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Kruger
I was so focused on the bright glow of my laptop screen and the numbers filling it that the sound of my ringing phone didn’t register.
“Kruger!” Prism hollered, a bit of bite to my name.
Attention caught, I snatched the ringing cell off the mattress beside me and accepted the call to silence the noise. “Sorry, P. Thought it was on silent.”
As he was reaching for his AirPods, I lifted the phone to my ear.
“Ben?” My whole body went rigid at the urgent, strained way in which she called my name.
Yeah, that’s right. Did you think the only name I had was that of an iconic serial killer who looked like an overcooked yet somehow still raw tenderized steak who invades your dreams to gut you?
Well, it’s not. And by the way, I dress way better than that guy.
And also, it’s spelled different.
“What’s wrong?” I demanded as a swift sense of urgency punched my gut and made my heart hammer. The laptop resting on my thighs fell onto the mattress as I moved, everything I’d been doing completely forgotten.
“I think I’m in trouble.” She was whispering but also breathless.
My mind raced as I paced alongside my bed, mentally shuffling through the calendar to remember what damn day it was. Wednesday. Piano night. “Shouldn’t you be at practice?”
“They’re chasing me.” Her breath wheezed, and the unstable sound sent me running to the desk for my keys.
“Who? Where are you?” I questioned, stalking to the door and gesturing to Prism on the way. Already on alert, he was hot on my heels.
“There she is!” A voice that was not Jessica’s yelled in the background.
Her light whimper turned my blood to ice. The sound of pounding feet and her increased wheezing sent my body into full-on fight-or-flight mode.
“Jess,” I said, rushing out into the hall without looking back.
“I don’t think I can outrun them,” she whispered.
“Hide,” I gritted out, banging on Ryan and Jamie’s door on my way down the hall.
“I tried.”
The fear in her voice was so palpable I could taste it through the phone. Let me tell you I would rather eat shit before I ever tasted this again. My protective instincts were on fire, my body nearly vibrating with the urge to fight. But I couldn’t fight until I found her.
Inhaling deep, I tried to keep my voice as calm as I could, knowing my freak would only amp hers up more. “Jessica, baby.” I cajoled, hitting the unlock button on my car. “Listen to me. I’m coming. I’m coming right now. But you have to tell me where you are.”
“I-I’m not sure.”
My jaw ached from the pressure of me grinding it. “Drop me a location pin, sweetheart. Okay? Can you do that?”
“Yeah,”
“Do it now,” I said.
There was some fumbling, and my heart lurched. Keep it cool, bro. Keep it together.
“Jess?” I managed to sound rational as I wrenched open the door to my Audi so hard I felt it in my shoulder. The phone buzzed against my unsteady hand, and I yanked it down to see the notification flash onscreen before disappearing.
Jess shared her location with you…
