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He pushed his mask up and sank to the floor beside me. “Evie, Jesus, are you alright? Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head. “No. I mean, not yet. He keeps getting interrupted by Fall Fest kids.”
“Yeah, and there are some pretty persistent ones up there right now.”
He set to untying my arms and legs from the chair.
“Who?”
“Marcus and Cayden. They’re stalling him.”
I looked at the basement window. “I don’t think I can get out of there.”
“Don’t worry, we aren’t leaving through there. We’ll go out the front door. We outnumber him, Cinderella.”
“How did you know where I was?” I asked.
He helped me to my feet. My legs were so numb, I nearly fell. Beckett caught me immediately and pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me. His chest expanded on a large inhale.
“I just need a second, Tiny. A second for it to sink in that you’re okay.”
I nodded against his chest. I needed a moment, too. A moment to realize that I wasn’t alone anymore. Beckett had found me. He’d looked for me and found me.
I lost track of how long we stood there, pressed chest to chest. Mine was overflowing with the things I wanted to say, but it wasn’t the time. I promised myself right then that when we made it out of here, I wouldn’t waste any more time being butthurt about a stupid fight and misunderstanding. Life was too short and unpredictable.
“Let’s go. They can’t stall him forever.”
Beckett took my hand, and we went upstairs slowly. They creaked the entire way, but there was nothing we could do to avoid it.
At the top, Beckett pushed me behind him and stepped out into the dark hallway first. It was quiet, with only the soft murmur of voices coming from the front of the house. Beckett slid down his mask down. He had on a Jason costume and was carrying his hockey stick. I figured it was a cover for ringing the doorbell if there hadn’t been a window to the basement at the back. I moved behind him, and we walked toward the front door where the voices were coming from.
On the way, we had to pass through the kitchen. It was dark, except for the red light on the coffee machine, and the smell of fresh brew mixing with an overload of bleach churned my stomach. Who used that much bleach in their kitchen? Was he sterilizing something? It made me dizzy. Also, the fresh pot of coffee wasn’t lost on me. Looked like Professor Jefferies was planning a late night and needed to refuel. Raping and killing a girl in your basement was tiring work, after all.
I could see the front door after turning a bend in the hall. Two more zombie hockey players were standing outside, chatting with Jefferies, who was outlined in the doorway, appearing impatient.
“Well, if that’s all, I’ll let you boys get going,” he ground out and stepped back, trying to close the door.
Cayden’s foot shot out and blocked it from closing.
“Sure thing, Professor. We’ll just take our friends with us, then we’ll go,” he said.
Jefferies looked around, mystified. “What friends?”
“Us,” Beckett growled.
Jefferies spun around and took us in. Time seemed to slow for a moment, as Jefferies realised he’d bee caught. Suddenly, he sprang forward, evading Marcus as he tried to reach for him. He sprinted toward us, his eyes focused on a doorway halfway along the hall. Was he going to get away from us?
Beckett moved to intercept him. Jefferies waited until Beckett was within reaching distance, before angling away from the door and falling into the defensemen, driving him back against the wall. They came to a stop.
“Be careful! He has a knife!” I screamed, pure terror filling my mind.
The hall was filled with the sounds of harsh breathing. Beckett glared down, staring Jefferies in the eye. The two were locked there, unmoving.
My eyes followed the line of Jefferies’ arm. One was braced on the wall, but how was he keeping Beckett there? I knew firsthand how incredibly strong he was.
Then I saw it. Red liquid dripping onto the floor. Jefferies had stabbed Beckett with that knife from his belt. He had that blade buried somewhere in the man I loved.
I didn’t think. I just acted.
