The Deep End

Epilogue

•Polina•

Adrenaline courses through my body, each exhale I release coming out in visible puffs, the night air cooler than the day as fall transitions to winter. My heart thunders against my ribs, leaves crunching under my feet as I run, the sound much louder than I'd like but I don't exactly have a choice in the matter.

I can feel them coming after me, I can't hear them over my own noise but I know they're there. The thought pushes me faster. I want to glance behind me but one wrong move and I could easily trip over a limb or fallen tree, I can barely see as it is. The only light being the pale moon that manages to peek between the thick copse of trees, the almost fully bare limbs bathe the forest floor in eerie shadows that writhe like snakes as a breeze blows through the air.

My lungs burn from overuse and I know I need a break so I take a sharp right, running until I can barely breath. I quickly slip behind a tree with a thick trunk and listen to my surroundings.

Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum.

The thundering of my heart is the only thing I can hear as I catch my breath. I manage to catch the snapping of a twig to my left, turning quickly, eyes straining to see what made the noise.

My hair is yanked from behind and I'm quickly pulled into a pair of strong arms. I throw my elbow back into his stomach, his grunt puffing against my ear as I fight him for control. He grips my arms, making my struggle that much harder, before jamming his knee into the back of mine. I manage to wriggle my hands free as I land on my knees, catching myself at the last minute.

He comes over me and I throw my head back, barely missing him as he shifts to the side, releasing a light chuckle. His knees dig into my calves and I know I'm done for when he wrangles my arms from beneath me. My face hits the ground. Dirt, grass and sticks rubbing against my skin as I wriggle beneath him.

He forces my arms behind my back, stretching them out, the movement pushing my chest forward. An ache sets up in my back at the uncomfortable position. I bare my teeth and growl, shifting my body, trying my best to knock him off but he easily overpowers me. I let out a huff in frustration as he begins binding my arms with rope, threading it into intricate knots all the way up to my elbows until he's satisfied.

A pair of expensive loafers step in front of my face and I glance up the best I can manage as he crouches down. His face is completely bathed in shadows but I don't need light to know there's a smirk on his lips.

He cups my face and hums, "Look at you, topolina. Prey caught in the clutches of two monsters." His thumb rubs my cheek repeatedly as if trying to wipe something off my skin. "And you're all dirty."

I finally release the smile I've been holding back since he told me to run. "Just the way you like me, hmm?"

The pressure on my calves leaves as Luca stands. "You made it further than last time, almost to the fence line."

The pride in his voice makes my smile even bigger. He likes when I outsmart them, especially Enzo.

We're a lot busier these days so when we manage to have a free moment we like to spend it playing with one another. Sometimes that's me running through the woods while they chase me, other times it's me edging them over and over and over again until none of us can take another second and then there's the moments spent in our basement where I can scream as loud as I want and no one will hear me. We also make time to go on dates and sometimes even have a torture session together when necessary.

Enzo rises to his full height and steps around me until he's out of sight. I hear the familiar click of his knife releasing and my entire body tenses in anticipation. It's a sound I've quickly grown used to as it comes out to play more often than not when they've got me completely at their mercy.