Page 92 of Crave

Silas' warning rang inside my head. Pain flared across my chest as I stared along the packed city street and tried to think. I needed to get out of here…and now.

I spun around and started walking, keeping my head down, avoiding any contact I could and searched for anything that was familiar. I knew this city, knew these people. Some of them at least. Daughters and sons of mom’s friends, connected by wealth and social circles. They were creatures of habit, frequenting the same bars at the same time, ordering the same drinks and talking about the same boring events they always did.

I needed that now more than ever.

I pushed harder, searching the streets as the headlights of oncoming cars blurred and the ambient lights of bars I passed shone brighter. By the time my chest burned I caught sight of the Admiral, an old English style bar that Penn and his friends frequented.

My steps slowed as I scanned the Bentley’s parked out front, the drivers waiting to take their pampered playboys any place they wanted to go. None were Penn’s…nor were they anyone I knew. I stopped at the automatic doors, catching my breath at the rush of warm air as it hit me. Do I go in? Was there someone who could protect me?

I scanned the faces passing me, then slowly stepped inside.

Heads turned as I made my way toward the bar. I glanced around, finding nothing but cold, calculated stares and contempt.

“Can I help you, Miss?”

I jerked my gaze to a waiter beside the bar. He took one look at me and forced a smile. I knew that smile. It said this wasn’t the place for me. I shook my head. “No, thank you,” and walked back outside.

Cold night air was a slap in the face. I kept walking, heading to one of the bars we always stayed at.

Beep.

I lifted my phone.

Silas: You make it too easy for me, little sister.

I spun around, searching the cars…but he wouldn’t have his car would he? No, Silas would be on his bike.

Single headlights became beacons of terror. I could almost hear the bike engine revving like a predator scenting its prey and my pulse raced in time with the sound.

The wind whipped my hair across my face, lashing my eyes until they watered.Run…NOW.

I lunged, driving myself forward. I didn’t search for bars now. There was nowhere he wouldn’t find me. No where I could disappear.

That’s it, Angel. You’ll do exactly what you’ve been taught to do, won’t you? WON’T YOU?

That monster’s voice echoed, relentless and cruel as I ran. My breaths came in short, ragged gasps, my chest burning with the effort. Panic clouded my vision, and I stumbled down side streets, unsure of where I was going, only knowing I had to keep moving.

The night around me was oppressive—shadows stretched across brick walls, the only sound the frantic rhythm of my own footsteps. But I knew better. I wasn’t alone.

The low growl of a motorbike’s engine cut through the air. It wasn’t close, not yet, but it was getting louder. My stomach twisted into a knot of pure terror. I knew the sound of that motorbike’s engine anywhere. I should…I heard it in my dreams.

I glanced over my shoulder, my vision blurring with tears. The headlights hadn’t turned the corner yet, but the sound was unmistakable.He’s Here. He’s here.

I forced myself to move faster, ignoring the burn in my thighs and the stabbing pain in my side. Turning hard around a building, I barely registered the shape of a figure before I slammed into him—a wall of muscle and authority.

“What the fuck?”

The impact was so brutal my teeth gnashed together. My head spun as I stumbled backward, legs buckling beneath me. Stronghands caught me before I hit the ground, dragging me upright with a force that left me gasping.

“Why don’t you look at where the fuck you’re going?”

The voice was sharp, cutting, filled with irritation. But it wasn’t his voice. I looked up, blinking through the haze of fear, and saw a man towering over me. A cop. His uniform gleamed in the dim light, his features carved with fury.

Relief hit me like a tidal wave, crashing over every cell in my body. I didn’t think—I couldn’t think. “Thank God,” I choked, the words barely audible as I lunged forward.

I threw my arms around him, clinging like he was the only thing tethering me to the earthy. My entire body trembled as the adrenaline began to fade, leaving only the raw, overwhelming sense of survival behind.

“Hey, hey—” His voice softened, though his hands came up stiffly to pull me off him. Dark, piercing eyes locked onto mine, his expression caught somewhere between irritation and confusion. His gaze flicked down, taking in the dirt smeared on my arms, the wild look in my eyes and the ragged rise and fall of my chest.