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“Leah,” my aunt calls, poking her head around the corner. Her eyes narrow on the boys as well, and they slowly retreat, casting threatening glances my way as they sulk and walk away.
“What were they doing?” the man asks me.
I look up and shrug, not willing to cause more trouble than I’m worth. Girls that cause trouble for families that don’t want them get thrown out. That’s what all the kids keep teasing and saying. That’s what the guidance counselor told me when I was blamed for disrupting class. Like it was my fault that Tommy chopped my hair off while I rested my head on my desk. Like it was me who had provoked them by simply being different.
“It’s cowardly to run,” the man snarls. “Never run from a fight, girl. Not you. Never.”
My aunt glares at him while pushing past him. “Ignore Victor,” she tells me, her eyes softening as her gaze meets mine. “When you’re outnumbered, always run, Leah. Always. Speed is a really good gift, and you have it for a reason.”
That memory assaults me as adrenaline propels me faster and faster, and my heartbeat thuds in my ears.
“Leah!” Zee’s voice booms through the woods, and I run harder, fighting against myself and the thick of the brush that keeps slapping me as I rush through it.
I’m not sure what he’s doing to me, but it’s like my body wants to turn and run right back into his arms.
“Leah!” he roars again, this time sounding closer.
My heart slams into my chest, and my legs burn as I push my body to its limits. I practically explode out of the woods and right into the center of town where all hell is breaking loose.
Screams pierce the night air, fires are raging out of control at two houses, and people are brawling in the streets. There’s so much to take in that it’s impossible to see everything going on at once. Gunshots have me ducking, and sirens wail wildly all over the place. It’s like the apocalypse started while I was stuck in that house.
Considering all the crazy shit that has happened, I almost wonder if I stepped into an alternate universe.
“Leah!” Zee’s voice somehow cuts over the noise and madness. It reminds me I’m supposed to be running, even though for some reason he seems like a much safer option at this moment.
I duck, weave, dive, and slide through the hordes of people and chaos. Tires screech and the telltale crunch of metal crashing into metal sounds out as two cars collide. Something flies off and slams into the wall close to me, but I keep running, barely even acknowledging it.
I run down an alleyway, looking over my shoulder for Zee the entire time. Unfortunately, I never see the wall of muscle coming until I slam into it.
“Sorry,” I quickly say, trying to unglue myself from the guy’s side, but he clutches me tighter.
I jerk my head up to see two dark eyes and a menacing smile that doesn’t make me feel too good at this moment.
“Well, well, boys. It really is our night after all,” he taunts.
I look around, feeling trapped by the walls that enclose us, and helpless as he holds me tighter. I try to jerk free, but a pain explodes in my side before I can and black dims my vision.
I drop to the ground like a wet sack, and land hard on my chest.
“Why d’you have to go an’ do that, Bruce?” one of them says, but it’s all a blur as I heave for air. “Now she’s gonna cry and shit.”
My lungs are starving, my side feels like it’s crushed, and damn those blurry images are still everywhere. I
can’t tell if there are five of them or fifteen. One person keeps splitting into three then back to one.
It takes several head shakes to finally manage to see just one of something again. It’s then I realize they’re arguing, fighting over which sick fuck gets me. Only one of them is standing off to the side. The rest want something I won’t give up without a fight.
“I fucking found her!”
This is insane. All of it is insane.
I manage to stand up, still feeling some pain, but it’s manageable. Unfortunately, standing draws all of their attention to me at once. The streets are still loud and chaotic, and there’s just as much arguing out there as there was in here moments ago.
They mostly look like riffraff, and somehow this night turned into Christmas Eve for them.
“Fine. You get her first,” one says, smirking at me. “I don’t mind sloppy seconds.”
Bile rises to my throat, and I back against the wall behind me. I really should have just let Zee catch me. I don’t know what a night stalker is, but I’m sure it’s akin to a vampire. And having my blood sucked sounds much easier to handle than what’s in store for me now.
