AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No,” I say, as I start to walk away from him. “She could be in the next alley.”
“Rhett!” he yells at the same time a cry echoes from nearby.
I start to run in the direction I heard the cry come from. It sounded like a woman. If it’s a cry for help, I sure as hell won’t ignore it.
“Fuck!” Carter shouts, and he slams the car door closed.
I turn right into an alley, but except for a couple of dumpsters, it’s empty. For a moment I doubt that I ran in the right direction.
“Rhett, this is fucking crazy,” Carter snaps when he catches up to me.
Frustrated that this entire day has been a fucking waste, I shake my head. If I could just see that Evie is okay, I’ll feel better.
Carter places his hand on my shoulder, and I know he’s trying his best to understand my insane decision to find Evie.
“I get that you want to help her, but she’s gone. For all you know she’s already on her way to another town. You tried, Rhett, but it’s time to go home.”
“Yeah, you’re –” My words are cut off by another cry, and this time it’s fucking close. I run towards the dumpsters, and only when I’ve passed the first two, do I see a flash of red hair.
I hear something being slammed into the side of the dumpster, and as I come around it, I see that it was Evie. She falls down to the ground, but immediately darts back to her feet. I’m so fucking relieved that I’ve found her, that I freeze for a second.
“This is my alley,” a homeless man roars at her.
I quickly step between them as my heart beat spikes and anger starts to simmer in my chest.
Taking hold of Evie’s hand, I keep her behind me. The last thing I want is for her to run while I face the fucking insane man.
“She’s leaving. There’s no reason for this to get ugly,” I try to reason with the guy.
“This is my alley,” he roars again, and from his bloodshot eyes it’s clear he’s either on something, or he got his hands on alcohol. Fuck, I don’t want to beat up a homeless guy but I will if he becomes a threat.
“We’re leaving,” I growl as I switch Evie’s hand to my right one. I push her to the side until Carter takes her from me.
Only when Carter starts to walk away with Evie safely at his side, do I back away entirely.
As soon as there’s a safe distance between myself and the homeless guy, he loses interest in me and sits down next to a battered box which must be his home.
I jog to catch up with Carter and Evie, and I’m surprised that she’s not fighting us. It’s only then the thought that she might’ve gotten hurt, crosses my mind.
I take hold of her arm and pull her to a stop. When I lift her face up, her skin is pale, and her eyes are big from shock.
“Are you hurt?” I ask as I glance over her body, but the baggy clothes she’s wearing just about cover every inch of her. She looks skinnier than yesterday. It’s like she’s vanishing right in front of my eyes.
A wave of protectiveness surges through me. I want to pick Evie up and carry her away from this life. Everyone deserves a chance at a good life, and there’s nothing I want more than to be that chance for her.
She shakes her head, and her chin starts to quiver. “I didn’t know that was his alley,” she whispers as a tear escapes her eye. “I was looking through the dumpsters when he caught me. I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen.”
I glance back to make sure the guy isn’t following us, but there’s no sign of him.
I place my arm around her shoulder and draw her to my side. Feeling her tremble, makes me hold her a little tighter. The top of her head barely reaches my shoulder.
“It looked like he was on something. Let’s get out of here.”
She doesn’t put up a fight until we reach the car. Pulling away from me, she glances back to make sure she’s safe from that guy before she faces us. From the fear in her eyes, I know she still sees me as a threat.
Before she can start to panic, I say, “I just want to help you. Let me drop you off at a hotel so you’ll at least be safe for the night. We can talk about everything tomorrow after you’ve eaten something and had a good night’s rest.”
Her green eyes are filled with uncertainty as she wraps her arms around her waist. I can see that she’s torn between accepting my offer and running.
