Bury Me with Lies (Twin Lies #2) - S.M. Soto Page 0,3

suddenly want to erase it. What, you came back from Italy, and now you think you’re hot shit? Better than the rest of us?”

Tears of frustration spring to my eyes at his callousness. My hands ball into fists, and my nails dig into my palms, tearing open my skin. He has no idea. No fucking clue what he’s done or just how much he’s ruined my life.

“You raped me!” I yell, tears glimmering in my eyes. All traces of humor on their faces are gone. The woods suddenly grow silent. The sound of the wind whispering through the trees completely dies down as if Mother Nature herself understands the gravity of this moment. My body shakes violently as I take a step toward Vincent. Leaves and stray twigs crunch beneath the soles of my shoes. “You raped me, and hurt me, and recorded it for your sick viewing pleasure.”

They both grow deathly still. The silence around us all is almost unbearable.

His lips thin into a grim line. A darkness I’ve unwillingly encountered before enters his eyes. “That’s not what happened that night, and you know it. We were fucking drunk.”

“And I begged you to stop!” I yell, my voice bouncing off the redwoods surrounding us. I risk a glance at Zach and find the color drained from his face. The shock is ever-present and lasts a good ten seconds before he seems to gather himself and clears the emotion off his expression. His gaze darts toward Vincent who, in turn, looks murderous as he stares down at me.

I’ve made him look like shit in front of his friend. I’ve exposed him for the monster he truly is, and now, he’s going to make me pay for it.

“You should really learn when to keep your mouth shut, Wright,” Vince growls, taking a threatening step toward me. My heart bangs against my rib cage, and I swallow the sudden lump of fear in my throat.

I’ve never feared much in my life. But here, right this second, I’ve never been more scared. They say you know when you’re going to die. It’s a bone-chilling experience few people can feel coming. It’s one I feel with my entire being as Vincent and Zach close in on me.

“Kenzie, you gotta get up. You can’t stay here.”

The voice penetrates my dark thoughts, but I can’t seem to move. I can’t do anything at all. Fear claws at my chest, and I can feel the dampness of my tears trailing down my cheeks, but I can’t stop them. I can’t seem to do anything at all.

My body is immobile. It feels like I’ve been strapped to a table, and knives are being stabbed into my flesh repeatedly.

“You’re going to die here if you don’t move, Mack. Get up and move. Please.” I hear Madison. Her pleading voice is distant, so far away, and I can’t help but wonder where we are. I feel like I’m in such a dream-like state, and I don’t want to wake up. There’s a dull throb at the base of my skull, and the darkness that’s ebbing and flowing around me is calling to me. It’s telling me to touch it, to fall back and let it hold and caress me. With each step closer I get to that comfort, I hear Madison’s voice more urgently, begging me to listen and follow the sound of her voice. So, I do. And with each step closer, I feel it. The pain. It’s all-consuming, traveling through my body, sending every nerve screaming with agony. The stabbing of knives in my flesh gets worse, the blade is struck deeper each time, the tormenting ache that much stronger.

I don’t want the pain. I want the bliss the darkness has to offer.

“That’s it, Mackenzie. Just follow my voice. I can help you, but you have to listen to me. Please.”

Fighting past the extreme discomfort, I peel my eyes open and suck in a ragged breath of air. The smell of copper and the metallic tang of blood are what hit me first. My vision is distorted as I look around, slowly blinking the edges of darkness away, but I get the gist. I’m still trapped in the car, and when I glance down, my stomach revolts. I choke on a sob, as I realize I’m bleeding. It’s everywhere. The blood stains my clothes and the material of the driver’s seat.

I’m bleeding to death.

“Take my hand.” I jolt at the sound of the voice and cry out in