Page 20 of Bleed the Shadows

“Someone’s coming,” Meathead repeated.

The Observer’s knife was still against my neck, the blood cooling on my skin.

He hesitated, a terrifying hunger in his eyes, then stepped away. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

I blinked, hardly daring to believe they were going to leave.

Mr. Skinny was already merging with the shadows, but the Observer cast one more glance back at me as they walked away.

“Until we meet again, bitch.”

I practically held my breath as he joined Mr. Skinny and Meathead, all of them becoming one with the darkness in a matter of seconds.

I didn’t have long to be relieved. The footsteps that had driven them away had gotten louder. Whoever was on their way was close now, and I struggled against the chains around my wrists, desperate to escape before one of the other teams found me.

It took about two seconds to realize my struggle was futile. There was no way out of the cuffs around my wrists without a key.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to take slow deep breaths.

Whatever came next, I needed to think.

I opened my eyes and trained my gaze in the direction of the thundering footsteps headed my way.

I had to face what was coming.

Three shadows appeared in the tunnel, opposite the direction the Scream team had gone. At first I couldn’t make out anything but the shapes of their bodies in the darkness.

Then they ran into the glow of the red light hanging from the ceiling a few feet from where I hung and I saw them clearly: three huge inked men wearing bone masks.

Monsters to some.

But to me, salvation.

16

REMY

I pulledthe keys from the pocket of my jeans and started unlocking the cuffs around Maeve’s wrists.

Bram looked at the ground in front of her feet. He was practically vibrating with rage, so pissed he couldn’t even look at her.

“Who did this?” He already had his knife out, his voice as quiet as the first rumble of thunder before a wicked storm.

There was nothing anyone could do to stop him now.

Not that I would have stopped him.

“Scream masks,” Maeve said as one of her wrists came free of the cuffs. “That way.”

She tipped her head toward the left and Bram took off at a sprint, knife in hand. He disappeared into the shadows seconds later.

I wasn’t worried that he was alone. I just hoped the blood that would run from the tunnels wouldn’t draw the police.

I unlocked the cuff around Maeve’s other wrist and pulled her into my arms without thinking. I didn’t give a fuck what had happened between her and Bram. Not right then.

All that mattered was that she was okay.

I never wanted to let her go, and I held on tight until her arms loosened around my back.