Page 66 of Risky Obsession

“No!” My cry ripped from my throat as Tory sprawled across the mattress.

Primal rage burned inside me. “You’re going to die, you bastard.”

He grabbed his balaclava from the floor and escaped out the door.

Tory bounced off the bed and chased after him into the hallway.

“Tory! No!” I pushed off the ground and shards of glass crunched under my bare feet as I chased after her.

A neighboring door opened, and an old man poked his head out.

“Stay back,” I yelled as I sprinted past him.

The inn creaked and groaned around us, and the wind howled outside like a demon.

Tory disappeared into the stairwell, and I cursed her stubbornness. “Tory! Wait.”

I launched onto the stairs as she reached the bottom. She glanced up at me but spun around the balustrade and sprinted toward the bar area.

I thundered down the narrow staircase, gripping the wooden banister for support as I rounded the turn at the bottom. Forcing my legs to move faster, I chased her.

A couple of chairs were toppled over, and I dodged around them, desperate to reach Tory before she reached the back exit. “Tory. Do not go out there!”

Clutching the doorframe, she peered into the darkness outside.

I sprinted to her side, and icy wind howled through the doorway, cutting through my T-shirt. I clutched her arm. “Where’d he go?” I scanned the shadows beyond the exit for signs of movement.

Tory’s eyes burned with determination as she pointed left into the dark alley. “He went that way. Come on.”

She took off, running like a gazelle.

“Fuck!” I caught up to her, and as we sprinted along the dark alley running parallel to a high stone fence, the cuts on my feet stung like a bitch.

Ahead, the man’s dark figure stopped, and he turned toward us. His face was just visible in the glow from the stars above.

“Back off.” His booming voice echoed off the stone wall.

Clutching Tory’s hand, I yanked her to stop.

“What do you want?” I yelled across the distance.

He shook his head, and his eyes dealt a deadly warning. Spinning away, he sprinted toward the stone wall, jumped up, and vaulted over it like a trained Marine.

Tory and I raced to the spot. I could jump the wall, but Tory was injured, and we were not dressed for this frigid air.

“He’s gone,” I said. “Even if we get over this fence, we won’t catch him in bare feet.”

“Damn it!” She thumped the wall with her good hand.

“You recognize him?”

Shaking her head, she shivered.

Frustration and fury knotted inside me.

“We need to get out of here.” I wrapped my arm over her shoulder, forcing her to walk away. The icy cobblestones bit into my bare feet, and I had no idea how Tory was keeping it together.

Her reluctance to return to the warmth was confusing. And the way she fought that guy was impressive.