Page 32 of Hunt for You

There was a sickeningly dark,“Hey there,”from beside me in the hallway that made me suck in and step sideways, twisting to evade hands I couldn’t really see.

As they closed on my elbow, I whipped that arm in a circle to break the grip, grabbing the thick forearm and yanking the dude closer as I swung my leg high enough to take him in the temple—I hoped.

But even though I’d moved like a snake, my leg was only halfway up when a different shadow appeared from nowhere, grabbed me at the waist and flung me sideways.

I stumbled, getting my hands up only just in time to protect me from slamming face-first into the wall, still banging my nose hard enough to see stars for a second, blinking to clear my now watery eyes—then whirling to put my back to the wall and use it for leverage.

But then I froze.

The two shadows had melded and were grunting, moving. I couldn’t see enough to know who was winning—or who I wanted to win—but I registered thattwomen had come for me and that was my cue to get the fuck out of here.

I pushed off the wall, the sole of those flimsy heels slipping on the cement floor as I tried to run, but ended up pitching back instead as my foot slid out from under me.

There was a strangled, choking sound, then the thud of a heavy body hitting the floor to my right.

Shit.

I got my feet under me and ran, but I was too late.

One thick arm curled around my middle, while a calloused hand clapped over my mouth, and I was pinned against that wall again.

My pulse pounded in my ear as I tried to scream and clawed at the hand, but then a stubbled jaw scraped against my ear and a rasping, deep voice spat,“Run.”

A voice that I recognized.

I was flung sideways again, but this time towards the bar, and one hand stayed at my back, making sure I kept my feet.

“Fuckingrun,Bridget,” he growled.

Adrenaline slammed through my system. I didn’t think. Didn’t look. Just took off like a rabbit with a wolf on her tail, straight through the bar, ignoring Kash’s shout as I grabbedthe end of the bar for leverage to take the corner faster, then sprinted down the other hallway to the staff entrance.

I hit the bar on that door with my full weight, throwing it open and running out—almost flying off the steps, then turning my ankle a little when I hit the uneven cement at the bottom.

But one look over my shoulder showed an empty, well-lit hallway and no shadow pursuing.

I dug into my little purse for my keys, hitting the unlock button while I was still running and almost pitched right over my toes and left skin on the cement when I looked over my shoulder again.

Nothing.

I caught my balance, ran into the driver’s door hard enough that the bang echoed in the alley, then threw the door open and jumped inside, plunging the key into the ignition. The car roared to life and I peeled out, the engine whining as I reversed way too fast for the narrow space. But I slammed on the brakes before my back bumper kissed the building on the other side of the alley, cranked the wheel, and tore out of there and into the street, ignoring the red light one block down and pushing through and away until I saw the signs for the highway and the only sound other than the grinding engine, was my breathing, heavy, wheezing inside the car.

11. Bedtime Story

~ BRIDGET ~

I kept looking in my mirrors and over my shoulder, but I never saw anything—or anyone—following me. But how could I know if the car lights behind me were the same car, or five different ones?

I couldn’t, so I kept speeding and pushing through lights all the way to the highway, and then all the way home, changing lanes several times to see if any headlights followed me.

My body was humming—that panic replaced by an electric rush. But the longer I drove with no sign of anyone following, the more I began to calm… and decompress. Which made me angry. Iwantedthe exhilaration. That was the whole point!

Then, as the adrenaline wore off and left me shaky, but calm, the self-doubt crowded in.

Had it been Cain or not? It had sounded like his growl. But there’d been none of that wonderful scent. And if he was chasing me, he would have pursued me out to the car. Wouldn’t he? Wasn’t that the point of the hunt?

My head spun with questions, none of which had answers.

When I took the exit to my suburb and no cars followed me, my heart took its last thump, then puttered along at a far-too-normal rate while I drove through the sleepy streets until I was almost at my place.