I held the knife out in front of me, rock steady, finally getting my footing. Chancing a quick glance at the girl, I jerked my head toward the other end of the ally, willing her to bolt.
But she shook her head.
From the corner of my eye, I caught a blur of movement, but before it’d even registered, the dude was tackling me to the ground. The knife clattered away from me.
Straddling my chest, he cocked back an arm and offered a bloody, near-toothless smile. “Time to say goodnight, witch.”
“Leave her alone!” No more than a flash in my peripheral vision, the kid leapt out from behind the Dumpster, flinging herself at our attacker.
She scratched and punched for all she was worth, eyes blazing and wild. I’d never seen anyone so fierce.
But he batted her away like she was nothing—a fly. A gnat. A piece of lint.
I gasped, heart hammering in my chest, shock radiating through my limbs. She wasn’tanyof those things. She was a fucking child in a unicorn hoodie, lost and scared and totally alone.
And he’d just thrown her to the ground. Just like that.
She didn’t stand a chance.
Still pinned in place, I couldn’t see where she’d landed.
But I’d never forget that sound.
Head hitting the pavement. The eerie silence that followed. Another ambulance screaming into the night, nowhere close enough to help.
“What did you do?” I screamed. I clawed at the man’s chest, but he was already checking out.
“No. No way. Fuck this bullshit.” He jumped up to his feet, staggered back a few steps, then bolted.
Still trying to catch my breath, I crawled over next to the girl, adrenaline chasing away my pain. Blood spread out beneath her head like a dark halo. “Hey. I’m right here. Hang in there, baby.”
She was thin as a rail, her wet jeans and threadbare hoodie hanging off her shivering frame.
“Jesus, you’re freezing.” I shucked off my leather jacket and covered her body, careful not to move her. “It’s okay. He’s gone.”
I swept the matted hair from her forehead. Her skin was clammy, her eyes glassy and unfocused, but she was still conscious. Still here, blinking up at me and the dark, cloudy sky above. “What’s your name, sweet pea?”
Blink. Blink.
“Hon, can you tell me your name?”
She sucked in a breath. Fresh tears leaked from her eyes. That had to be a good sign, right?
“Um. Yeah,” she whispered. “It’s… Breanne?”
“Breanne?”
“Sometimes Bean.”
“Bean. That’s a great nickname.” I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, my fingers coming away sticky with blood. “Hang in there, Bean. I’m going for help.”
“No! Don’t leave me here. I—” She reached for me, arms trembling, skin white as the moon. “Grape jelly. Grape—”
Grape jelly grape, she’d said. And then her eyes went wide, and I watched the spark in her go out.
Just like that.
“Bean!” I pressed my fingers beneath her jaw, then checked her wrist, desperate to find a pulse.
