Page 8

Maybe King went back in to…I gag through my ragged breathing…clean up the murder scene.
I pass another apartment door hiding another oblivious resident, and that’s when I realize I ran the wrong way. Not toward the front, where people are coming and going. No, I’m running away from it.
A sob wraps around my throat as tears spill down my cheeks.
I can’t turn around. I can’t chance passing Lee’s apartment again.
Ahead of me, at the end of the hall, is a thick metal door that saysexitabove it, but I don’t know where it leads. It has to be the side of the building, but I don’t remember where that is.
Just get out.
Maybe he’s not following you yet.
Needing to know, I crane my neck around to look behind me. And the sob already building in my throat turns into a scream.
Because King is right there. Already caught up to me. His blazing eyes inches from mine.
My lungs strain, and the moment they compress to release my scream, a huge palm closes over my mouth.
The contact is enough to make me finally lose my footing, even before King’s large body crashes into my back.
The impact knocks the scream out of my chest and has me flying forward.
Not wanting to see the ground coming, I squeeze my eyes shut, and stretch my arms in front of me to brace my fall.
And then I feel…a muscular arm wrap around my waist.
My eyes pop back open.
My feet dangle above the floor as the arm around my middle supports my weight.
We hardly even slow down.
The hand over my mouth is still pressing down, making it hard to breathe.
I’m not a runner. And fright mixed with sprinting is enough to put me near hyperventilation and sucking in breaths through my nose isn’t cutting it.
King jostles me, his arm loosening just a touch as he sort of bounces me, like he’s trying to boost me higher.
His arm tightens again as he grunts, “Heavy.”
This bastard.
Still terrified, his shitty comment is enough to spur me out of this frozen state.
I claw at the hand over my mouth. My filed short nails barely even scratching his skin.
“Knock that off.” He gives me a little shake. “I like ‘em heavy.”
He’s kidnapping me. Kidnapping me, probably to kill me, but it almost sounds like he’s smirking.
Andlike ‘em heavy.What does that mean? Is he going tosilence of the lambsme?
The arm surrounding me does that loosen-jostle thing again. “Legs up, Honey.”
Out of reflex, I comply, lifting my legs with my dwindling strength.
King slows for one stride, and I blink at the sight ahead of me a second before my feet depress the bar across the center of the thick metal door, releasing the lock, and letting King walk us straight outside.