Red: Into the Dark Read Online Free

pointless. I feel numb as I make my way back to the forest’s edge. I feel isolated. I feel empty. Gram is gone and there’s nothing I can do to change that.
    She’s gone.
    I try not to think about the hollow look in her eyes as her body slumped forward over the table. I try not to think about the blood. I try not to think about Jeffrey.
    But I can’t, and the tears start to fall.
    Pushing them back only works for so long, but by then, I’m at the edge of the woods. There’s no looking back now. I have to go on. If he finds me, that’s it. I pray and hope he doesn’t remember the hunting cabin. I don’t think Gram ever took him to it, so luck is on my side if I play my cards right.
    I only hesitate for a moment before heading down the familiar path. One last look at the quiet town behind me, then I'm gone. I have to be. I can't be at my apartment when Jeffrey arrives or I won't stand a fighting chance. He's bigger, stronger, and smarter than me. He's more vicious. He'll do anything if it means getting what he wants, no matter what the cost.
    And no one can stop him, not even the police.
    The cabin I plan to hide out in is a two-day hike from the forest’s edge. Grams and I planned to come through the north side of the forest, making it only a half-day hike, but I don’t want to spend any more time driving than I have to. If I drive around, Jeffrey or one of his minions will find me. That’s small town life for you.
    The cabin doesn't hold any magical powers or have a hefty stash of weapons or house a savior who can rip me out of this nightmare I've been living in. No, it doesn't have any of that. It's just a quiet place where my grandmother used to take me. It's a quiet haven that Jeffrey doesn't know about. He certainly doesn’t remember it. I try to remember if he’s ever been there. I don’t think he has. Grams always liked me more, which sounds mean, but is true. Jeffrey never really wanted a relationship with her, so she spent most of her time with me.
    And oh, how we loved that cabin.
    It's a place where I can be alone and I can be safe and I can hide until I figure out what to do.
    Right now, I have no idea how I'm going to survive the next few days or even the next few weeks. I know I'll have to return to Ashborne eventually. I'll have to go back and claim my inheritance someday, but I also know that doing so means I'm going to die a painful death at the hands of my brother. Right now, I'd rather be alone in the woods than dead over some stupid money.
    The path I'm walking is rugged and bumpy. I hold the electric lantern higher in my hands, wishing I had a real flashlight, but it's late and I’m in the middle of nowhere. It's not like there's a 24 hour supercenter here. I try not to think about creatures that could be lurking in the woods. I try not to think about all the bad things that could happen to me between here and the cabin. I can't.
    I just have to get there, then everything will be okay.
    It's not long before I'm shivering in the cold and I wish that I had something heavier than my red cloak, but I don't, so I cringe and keep going. The cloak is long and thick, but it's no match for the cool air. I just need to get as far as I can before Jeffrey shows up and starts searching the woods for me. Would he go that far? Maybe he’ll think I skipped town.
    Probably.
    There’s still the chance, though. There’s still the possibility that he’ll want to cover all of his bases.
    The police will argue that I was kidnapped or hurt, but he'll know I’m alive. He always knows.
    He’ll try to convince them to name him the heir, that despite being specifically excluded from my grandmother’s will, he should get the money. I know him. It’s the first thing he’ll do. Grandmother left very specific instructions, though, and had the best legal team in Ashborne prepare the documents she left behind. When he realizes he doesn’t stand a chance without my death certificate, he’ll do everything in his