Free The Rules for Breaking by Ashley Elston

enough.
    throw up on his shoes. Not a lot but enough that he pushes me down to the ground and shakes the chunks off into the dead leaves.
    “If you scream, I’ll kill him,” Thomas says in a controlled voice.
    Ethan is still knocked out a few feet away. “What did you do to him?” I ask.
    The gun in my hand is useless without the bullets. I search the ground to see if I can find where they fell out of his hand.
    Thomas uses a stick to scrap off the last bit of puke from his running shoes. “Tranquilizer dart. He’ll be unconscious for a few hours.”
    He uses a hard, clipped tone that’s different from the one that reeled me in when I thought he was a federal agent. And his movements are different. Everything about him is.
    “Why are you here?”
    He snatches Ethan’s gun out of my hand and puts it in his pocket. “You involved the U.S. Marshals Service when you shouldn’t have.”
    “Me! You sent the flowers. And brought the journal back. It’s your fault they’re involved, not mine.”
    He crouches down in front of me, his face just inches from mine. “Keep your voice down.”
    My mouth snaps closed. Despite the heavy coat, a chill races through my body. I look at Ethan and watch the slow rise and fall of his chest. Thank God he’s breathing.
    “Are you…you going to…to…to kill me?” I stutter out.
    “Not if you do exactly as I say.” Thomas stalks toward Ethan and kneels beside him, while I scramble to throw myself across his body.
    “Don’t hurt him!” I scream.
    Thomas grabs my face, squeezing my cheeks until tears form in my eyes. He pushes me off Ethan and I fall back on the ground.
    Flipping Ethan over, he pulls a zip tie from his coat pocket and binds Ethan’s wrists. Tears stream down my face. My heart races and I feel clammy. My mind is churning— what do I do…what do I do …. I’ve never been so scared in all my life.
    Thomas finishes with Ethan and turns back to me. “Stand up.”
    “Not until you tell me what you’re planning to do.”
    Thomas crouches down and leans in closer until our noses are inches apart. I’m instantly more uncomfortable than I ever thought possible. The differences in him are alarming. His eyes are ice cold, and every move he makes is calculated. His gaze stays on me like he’s absorbing everything I’m thinking. It’s hard to believe he’s the same person who tried to befriend me just a few short weeks ago. I realize now just how naive I’ve been. No matter how many times I tried to convince myself that I’d rather face Thomas than run—that was a lie. This is so much worse than I ever thought it would be.
    “The very nasty people who pay me to do very nasty things were not pleased when I allowed you to live. It was the first time I did not fulfill a contract. I assured them you would not cause a problem, but you have proven me wrong.” He runs a finger down the side of my face. I try to back away from him but he grabs the front of my shirt and hauls me back in.
    I slap my hand over my mouth, praying I won’t throw up again. He doesn’t blink. Or move. His eyes bore into me and I know I’m looking at a monster. He flings me back and I land hard on the ground for a second time.
    Thomas stands quickly and whistles. Within seconds another person emerges from the woods. The light is fading and I can’t tell until he gets closer that he’s wearing a black ski mask. I can barely make out his eyes from the tiny openings. He’s wearing all black clothes and black combat boots. I can’t quit staring at him. Is he one of the suits who Agent Williams thinks is the mole—Agent X?
    He looks nervous, eyes darting back and forth between me and Thomas.
    “Pick him up,” Thomas says to the masked man.
    “No.” I stumble forward, trying to get to Ethan before the other man does. I can’t even think about what Thomas has planned for him. My fingers dig into the rough ground as I claw my way back to him. Ethan’s warm breath hits the cool night