Vicious Lies (Lies 1)

Joel was right, Langston doesn’t care about me.

Langston doesn’t look at me; he only looks at Joel.

“I can handle Miss Dunn from here. Thank you, Joel.”

“Yes, sir.” Joel smirks at me and then rolls off me before exiting the room.

Then it’s just Langston and me.

I’m still tied up. My face is covered in Joel’s blood. Surprisingly, my shoulder has little blood on it. I doubt he even realizes I’m bleeding from a gunshot wound.

Langston doesn’t say anything. He just studies me a second, taking in the scene. I take the moment to study him.

He’s wearing jeans and a grey V-neck. He looks the same, but I see the bruises around his eye. Whatever he went and did, he got at least one punch for it. There are probably more beneath his shirt.

“Can you untie yourself?” he asks.

My eyes narrow. “Yes.”

“Good.”

And then Langston turns and walks out of the room.

That’s it? That’s all Langston is going to say or do?

Now, I’m pissed. He didn’t even ask what happened or check if I’m injured, check to see what Joel did to me.

Langston really does hate me.

His hate motivates me to untie myself faster.

I had already made progress on my wrists, so I finish them quickly and start on my ankles. I fumble once or twice before finally freeing myself.

I pull my jean shorts back up and then head to the bathroom. I wipe the blood from my face on Langston’s white towels, happy to be ruining them. I can’t reach my wound, and I don’t want to look at how violently my shoulder is fucked up.

I rummage for some painkillers and find none.

Dammit.

I run my hand through my blonde wavy hair. I’m strong. I’m going to go kick Langston’s ass and demand painkillers and a doctor. Then I’m going to find a way off this motherfucking island.

I consider my options: walk down the stairs or climb down the vines.

I choose vines.

It takes everything in me to climb down the wall, basically one-handed. My left shoulder is useless with the bullet lodged in it, but finally, my feet hit the ground.

I sneak around the house, keeping my head low to avoid being seen out the windows as I look for Langston.

I make it to the front of the house before I hear voices.

“I told you not to touch her,” Langston says, he has a gun pointed at Joel’s head, and Joel is kneeling in front of him.

My eyes widen. I was right, not Joel.

Amelia is standing off to the side with tears in her eyes.

“You didn’t listen. You touched her that first night when I told you not to. I told you to just scare her a bit. And what the hell was that I just walked in on?”