“I know you’re not an idiot, but I also know how scared you are right now. Sometimes you don’t think straight when it comes to the media and the cops.”
“Gee. I wonder why.” Dread filled my heart. “This is going to turn out just like Nashville.”
“This isnotNashville all over again. You had nothing to do with Willow’s death, and the cops will quickly realize this matches up with the serial killer. There’s no reason for them to think it’s you. Alright?”
“I had nothing to do with it then either.”
She sighed. “I know.”
Shouts exploded down the hallway. Heart pounding, I threw my legs over the side of the window and jumped out onto a rusted fire escape. The metal groaned beneath me. I grasped the handrail that flaked against my skin. Gritting my teeth, I tiptoed down the first flight of stairs while Serena vanished back into the dying party.
I made my way down the fire escape as quickly as I could, scaling the final ladder until my boots hit the ground. Following Serena’s advice, I turned the corner of the next block over. And came face to face with a line of police cars.
“Fuck,” I swore beneath my breath and ducked back into the alley. Had I gone the wrong way? Steeling myself, I peeked around the red brick again. There were the bars Serena had mentioned. I glanced back in the direction I’d come, frowning.
Twolots of police cars? That couldn’t be good.
Had the killer come here, too?
Chills swept down my bare arms. I glanced down, grateful for my boots. I might have to run, after all.
No, that was stupid. Serena was right. The killer was out here, somewhere. If he’d hit two places, there was no telling if he’d hit a third. A lone girl walking home in the middle of the night would become another likely target.
I pulled my head away from the corner and pressed my back against the rough wall. Time for a plan. One that made sense. If I wandered out from this alley, the cops would see me. Not a big deal if I didn’t have anything to hide. Would they want to question me? Would they realize I’d fled the party?
That would look really, really bad.
Maybe I would just stay here, hiding in the alley, until the cops went away.
No, that wasn’t any better. They’d search the streets for the guy, hoping they could catch him before he got away. I was a sitting duck. I couldn’t stay.
I had only two options. Walk out of here and surrender myself to the cops. They’d question me. They might even suspect me. And my name would be plastered all over the internet again. The hounding reporters. The death threats. The chaos of it all.
Or I could sneak away through the alleys and risk stumbling into the path of a killer.
I’d told Serena that I wouldn’t let fear control me, but it had controlled me for the past two years. Every decision I made. Every disappointment I encountered. Every pessimistic thought that swirled through my head. It all stemmed from my fear. I was scared that my past would never release its grip on me. It would shadow my steps for the rest of my days, no matter how far I ran.
It would always catch up to me. And it had found me yet again.
With a deep breath, I turned away from the flashing lights and the shouting cops. I wound my way through the dark, solemn alleys, fisting Az’s apartment keys in my hand. I didn’t think it would make much of a difference if someone attacked me, but it put a bounce in my step, a determination in my bones.
Az’s building was only a few blocks away. The maze of alleyways would end, and I could curl up in the safety of a Prince of Hell’s penthouse.
A gap in the buildings led to the sidewalk, one free of flashing red-and-blue lights. I picked up my pace. As I did, I heard the unmistakable clatter of footsteps behind me.
13
Ididn’t dare glance behind me. Terror shook my thighs, transforming them into jelly. All I could do was put one foot in front of each other and focus on the gap. Only a few more steps stood between me and freedom. Surely someone would be out on those sidewalks. A taxi would drive by or a couple would stumble home from a bar. There would besomeone.
And whoever followed me would not strike.
As I drew closer to the sidewalk, the trailing footsteps suddenly thundered to life. My breath caught in my throat as I finally whirled to face whoever followed me. A large figure loomed out of the darkness, clad in black from head to toe. A mask covered his face, hiding every feature except for his slate grey eyes.
I sucked in a sharp breath and stumbled back just as he reached a meaty hand toward my arm. Blood roared in my ears. With a cry of alarm, I spun on my feet and raced toward the opening.
A strong hand landed on my shoulder, dragging me back into the darkness. I dropped my chin to scream, but his other hand clamped over my mouth. My cry came out as nothing but a muffled whimper.
I thrashed against him as adrenaline surged through my veins. Serena’s whispered warnings echoed in my head like a death knell.
