His smile widens. “Sleep well, Maddie.”
Then he’s gone, the door clicking shut behind him.
I check my phone, and it’s 8:47 p.m.Only two hours and thirteen minutes to kill.
I shower and shave everything, then try on three different outfits before settling on black leggings and a sports bra under an oversized hoodie.
At 10:55 p.m., I get a text.
Unknown Number
Leave your apartment. Head to the park two blocks north. Come alone. Don’t make us come get you.
I grab my keys and phone, shoving them in my hoodie pocket. When I peek out, the hallway is empty. It means Ace, Rhodes, and Vander are either in their adjacent apartment or doing a perimeter check. I have no doubt one of them will see me leaving and follow. I only hope they keep this to themselves and don’t tell my father.
I slip out the side exit of my building and hurry to the park. It’s close, and I know the route by heart. As the entrance comes into view, the trees create shadows where anything could be hiding. I hesitate as the rational part of my brain screams at me to turn back, but the other side tells me you only live once. I have been stuck living in fear for almost a year.
Then I see them moving out of the shadows, engulfed in black clothing with their hoods pulled up. Each of their glow masks has orange X’s for eyes and a red mouth.
My instincts scream at me to move, but I’m frozen.
The night the stalker had me plays on repeat.
But this isn’t the stalker,I remind myself.
Even if it was, Vander and Ace have prepared me well. We train every other day, and I am confident I could kick someone’s ass if they ever tried to hurt me again.
The middle figure takes a step forward, and that breaks the spell.
I run.
I don’t know where, but I keep going.
Behind me, I hear multiple sets of footsteps getting closer.
I veer off the path and into the trees. A branch catches my hoodie, but I rip it free and keep moving. I dodge left, my heart hammering in my chest. This is dangerous and extremely stupid, but I’m sick of living my life in fear.
Riley assured me she would talk to Archer, and he would make sure whoever was chosen could protect me if the need arose. We may have met because she runs my brother’s and the band’s social media accounts, but she has also become one of my best friends.
A hand catches my hoodie. I wrench away, but it costs me my balance. I stumble, and before I can recover, arms wrap around me from behind.
“Got you,”a distorted voice sounds in my ear, and I’m lifted off my feet.
My elbow connects with something solid, and I hear a grunt. The arms loosen slightly, and I twist, managing to get one foot on the ground.
Then I realize the other two are there, boxing me in. I’m outnumbered.
“No,” I gasp, still struggling, my body responding to being caught. “Let me go.”
“That’s not how this works,”another distorted voice says, this one coming from my right.
The one behind me adjusts his grip, pinning my arms to my sides. I kick backward, connecting with his shin, and he curses.
“Feisty,”the third says.“Just the way I like it.”
My body trembles with a mixture of fear and arousal. Even though I know these men are not my stalker, it’s still hard to shake off the feeling of being watched.
“Are you done fighting, or do we need to tire you out first?”
