AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’ll definitely keep my eyes on Sierra.
There’s a break in activity, and Ava returns to her dressing room to change.
Once Ava reemerges, the photographer asks me to assist in moving the location of the prop fridge. “You look like a strong guy. It would be much faster if you moved it versus Harrison and I, who caught hell trying to set this up earlier.”
“No problem,” I say. After moving around set pieces, the photographs continue, and I get out of their way. I notice Ava’s dressing room door is still ajar. Sierra is standing by the monitors next to the photographer’s assistant.
The only other people present have all been standing in front of me for the past several minutes. And I saw Ava close the dressing room door.
As I move closer, I see a taller man than the one I saw earlier wearing a City Eats vest.
“Hey!” I shout.
The man pulls a dark hood over his head and begins running down the emergency stairs.
All activity ceases, and everyone turns to look at me.
I run after the delivery man and call back, “Ava, stay inside. Do not move until I come back to get you.”
I’m basically sprinting down six flights of stairs, but I don’t feel it. The adrenaline keeps my body going as I watch the man making his way down the steps.
He tosses the vest onto the steps behind him, nearly tripping me as we reach the final stairwell. I step over a man lying unconscious and realize it’s the actual delivery man who I saw earlier. Whoever this guy is, he must’ve knocked him out and taken his vest.
With no time to help the unconscious man, I keep running out the emergency door, hoping to catch the stalker.
CHAPTER 8
Brandon
I burst through the emergency exit doors before the perp gets away. Whoever this is, he’s sprightly and weaving expertly between the walkers on the street.
I lose him around the corner as a slower walker gets in my way. As I continue running down the block, I stop short at a figure in a dark jacket.
“You fucking bastard—” I exclaim, grabbing their shoulders.
The dark hood slips off of their head, and I realize it’s not the man at all. An extremely confused woman turns around and glares at me.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she shouts.
“Sorry, sorry,” I say.
That was definitely not who I was chasing. Whoever is behind all these attacks on Ava is no amateur. I’d venture to guess they’re a career criminal and have probably done this many times.
I make my way back to the Hudson studios and let the desk attendant know the real delivery man has passed out in the stairwell.
“I’ll wait with him until the paramedics get here,” the attendant says.
I don’t wait around for the paramedics to arrive. I need to go back upstairs and make sure Ava is okay.
As soon as the elevator doors open to the sixth floor, relief fills me at the sight of Ava. She looks distressed as she runs toward me.
“Did you catch them?” she asks, her eyes filled with unshed tears. Ava’s distress momentarily makes her forget she’s been giving me the silent treatment.
I hate it under these circumstances, but it feels good to have her attention back on me.
“No,” I say. I’m failing her, and the feeling is a dagger to my chest. I’ve always prided myself on being unflappable, but this time spent around Ava has been a…distraction, to say the least.
How could I have missed the man slipping in through the stairwell and heading into Ava’s dressing room?
