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Skidding to a halt, I searched the sidewalks leading from the club, but they looked completely abandoned as every couple of feet a nightlight sprayed down on the wet walkways.
Panic embraced me. Where had he gone? I couldn’t lose him now, not when he’d been so close. I didn’t even pause to think what I’d say or do if I did catch him; I just knew I had to. Except the place was empty. Not even a car drove by on the street.
I turned in a slow circle, the desperation in me clawing at my throat, stinging my eyes.
/> Where had he gone?
And then I felt it.
A stare. It started out tingling the back of my neck until it rocked through my entire nervous system. I could do nothing but feel him watching me. Spotting a dark, deeply shadowed overhang near the edge of the building, I stopped and squinted, but all I could see was black.
I knew he was there though, hiding from me, probably pressing his back to the wall and holding his breath, hoping I didn’t find him. Except I had no idea why he’d hide from me...why he hadn’t told me who he was.
I stepped forward and then hesitated. What was I doing, heading toward dark creepy shadows in the middle of the night on a quiet street? Any ominous person could be lurking in there, waiting for me to get close enough to snatch. But then I moved toward it again anyway, unable to stay away.
“Knox?” I said on an unsteady breath just as the door to the bar came open and Noel and Aspen stumbled out, followed by Ten and Asher.
“Felicity?” Noel led his wife my way. “What’re you doing out here? The guys said you had an unpleasant visitor. You okay?”
I glanced one last time to the black shadow before turning back to the group. “Yeah,” I managed to say. “I’m fine.” Though I wasn’t at all. I was shaken to the core.
“Are you sure?” Aspen asked.
With a roll of my eyes, I forced a smile. “Of course. What about you, sicko?”
“Ugh.” She leaned her head against Noel’s chest and muttered, “I’m better, but still queasy.”
“Come on,” Noel urged, tipping his chin up to get me to follow them. “Let’s get her home.”
“Yeah, okay.” But I couldn’t turn fully away from the shadow quite yet. As the other four wandered off, across the street, I turned back to it.
If he didn’t want to talk to me, fine, but I definitely had a message for him. “I don’t understand,” I said. Then I hurried after the others.
Asher looped an arm around my shoulder, tugging me against his side when I caught up to them.
“You look cold,” he said.
I was. I felt cold all the way to my bones. When I shivered, he hugged me closer with one arm. “Did you find Parker?” he asked into my ear.
I shook my head.
“Gonna tell me why you chased after him?”
Another fierce head shake.
He sighed, but said, “All right,” and let it drop. “As long as you’re okay.”
“I am,” I lied.
Inside, I fell apart, not sure what was going on or what I was going to do about it.
“This is crazy,” City hissed through the darkened theater.
I just grinned as I popped a handful of popcorn into my mouth. “What? I’m having fun.” Without looking at her, I swung the popcorn tub her way, silently offering her some.
“Thanks.” She looked around the empty aisles as she dug her hand in. Then she leaned toward me and whispered, “We’re going to get caught.”
I leaned toward her as well, because I liked how good she smelled tonight. She’d put on some extra perfume that was driving me crazy. I swear it smelled like one of the wildflowers that grew in the woods, except better because this was layered on top of her natural scent.
