms. “You’re not in the trunk!”

Toby pulled back to look down at me, his lips pulled into a scowl. “No, I’m not in the”—he softened slightly when he saw my cheek, then his eyes widened—“what the hell did they do to you?” With one swoop of his arm, he positioned me behind him as he rounded to face Ariadne and her boys.

“It wasn’t me, Toby,” Ariadne said, her hands up in the air. “I never told them to hurt her. What do you take me for?” She smiled, then winked. “Don’t answer that, lover.”

“Ridley?” Toby growled.

Ridley smirked, then shook his head from side to side with one eyebrow raised.

I turned to my right as Trey came to stand beside me, leaning against Toby’s car—as if he wasn’t one of Ariadne’s hired goons. He crossed his arms over his chest, hindering my view of the shirt he was wearing—with a picture of Bigfoot on it.
Bigfoot.
Only Bigfoot wasn’t stomping through the forest like I’d imagine he’d be doing, if he existed in the first place…he was riding a bicycle across the moon like E.T. did.

Trey wouldn’t bring his gaze to mine, even as I openly stared at him, which, combined with his hunched shoulders, his blatant avoidance made him appear slightly awkward.

Or, maybe it was his strange choice in t-shirts.

“Trey,” Toby said, bringing my attention to Toby, who hadn’t taken his gaze off Ridley, Quinn and Jayson.

“Trey,” Toby said again, slightly louder this time.

I elbowed Trey, finally getting his attention. His big blue eyes met mine, so I nodded in Toby’s direction, and Trey’s eyes followed. He barely acknowledged Toby’s extended hand before returning to whatever was so intriguing on his iPod, but when he tossed Toby his keys they landed perfectly in Toby’s hand, indicating Trey was anything but awkward. He glanced up briefly one more time and his blue eyes met my gaze again. He was cute. For a guy who liked Bigfoot and may or may not be on our side. The jury was still out on that one.

“Which one of you hurt her?” Toby said, bringing my focus back to the group of people who stood before us.

Ariadne didn’t seem scared, but then, she’d just orchestrated a kidnapping, so she was clearly more deranged than I’d originally thought. Ridley stood beside her, smirking, his piercing glinting in a small shaft of sunlight poking through the pines. Quinn and Jayson remained still, their gazes both locked on Toby. Funny how they weren’t so tough when they didn’t think my boyfriend was locked in his trunk.

I mean, um,
not
my boyfriend.

“Who are these two?” Toby asked, nodding toward Quinn and Jayson.

Ariadne looked at the two guys, then waved her hand in the air. “No one, Tobias. Errand boys.”

“Excuse me?” Quinn snapped, bringing his narrowed gaze to Ariadne. He glared at her then turned to Ridley. “You owe me two hundred bucks.”

“Oh, please,” Ariadne drawled. “You delivered damaged goods, Quinn. You get nothing.”

“I’m sorry,
what
?” Quinn stepped forward, his gaze narrowed. “You’ll pay me, Ari.”

“After what you did to her face?” Ariadne snapped, glancing at Toby with a sly smile. She knew exactly what she was doing letting Toby know who was responsible for the road rash covering the right side of my face.

Toby tensed, so I placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to get his attention. After he didn’t respond, I tightened my grip, and he finally relaxed—slightly—then turned his head to glance at me standing behind him. I maneuvered myself to stand beside him instead, suddenly realizing I’d allowed him to make me his damsel again. I really needed to stop allowing people to push me into that role, now that I was on the run for my life.

“It wasn’t his fault, Toby. He told me not to run,” I said, shrugging. “So I ran.”

Toby’s deep blue gaze bore into mine. “He
kidnapped
you, Ever.”

“I know. And you’re right. That is his fault. And his,” I said, pointing to Jayson. “And his,” I said, moving my finger down the line to Ridley. “But mostly hers.” I looked away from Toby, focusing on Ariadne’s golden eyes. “And frankly, I just want to get the hell away from here and from her, and from all of this. Okay?”

“We’re not just going to let this slide, babe.” Toby grabbed my chin and brought my gaze back to his. “They kidnapped you,” he said slowly, nodding as if willing me to understand the gravity of the situation.

“I know,” I said, matching his slow pace. “But hey,” I said flippantly, “it’s not like it was the first time, right?”
Budum chhh.

His mouth fell open.

“Oh, Tobias,” Ariadne purred as she approached us. Her red-tipped fingers grazed my arm. “It was supposed to be a little joke.”

I scoffed. “A joke?”

“Don’t be such a baby, sis. You weren’t supposed to get hurt.”

“But I
did
get hurt,” I growled.

“I know. And I’m sorry.” She reached out to touch my cheek, but Toby’s arm flew up and he grabbed her wrist, keeping her hand a few inches away from my face. She pulled out of his grasp and turned away from us, walking back to stand beside Ridley. “As someone who values her face, I can understand how upsetting that must be—especially when you already have something less than
stellar
to work with.”—she winked—“There’s Neosporin and Band-Aids upstairs in the medicine cabinet.” Ariadne stared at me, waiting. “Well? Go on now. Tend to your face.”

I turned to Toby. “Can we just go?”

He nodded, then tossed the keys back to Trey—the guy never even looked up at Toby but caught the keys and walked to the other side of the car. Toby reached down to open the door for me.

“Wait,” I said, placing my hand over his. “With him?”

Toby smiled. “Yeah, babe, about that”—he glanced up at Trey, then back to me—“Sorry I never told you.”

“Told me what, exactly?”

“That’s my baby brother.”

Shocked, I glanced to Trey, who shrugged as he disappeared, climbing into the car.

“Your what?” Ariadne shrieked.

Toby’s smile grew ten sizes. He leaned down, brushed a kiss against my lips, then turned to face the rest of the group.

“Oh, shoot. I must have failed to tell you that little tidbit of info, too.” Toby turned back to me, then nodded toward the car as he opened the door for me and turned his head back to Ariadne. “So that’s Trey. My baby brother. You hired him to kidnap Ever and oh, I don’t know, keep me locked up in my own trunk, but here’s the best part… I’d already sent him to keep an eye on you. How’s that for irony, Ari?”

Ariadne’s mouth opened, then closed a few times, and her eyes blazed with anger. I watched from the backseat of Toby’s Mustang, unable to keep the smile off my face.

“I’m assuming your boy toy there got the drop on me…he seems like the sucker punch type…and I’m pissed about that. Without Ridley’s
cowardice
”—Toby paused when Ridley sneered at him—“without his cowardice,” Toby repeated with emphasis, “your errand boys would have never made it out of the parking lot, and my girl’s face wouldn’t be all scratched up. But seeing that look on
your
face right now, Ari? That makes the sting a bit more bearable. Doesn’t it, Ever?”

I nodded, though he wasn’t looking at me to see the movement. His gaze was still locked in a silent battle with Ariadne’s golden eyes.

“We’re leaving, Princess. Stay away from me, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay the hell away from Ever.”

Toby turned to climb into the front seat, smiling at me as he did so. I smiled back—

“Oh, Eleanor?” Ariadne called, her voice shrill. “You don’t want to leave before I tell you how to get out of this, do you?”

Toby froze, his dark gaze locked on mine.

My stomach sank.

“Either you have to die, or Frankie has to die…but one of you has to relive that car accident; otherwise, your soul will be branded until someone turns you in. I’ll let you decide what to do.”