Chapter 2

2.

When my eyes fluttered open, I met Jace's worried gaze.

"Ryan! You're awake!"

"God, Ryan. I'm sorry. I should have come sooner. This is all my fault."

"Trust me. I won't let that bastard get away with this."

I should have given him a round of applause for that performance.

I slowly pulled my hand from his. Shook my head. My voice was barely a whisper.

"It's fine."

He saw my mood was off. He asked carefully.

"Ryan, why were you walking so far down the highway all alone? There was a bar on the side of the road. Why didn't you go in for help?"

I kept my voice flat.

"Was there? I didn't see it. There was blood all over my face. I could barely see the road."

Jace exhaled quietly. He grabbed a glass of warm water and a few pills from the side table.

"Here. The doctor said you need to take these as soon as you wake up."

He eased me up from the bed. Fed me gently.

"How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

I looked down at myself wrapped in bandages. Shook my head. A wave of exhaustion hit me.

"I just want to sleep again."

Jace stroked my hair. Lowered me back down.

"Okay. Call me if you need anything."

Exhaustion pulled me under. Before my eyes closed, I saw Jace walk out.

Click.

He seemed to have locked the door from the outside.

I woke up burning.

The room spun. My whole body was on fire.

I stumbled out of bed. Ripped the IV needle out of my hand on instinct. Rushed toward the bathroom.

I couldn't open the door. I ran to the main door. Locked.

In a daze, I stripped off my clothes piece by piece, desperate to ease the heat. It was so unbearable. Tears streamed down my face.

"Please... someone help me... I can't take this..."

Howls of laughter erupted outside.

"Jace! She actually took everything off!"

"Oh my God, look at her. Crawling around on the floor like some junkie on an overdose. I'm recording this for Tessa."

I clenched my fists. My body trembled. My heart felt like it had been dropped into ice water. I could barely breathe.

Even the pills they fed me were part of their revenge.

I curled up in the corner. My ears locked onto the sounds outside the door.

Jace's leather shoes clicked down the hallway. The group's laughter and chatter faded with him.

"Tessa just texted. She wants to go live. Jace, next time let's do a real-time feed for her?"

Jace laughed and kicked the guy. "Mess around all you want. But if someone actually dies, you gonna do my prison time for me?"

My nails dug into my palms. The bandages I'd torn at pulled against raw wounds. Sweat and pain stung.

The nurse call button cord had been cut. I dragged my shaking legs to the window. Second floor.

The glass showed my reflection. Hair plastered to a bruised forehead. Skin flushed a terrifying red.

What they gave me wasn't medicine. It was the kind of stuff they use at frat parties to get girls out of their minds.

I grabbed the metal IV stand. Slammed it into the window. The glass cracked. No alarm. This old hospital still had single-pane windows, not safety glass. I swung again. Twice more. It shattered. Shards sliced my arm. Blood ran down my wrist.

"What the fuck! That crazy bitch is going to jump!"

Chaos erupted outside the door.

Cold wind hit me. I stepped onto the windowsill, barefoot.

Jace kicked the door open. His face went pale.

"Ryan!"

I turned. Met all their stunned stares.