Page 23 of Claim Me

Whatever Charlie had said to her before he’d died had sent a wave of terror through her.

There was no time to waste.

I took off running.

CHAPTER 7

Marissa

“Don’t trust anyone,”my brother had repeated, barely able to speak, signing awkwardly. As soon as he’d made the gesture, he’d died.

My brother had died.

Oh, God. No. No!

I was still in some state of suspended animation even as I flew down the stairs. I had no idea where I was going or what I would do, but I knew one thing.

Escaping Kazimir was my main objective.

As soon as the heavy door shut automatically, I heard it being flung open again. The hard slam as it was tossed against the wall jarred me. With electric current jolting my entire system, there was no doubt Kazimir was racing after me.

My pulse raced, my heart thudding in my chest as I gripped the metal railing, lunging around the corner and almost tumblingdown the stairs. A sharp, involuntary yelp flew from my lips as I righted myself, casting a single gaze up the steps.

His footsteps were heavy, the solid boom echoing in the stairwell. The bastard was gaining on me.

Jesus. He was fast. I’d hoped to pull my phone from my purse to call for help, but there wasn’t time. He was right on my heels.

Pushing myself, I debated rushing onto a floor. Maybe disappearing into the bowels of the hospital was the only away to avoid capture. I stopped long enough to try to open a door. It was locked or stuck.

Really?

Panic driven, I continued bolting down the stairs, realizing I only had two floors to go before I made it to the bottom floor. Then with any luck, I’d run into a police officer telling him or her a monster was chasing me.

I could swear I heard him growl as he moved closer. When I threw another look over my shoulder, I caught sight of him.

Another wave of terror rushed through me and when I took a step, I misjudged the edge, pitching forward.

The break in momentum was enough he was suddenly right behind me, grabbing my arm and jerking me around and against his body.

He was panting as I was, his entire face pinched from fury.

“What are you doing? It’s dangerous.”

“Getting away from you!” I punched him smack in the face while I pushed him hard with the other. His surprise loosened his hold and I managed to lunge forward, making it two steps.

But he was too fast and too strong for me. He wrapped his arm around my waist, lifting me off my feet. With a single brutal pitch, he tossed me over the railing. My breath was ripped away by the force he used. My body rocked from the momentum. The purse flew from my hand, tumbling down the stairs and slamming into the wall.

“No!” My cry reverberated in the space and I prayed to God someone would help me.

“You can’t do that. You don’t understand.”

“No,” I hissed as I kicked out, my foot hitting him square in the groin. Either he was wearing a metal protective cup, or he didn’t have any feelings. I suspected the latter.

“You need to calm down.”

“Like hell, I will. You killed my brother.”

Kazimir seemed momentarily shocked, but that did nothing more than to stop his horrible actions for a split second. Growling, he ripped up my dress, exposing my thong.