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Darting along the edge of the roof, I whip my head from side to side so that I can form some kind of escape plan once I’m on the ground.
There. An open window on street level a short distance from this building. If I can just make it there before Sebastian can reach me, I might be able to lose him.
The roof ends abruptly. Skidding to a halt, I spin around and swing myself down over the side of it. My stomach lurches as I let go of the roof and plummet towards the ground. But I learned long ago how to land properly, so I’m up and running again in a matter of seconds.
Pushing myself with everything I have, I sprint towards that open window.
And then leap through it.
A deserted living room meets me on the other side. As does a hideous orange couch that is much sturdier than it has any right to be.
Pain flares up my shoulder as I slam right into it and come to a very abrupt halt. The sofa grinds against the floor and crashes into the table on the other side, making something topple and clank on the floor.
Someone lets out a surprised yelp from somewhere upstairs.
I leap to my feet and vault across the inconvenient orange furniture before darting out of the living room and into the hallway. Whoever lives here comes pounding down the steps. But by the time they’re halfway down, I have already reached the front door. Unlocking it, I shove it open and run out onto the next street.
Air explodes from my lungs.
At first, I can’t figure out what happened.
I was running out the door but now I’m staring up at the sky, which means that I must have fallen over and landed on my back. I try to get my limbs to move, but my entire body is just spasming. I try to draw in a breath, but that doesn’t seem to work either.
Then I see the source of it.
Derek is standing right outside the still open door. His arm is outstretched and his fist closed. The bastard rammed that right into my solar plexus, using both his own strength and my speed to deliver his blow.
Fuck.
Once again, I try to get my body to obey my orders. But all it does is to just lie there, spasming from the strike to my solar plexus.
Derek flashes me a cold grin as he bends down and jabs a needle into my arm.
The world goes black.
* * *
My head pounds and pain pulses through my body when I regain consciousness. I draw in an unsteady breath and blink hard, trying to clear my vision.
“Finally,” Derek grunts from somewhere on my left.
“I told you not to give her so much of it,” Sebastian says.
“You know I had to. She was one of us. She has a base tolerance for the stuff.”
Sebastian lets out a hum in agreement.
I blink again while my surroundings slowly come into focus.
A warehouse. Metal walls. Beams in the ceiling. The windows on the ground level have been boarded shut, but the smaller ones higher up reveal red and orange light from the setting sun. I must have been out for hours.
I try to move my arms.
It makes a metallic rattling sound fill the air.
Glancing up, I find that I’m wearing handcuffs and that they’re secured to a metal hook attached to a chain in the ceiling. My toes barely touch the ground.
So that’s why my shoulders ache.
