Page 16 of Jenna's Protector

I search the room, pull out drawers, and find a small metal letter opener. It’s not much, but maybe enough. I use the letter opener and try jimmying the lock.

Footsteps outside the door have me diving back onto the bed. I hide the letter opener under a pillow. The lock clicks and the door opens. It’s not the man who bought me, but a guard.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing. Just—waiting.”

He turns to leave, but I can’t let him go.

“Um, do you have a cigarette?”

“A cigarette?”

“It calms me.”

By some grace, he considers my request. He hesitates but then pulls out a pack from his pocket. He lights a cigarette and hands it to me.

I can’t tellCarter what happened next. He’s a cop.

But as I sit here, the memory tightens its hold on me, dragging me back to that night. I still feel the weight of the cigarette between my fingers and the tremor in my hand as I bring it to my lips.

"Thanks.”I smile seductively at the guard. "Can you stay a moment? I'm scared." He looks uncertain but sits down on the edge of the bed.

Something comes over me—madness perhaps. Somehow, the letter opener is in my hand, and I stab it into his neck. The sudden gush of blood is horrifying. His eyes widen in shock. His hands fly up to his neck, trying to stem the flow of blood, but it’s too late.

I jump off the bed, throw the letter opener aside, and run for the now—open door. The hallway is empty. I sprint down it, my bare feet slapping against the cold marble floors. The sound echoes through the corridor, seeming to amplify my desperation.

I spot a staircase leading down and take it, my legs threatening to give out with each step. At the bottom, there’s a massive wooden door.

But it’s locked.

My mind replayshow my heart pounded as I grabbed the letter opener from under the pillows… How it felt sinking into the guard’s neck.

I force the memory away, and the present rushes back in. I manage a small smile, feeling relieved that I made it through that part of the story without having to confess to a murder.

"I just did what I had to do to survive. I found a service stairway and headed down. Somehow, I made it to an exterior door. It was locked, but I broke a nearby window and climbed out.”

“I can’t even imagine what that must have been like… But you did what you had to do. You survived.” His voice softens, making me feel like a hero rather than a murderer. Not that I told him about that part.

“Sliced my hands to shreds, my feet too, but I couldn’t stop. It was pitch black, and I had no idea where I was. But I kept moving.”

Max shifts slightly, his head resting on my foot, grounding me. I pet him absently, drawing strength from his presence.

“Outside, I hid between rows of expensive cars, making my way to the edge of the property. It didn’t take long before they discovered I was gone. I ran as fast as I could, not caring where I was going, just needing to get away. I crossed the lawn and plunged into a field. The bushes scratched my skin, and my feet bled from the glass and sharp stones. I tripped several times, but I got up and just kept running.”

Carter’s grip on my hand tightens, his eyes urging me to continue.

“They sent dogs after me. I could hear their barks, their growls, the snapping of their teeth getting closer.”

Max whines softly, sensing my distress. Carter’s jaw is clenched, his anger palpable.

“I came across a road. The dogs were nearly on me. The men were a bit behind but closing in fast. A fancy car approached. It stopped. The man inside didn’t ask questions. He popped open the passenger door and told me to climb in. The moment I did, the first dogs came into sight.”

Carter’s eyes fill with a mix of horror and admiration. “And then what happened?”

“The man drove off. He didn’t press for details; he just drove. The dogs and the men chasing me disappeared in the rearview mirror. That man was Forest Summers. He took me to the Guardians. They helped me put my life back together and taught me how to hide and how to live without being discovered. That’s how I escaped. It wasn’t easy, and I was lucky. But I got out. No one can know any of this.”

“I promise,” Carter says, his voice low and fierce. “I’d never tell anyone.”