“Addison, tell me what’s going on!” Mom shouts, her anxiety amping up.
“Just find me!” I hang up before shoving my device into my pocket.
I can’t stay still.
I suck in a few gulps of air before barreling back into the trees. My resolve is to keep my head tucked to minimize the damage, but it doesn't help. My whole body feels like an aching sore as more cuts and bruises form from the odd branch or bush I run into.
The back of my neck tingles with awareness, and I peerover my shoulder before running into something—or someone—solid. I yelp as I’m knocked onto my ass. My hands catch me, and pain lances through them as they scrape across the rugged earth.
I can faintly hear someone groan as I scramble up from my spot. The gun is still clutched tightly in my hand, and relief washes over me as I right myself. Across from me, a man does the same.
He’s tall and a bit lanky. He dusts the dirt and grime from the back of his pants before noticing me. “What the hell are you doing out here?” His voice is deep, and his southern accent is a lazy drawl.
I step towards him, my eyes pleading as I brace a hand on his shoulder. “You have to save me! The man I’m traveling with—”
The only warning is a light whizzing sound getting closer before a knife slices into my savior’s temple. It lodges deep, nearly taking the blade to the dark hilt. The man sways, his eyes rolling back before he crumples to the ground like a rag doll.
My mouth gapes in shock as I stare unseeingly at the empty space he once stood in. I don’t even breathe as I slowly turn and follow the path the knife came from. When my eyes connect with Rowan’s through the tinted eyepieces of his mask, I scream. It’s blood-curdling as it rips through the night and is swallowed by the raging sky.
I don’t wait for him to advance on me as I stumble in the opposite direction. My arms pump until I finally gain my footing and bolt back through the clearing. This time, I don't stop to listen to the unsettling quiet as my feet sludge through the muddy earth.
“You’ll have to be quicker than that, Sunshine!” Rowan’s voice taunts from all around me. He sounds close, but far. I can’t tell if he’s gaining on me. All I can see is what races before me as I sail across the clearing and further into the night.
I break the treeline again as the sickening sound of a hisscomes from behind me. I trip as I skid to a stop, turning to see what destruction lies in the distance. Thick, white clouds of smoke roll through the woods, lazily eating up everything in their path.
“Fuck!” I grit as I watch the tear gas spread closer and closer. Through the smoke, Rowan emerges. He stalks with purpose, the rope slapping his thigh as he locks onto me.
Even with the darkness shrouding us, I can still see him with what little light we’re allotted from the moon steadily rising. He looks like something out of a horror movie with blood ruining his white shirt. The wound on his shoulder is nasty, but I don't have the time to be proud of the damage I caused.
I make a break for it, grabbing my phone again as I attempt to dial nine-one-one. It rings twice before a dispatcher connects.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” A cool, feminine voice asks.
I suck in a breath, shoving a mass of branches out of my way. “I’m stuck in some town close to Columbus, Ohio, and there’s a man chasing me! He’s killed two people tonight! Send help!”
I hear keys tapping before the woman speaks calmly. “Okay, hun. Thank you. Are you injured? Do you need medical assistance?”
“No,” I rasp, wincing as more brush scrapes across my shins.
Okay, maybe I will need medical attention after this.
There’s more typing. “Okay. You’re doing great. Is the attacker near you?”
“I…” My voice trails as I peer over my shoulder. “I don't know!”
“Is there anything close to you? Maybe a store or a home? Can you get anyone’s attention?”
Panic seizes me as a whimper passes my lips. “No! I’m in the woods.”
There’s a click from the other end. “Okay, hun. I have your location. I’m dispatching police and EMS now. Do you want to stay on the line with me?”
I open my mouth to answer before I clear a path and run right into two men walking side-by-side. One of them grabs my biceps to steady me, and my phone and the gun clatter to the ground at my feet.
“Whoa, whoa!” The man holding me tuts. “Where’s the fire, darlin’?”
I stare up into dark, mischievous eyes that strike a chord instantly.
The guy from the store.
