If I locked the door, they could break it down. If I ran into the corridor, where would I hide? Was I safest in here?
The sturdiest goddamn thing in the room appeared to be the lamp I’d used to beat that bastard to death.
Could I do that again to protect myself? Would I have a choice in the matter?
If I stayed here, strategically, they had?—
“Stop it, Kitty. Make a decision!”
I inhaled, exhaled, then staggered over to the door and locked it as gently as I could, but the sound from the lock tumbling had me cringing and freezing as I listened out for footsteps.
When the coast seemed clear, I dropped to my knees by my attacker and sought his phone.
It was tucked in his pocket, covered in his blood, and I retched but wiped it on my once-pretty dress, avoiding looking at the viscera that now soaked my beloved espadrilles.
I released a sob, only to suck it up and suck it in.
As I was still sniffling, it took me too long to realize thatthiswas my phone.
He’d used my fucking phone!
I found our text thread, saw the pictures Mr. Cavity had sent him of me—God, I felt worse than I looked—and shared my live location. When the gray ticks turned blue, I nearly wept.
He was there. On the end of the messages. Waiting.
Safety.
Me: Stan, I killed him
Me: Please, help me
Me: Please
Me: I need you
Trembling when I saw the waving three dots, I hit the camera and took a photo that I sent to him of the corpse.
Stan: KITTY
Stan: I’m coming, liunissa
Stan: You’ve done so fucking well.
Stan: I’m so proud of you
The tears that fell from me were useless, but I couldn’t stop them from finally pouring free. I didn’t swipe at them, even though I now could, just let them flow unchecked.
Me: Please come
Me: Please
*Stan sends his location*
I stared at how close he was to the blue dot that showed my own location and I sagged.
Stan: Nearly there
Stan: I will always find you
