Page 8 of The Forever (When the World Fell #3)

Liv

G abe shouted out for his brother to take care of Ellie while he presumably followed me, but I couldn’t wait around for him to catch up. A delay of even a few seconds might mean losing sight of Dane.

My body kept a steady rhythm as I chased him into the alley, my limbs loose after having already warmed up. I was in my element now, and I’d keep running for however long it took to end this stupid game.

With a brick building on either side of us, Dane continued straight ahead. Our footsteps were the only sound, and the pressure to match his pace left no room for fear or nerves. No time for doubt. I didn’t even think too much about the people I’d left behind, and I hoped I wouldn’t come to regret that later.

He reached the end of the alley and branched off to the left, disappearing from view for the moment it took me to reach the same spot.

My pulse kicked up as I neared the corner, and I crossed over to the other wall, leaning out to make sure I wasn’t running into an ambush. With two others from Dane’s crew unaccounted for, he could be leading me straight to them, but something had taken hold of me now, and I had to see this through.

All clear.

With a bracing breath, I launched into a run again, entering the adjoining alley that travelled along the rear of the buildings.

Roller doors lined both sides of the space, with warehouses on the left and garages belonging to residential homes on the right. At the open end of the alley, a group of the infected were headed in our direction, their moans bouncing off concrete and brick. If Dane kept running straight, dealing with the dead would give me time to catch up, and I had a feeling he didn’t want a confrontation yet.

Before I could predict his next move, he stopped halfway down the lane, clasped the top of a fence for leverage, and jumped over into the rear garden of a house.

My eyes widened, and I slowed my pace.

In one move, he’d left my sight.

I contemplated following him, but he had too many places to hide and potentially take me by surprise.

Instead, I continued running, keeping my steps light, heading straight for the cluster of dead at the mouth of the alley. I weaved between the group, dodging bodies and slapping a hand away as it tried to grab me.

“Keep going. Keep going,” I muttered.

Reaching the corner, I hung a right and immediately encountered two more of the infected. “Oh, crap .“ My heart slammed against my ribs, and I jumped back from the threat, but I didn’t have time to pause and recover.

To avoid having to draw a weapon, I sidestepped them and hurried to the next intersection, where I stopped to plan my next step.

I’d landed on a standard residential street with an extensive, modern development on the opposite side; a collection of townhouses in a U shape surrounding a neglected playground and green space.

My pulse thundered in my neck, and tension rippled through me.

Dane could already be waiting somewhere close by, ready to jump me the second I let down my guard. I wouldn’t even know about it until it was too late. Maybe the others were here, too—three against one to take advantage of me in ways I refused to think about.

“ Think . Don’t lose focus.”

Tossing up between which weapon best suited my needs, I drew my tantō and moved slowly, turning to examine every direction.

The cars parked at the curb and abandoned in the road provided endless options for cover, but instinct told me he wouldn’t lure me away from the group just to come at me on the street.

He’d want somewhere spacious where he could take his time playing out the depraved fantasies in his warped little mind.

Staring hard at my surroundings, I stood still and waited for a movement, a sound, anything to tell me he was close.

There.

My breath caught as a figure ran between the swings and slide, heading for the open area in the centre.

Long grass obscured the lower half of his legs, and each time he moved behind an overgrown bush, I waited for him to reappear on the other side. My skin heated as I kept watch, my body flooding with another dose of adrenaline.

After I’d tracked him for several seconds, Dane stopped and hid in the greenery.

His stakeout spot chosen, he remained there, still and quiet, like a lion waiting for its prey.

Red and brown leaves skittered across the road as I considered the smartest approach. The need to keep active had my legs trembling, and I was desperate to use up the energy buzzing inside me. I shaded my eyes against the sun glinting off a car window and paused, waiting to see if he’d call out to the other guys from his group.

Nothing happened.

He had to be alone.

With a split-second shoulder check, I moved forward, keeping my eyes locked on Dane’s location, my fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of my sword.

I bypassed a fallen bike and slipped between the bumpers of two vehicles. As I approached the park entrance, I slowed my breathing, thankful my muscles were prepped for action.

Dane may have had quick reflexes and physical strength on his side, but I wouldn’t let him get the better of me.

Shouting echoed from somewhere in the distance, my name echoing in the quiet, again and again. It should have bolstered my confidence knowing Gabe was on the way, but he hadn’t seen which direction I went, and he wasn’t close enough to help me.

That thought alone prompted me to make my move.

“Hey, Dane!” I called out.

His head whipped toward me, and I had the satisfaction of seeing momentary shock before his cocky persona slid into place again. “ Alison ,“ he said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “Are you here to give yourself to me? Is that why you chased me?”

The man was equal parts arrogant and delusional. All I’d give him was a fatal puncture wound and the privilege of my face being the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes for good. “Nope. Try again.”

He smiled, revealing the gap in his teeth. “That’s all right.” His hand hovered over the knife strapped to his side, and he sauntered toward me through the knee-high grass. “You don’t need to give me anything. I’m happy to take whatever I want, sweetheart.”

I shivered with disgust. He was barely a step up from the mindless, rotting bodies roaming the streets. If I could have guaranteed hitting my target, I’d yank my knife free and fling it straight at his face.

“The only thing you’ll be taking from me is a beating, sweetheart. Now, come closer so we can get started.”

He threw back his head and laughed, so confident he had the upper hand he felt comfortable taking his eyes off me.

Going with my initial impulse, I pulled the knife from my belt and flipped it one-handed into a pinch grip. With a hard, fast throw, I hit him in the thigh with a sickening thud. The blade embedded deep in his quad muscle, and I congratulated myself on a nice solid landing, even if I’d missed a vital organ.

Still in the throes of amusement, it took him a second to register what had happened. Before reality kicked in, I strode toward him with my sword, keeping my steps controlled, my breaths even. No more running. If I wanted to avoid hand-to-hand combat where he could use his strength against me, every move required thought.

Dane’s gaze dropped to his thigh. When his eyes rose to mine again, his flinty expression sent ice through my veins. “Oh, now you’re gonna get it.”

More yelling came from somewhere to my right, but I wouldn’t risk a look in that direction. Still too far away.

With a growl of pain, Dane pulled my knife from his thigh and launched it at me. As I dodged the blade and continued closing in on him, he removed one of his own knives from his belt and tossed that my way, too. The blade whizzed past my ear, but I had a feeling he was trying to distract me rather than land a hit.

He wanted to punish me before he killed me. It was all part of the fun.

“One chance left.” I smiled, feeding into his rage. If I pushed enough buttons, I might just shove him over the edge.

“Baby, that’s all I need.” Blood poured from the wound on his thigh, flooding the front of his pants. He slipped the other knife from his belt and took a couple of limping steps toward me, faking a throw that had me jumping to the side to avoid where it would have landed had he let it go.

Dammit. I couldn’t risk a single mistake.

While I regained my footing, he ignored the pain in his leg and came straight for me.

I stopped and widened my stance, holding my tantō in a two-handed grip. My eyes remained locked on him, my body wound tight in readiness.

He threw his last knife just before he reached me, and the blade glanced off the side of my abdomen. A stinging sensation followed, and when I made an involuntary step to the right, my boot hit the edge of an uneven patch of grass.

No, no, no. My stomach dropped, and I stumbled for barely a second before I steadied myself, but it was enough.

Dane was on me, diving and grabbing my waist, throwing all his weight into the move.

Cursing, I released my sword so I wouldn’t hurt myself. Twice now he’d got the better of me, and my pride was already hurting before I’d even hit the grass.

With no backpack to soften the landing this time, I let out an oof as all the breath left me. Urgency charged through me, and I sucked in a lungful of air, switching quickly to survival mode.

“Don’t touch me!” I warned, as I tried to roll out from under him.

He straddled my hips and gripped my neck in one hand, his fingers tightening enough to inspire a wave of panic. “You think you’re calling the shots?”

Neither of us held any weapons, but one punch from him could knock me unconscious, and I had to make sure he didn’t get the chance. With my eyes on his, I drove my knee upwards, jamming it between his legs as hard as I could with my limited space. I didn’t have enough room to do serious damage, but it still enraged him.

“You could have been part of something good,” he spat, wincing in pain, “the rebuilding, the repopulating—but you fucked it all up.”

“You’re insane. Pathetic. Useless.” I forced my body to relax, to tamp down the panic and enable myself to think. If I didn’t make a game-changing move soon, this could all be over.

He grabbed my neck with both hands and pressed his thumbs under my chin, forcing me to lift my head. “I’m gonna make this hurt,” he said. “You’re gonna feel every fucking second, you stupid bitch.”

He reached between our bodies for his belt, unfastening the buckle with one hand. His other hand kept hold of my neck, the pressure enough to leave bruises. While he was preoccupied with a mission that would never happen while my heart was still beating, I grabbed his hair in both fists and twisted my grip, bringing his nose down hard against my forehead.

Pain bloomed from the point of contact, and blood spurted from his nostrils, splattering my face and blurring my vision. Before he could regain control, I screamed and repeated the motion, hitting harder the second time. I could only hope I’d live long enough to feel the headache.

I yanked his face back from mine and shoved him hard, rolling to my side to throw him off me. Using my sleeve to wipe the blood from my eyes, I spat red-tinted saliva into the grass and struggled to my hands and knees.

He grabbed my ankle and dragged me toward him, roaring like a madman.

Time slowed.

Blood rushed in my ears.

Deep inside, I knew these were the seconds that determined whether I lived or died. Every decision counted. Every move.

I’d see Cruz again. This wouldn’t be the end for me—for us.

I didn’t utter a single word, instead using all my energy to kick blindly backwards and damage any part of Dane’s body I could reach. Whatever I connected with had him punching the back of my thigh in anger, and I cried out from the pain.

As I searched the grass for a knife, my panic doubled. There were three of them lying around here somewhere. I had to find one.

Cruz and Jonah took turns shouting my name above the racket Dane was making, but I had no way of knowing if they could see me in the long grass.

It didn’t matter. I could do this on my own.

My fingers closed around a handle, and my heart gave a sharp thud. Yes. Yes .

As Dane battled to get me to submit, it only fuelled my determination. I tightened my grip and channelled every shitty, deplorable thing that had ever happened to a woman at the hands of a man, letting it take control of me like a physical presence. Rage flowed through my veins and my entire body grew tight with purpose.

With one foot planted on the ground, I flipped myself over and locked eyes with him.

He’d moved to a sitting position. Blood streamed down his face and slid off his chin, staining his skin bright red. His eyes were cold, his lips pressed into a grim line. If I hadn’t been holding a weapon, the sight would have terrified me.

“I’m done playing,” he said, pulling his fist back to deliver the punch I’d been trying so hard to avoid.

Before he could connect, I drove my knife between two of his knuckles, nearly slicing his hand straight down the middle. The force pushed me backward, and my brain and body were so pumped with adrenaline; I didn’t care about his injury or the sensation of slashing a human body part.

I just wanted to survive.

If the others weren’t aware of my location before, Dane’s agonised scream had just alerted them.

Running entirely on instinct, I wrenched the blade free and threw all my weight into him, shoving him flat on his back. With my mind focused on one thing only, I gripped the knife in both hands, lifted it above my head, and used every bit of strength to plunge the blade into his chest. While frenzied breaths tore from me, the tip scraped ribs, pierced muscle, and found his heart.

His eyes met mine, and his mouth dropped open in shock or fear—maybe both. It had never occurred to him he might lose this fight.

My pulse was racing, my skin searing hot. I needed to end this for good.

Gabe arrived on the scene first, and I spared him a glance as I jerked the knife free and jammed it into Dane’s chest again.

Part of me wanted to keep going, keep stabbing until I’d unleashed all the anger still trapped inside me, but I somehow found it in me to stop.

When it was done, when the last breath had left him and his body went limp beneath me, the adrenaline that had been keeping me going left me violently shaking.

We were safe.

A relieved sob heaved from me. The women in our group would never need to worry about him again. No woman ever would.

I lifted my head to share the victory with Gabe, but when I locked eyes with him, I sucked in a breath.

There was no concern there. No congratulatory words.

He was pissed.