MINE

Chapter 30

Cole's words chilled my body.

"Where do you want me to start?"

Where? I don't know. From the beginning? Did we have that much time? As soon as the sun comes up I'm outta here.

"Why was I taken?" I could barely get the question to leave my mouth.

"You weren't chosen. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Zac likes to pick the ones who look like trouble."

"Why?"

"He likes it when he can break them. Why do you think he hates you so much? He couldn't do it. You wouldn't break."

"oh." I sighed.

"We usually don't plan out who we take."

I swallowed. I couldn't believe we were having this conversation.

"Who are you?" I blurted out.

"What'd you mean?"

"You seemed quiet when I first saw you. Then angry. Then sad. Then bruting. Then you were just like Zac. Evil. Now you're what.. the good guy?!" I had to stop before I blew up at him.

He looked down.

"I was Zac. The leader. I gave it up and let Zac take over. I'm the son of the guy who started it all."

Cole's POV

I could see the shock on her face when I told her this.

What exactly shocked her?

"My dad had a thing for taking girls. When he figured out how to do it..." I had to take a breath.

This conversation felt wrong. I shouldn't be telling her this. Something made me keep going. It was time to get it off my chest. Out of my mind. It felt wrong, but easy.

"When he figured out how to do it he moved to such a small city that it was mainly woods and lakes. That's where we are now. He says that he bought a cabin and from there he had a place to keep the girls he took."

"And then?" Emily asked. I looked up to her face. Her eyes seemed to want more. She was interested. Why?

"And then....he took this one girl who he loved. Don't know how. Or why. I just know that she was different. I think she was like you. Unbreakable. He either fell in love with her - or with trying to break her."

"And that women...is your mother?"

"Was." I gulped. She was my mother.

"What happened to her?" Emily leaned forward a bit.

"She got away. Kinda like you did. She tried to take me with her. It obviously didn't work out." I continued to look down.

My heart slowed the more we talked. It became easier. She was not judging me. Did she see past the demons that circled me?

Emily's POV

Cole wouldn't look up.

It was interesting. The way he talked. It's almost as if he was human. He had a mother and father. He never had a shot at being normal. Did he want that? To have a normal life?

"Zac..told me about a girl-" Cole looked up and cut me off.

"Faith?" He questioned, completing my sentence.

I nodded.

"I thought she was you - or just like you. Another version of you. Of my mom."

"I don't understand." I crunched my eyebrows together.