Lips leave mine in a slow, sensual parting as I become more aware of the sticky wetness smeared over my skin and the horror sets in.
The only thing keeping the panic at bay is the fact I’m met with Shadow’s misty white eyes. He was the one kissing me.
My surroundings and awareness come slowly into focus.
What felt like hours was only a matter of minutes.
I push up from the hard, tufted leather couch in Hurley’s office. A red spray covers my body and coats the room. The scent of his blood fills my nostrils like a pile of dirty pennies. The club owner’s body is in the center of the floor, split open, ribs poking out like a destroyed piñata.
Swallowing hard, I look away. I may be a true monster now, but I’m not made of stone. My stomach roils uneasily at the sight of the murdered man.
"He almost hurt you," Shadow rasps. His shadowy tendrils work to clean my face and arms of Hurley’s blood. I can only guess that Shadow’s healing saliva brought me back to consciousness.
I take a shuddering breath and push down the sob building up in my chest. He’s right. If Shadow had remained outside, he might not have gotten to me in time.
"You’re okay," is what I say instead. I press a hand against his firm muscled chest to reassure myself.
For a blurry face with little discernible features, I still see pain and remorse register. Not for killing Hurley. For how he almost killed me.
A knock comes at the door. I snap up to a standing position, but my legs are wobbly and give out. Tentacles wrap around me, holding me up before I collapse again.
"We need to leave," Shadow says harshly.
He meansIneed to leave. He can disappear into the night any time he wants, but I’m trapped. Shadow flies across the room while his tentacles stay in place, wrapped around me to keep me steady. He lands at the open window where another breeze sweeps through and cools the still wet and tacky blood on my skin.
The knock becomes more urgent.
"Evie," Shadow says sharply.
I move my ass at that. Stepping over Hurley, I make my way to the window. I only pause when I catch sight of the safe in the corner.
"Shadow," I hiss, pointing at it.
"We need to go," he argues.
"Now," I order.
With a resigned sigh, Shadow slips one of his tendrils into a seam of the metal box before the dial begins to spin.
The door handle jangles violently but remains locked.
The safe opens with a loud creak. I grab whatever I can from the safe. Papers, money, but I leave the gun and packets of white powder. My hands are full, but I pause when I see a teddy bear. I pick it up with a shaking hand. There is a picture tacked to it of a little girl... and Hurley.
I drop the bear and turn away as my gorge heaves violently, trying to push the contents of my stomach out. Internally, I scream at myself not to leave my DNA here. Or anymore, at least.
The pounding on the door is more insistent and comes with shouts. I don’t have long.
Forcing myself to keep it together, I race to the window where Shadow helps me out on a narrow ledge.
"I won’t let you fall," he says in my ear.
The cold air feels good against my burning face. "You never do," I murmur back. We're on the third floor, but Shadow helps me navigate down.
I run up the alley, turning the corner just as shouts ring out from the open window.
The thin trail of smoke from my cigarette curls toward the open window of my apartment. My hair is still wet from my shower and I should put on some pants, but I sit here at my small, chipped table in only underwear and a tank top. Morning filters in through the window in cold, gray streaks of light.
I don’t normally smoke, but something in me is desperate to suck in something dirty. Something that hurts me, so I don’t feel the other hurt as vividly. It also kind of tastes like Shadow, which is a comfort.
