Page 77 of Boys Who Hunt

I take a deep breath and approach her, but the second I raise my head above the dumpster, she nearly swats off my head with a wooden stick like it’s a bat and I’m the baseball.

“Wow, wow, calm down.”

“Stay away!” She keeps swinging that thing like she’s trying to hit something. “I swear to G—”

I grab the stick mid-swing and stop her, and I take off my mask to show her it’s me. With big eyes, she ogles me. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promised you. And I will keep that promise.”

“They were torturing someone!”

I smash my hand in front of her mouth. “Shhh! Don’t let them hear you.”

She bites my palm, and I yank it back, hissing as I shake my hand.

“You’re with them,” she says. “Why are they doing this?”

“I can’t tell you. I’m sorry. But I will get you out of this.”

“Then what were you—Wait, how?” She frowns and points at me. “You all saw me.”

“No, they didn’t. They think you were some rando, which is why they sent me after you. But I’m not taking you back to them.”

“I wouldn’t let you,” she says, swinging the stick around like she’s trying to show off.

“Good.” I smile. “Now grab your bike and get out of here.”

With furrowed brows, she eyes me up and down, still holding the stick tightly like she’s afraid it’ll be her last resort.

“Quickly, before they get suspicious.”

Finally, she drops the stick, makes a beeline for her bike, and races off.

When she’s out of sight, I breathe a sigh of relief and put my mask back on. Even though I know I’ll have to face Silas’s and Heath’s wrath now. It was worth it.

Heath

Max suddenly walks backinto our alley, and I look up with furrowed brows.

He didn’t bring anyone with him.

What the…?

“I couldn’t find them.”

My teeth slam together.

Fuck.

Silas nearly crushes the guy’s heart he ripped out in his bare hand. “You let a loose end get away?”

“They had a bike, but I don’t see it anywhere. Probably hiding out somewhere.” He shrugs.

“And you just gave up?” Well, this just dampened my already darkened mood.

Silas stuffs the bloodied heart in a plastic bag and walks up to his car. “They saw us. We need to rip them to shreds.”

“But do they know us? We’re wearing masks. No way they recognized our faces,” Max replies.

Hmm. “Dude has a point,” I say.