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A sick dread made her skin clammy. Sweat broke out on her face and neck. It poured under her arms and soaked her shirt.
What did victims do to escape situations like this?
What would Julius tell her to do?
He’d tell me to play along. Buy some time for Julius to find me.
“We didn’t date very long,” she said.
He stopped pacing to throw her a look. “No, we didn’t. You dumped me.”
“I wanted you to get the help you needed. The help you deserved.”
He squared his shoulders. “I got the help. You should have waited. You didn’t wait!”
“I’m sorry about that now.”
“I don’t want to hear your lies.”
“You said you wanted me to give you a chance. I’m here now. Tell me what you want out of this.”
He gripped his head. “Damn these voices! Shut up!”
Panic washed over her. All the sweat on her body froze, and she began to shiver. He was hearing voices. How was she supposed to react to that?
He dropped his hands and gave her a cold stare. “They’re telling me to kill you, you know.”
She gulped. Her throat was raw. “W-why?”
“Because you didn’t wait for me. You were supposed to—” He broke off and stuck a finger between the slats again. This time his whole face lit up with lights.
“The cops are outside! You screamed and the neighbor called the cops!” He slammed his palm off his face several times.
She watched impassively. Maybe he would knock himself out.
The thunder of pounding on the door echoed through the house.
“Open up! This is the police!”
“This is your fault!” Kyle bellowed at her.
“I’m here! This is Avalynn Ray! He is holding me hostage!”
The door caved in with a crash. In seconds, Kyle was on the floor and several cops stormed the room.
Her stare shifted to the door and her entire body came alive as she made out a very familiar man silhouetted in the opening.
“Julius!” Her voice gave out on the syllables, but he heard anyway.
He rushed to her. Strong arms lifted her and carried her outside.
Into the flashes of camera lenses belonging to the paparazzi.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Julius’s chest heaved. All the adrenaline had solidified in his lungs, and he couldn’t even expel the breath he’d been holding since the moment he heard Avalynn scream.
“Get out of here!” he bellowed at the reporters who’d jumped on the story and gathered outside the home Avalynn Ray was reportedly being held hostage in.
