I spun so fast my bag of food swung wildly against my arm, but I bolted for the mouth of the alley, my boots slapping against wet concrete. The kitten jostled against my chest as I broke free of the alley, taking a sharp turn around the corner, and slammed straight into something hard.
A solid wall of muscle knocked the breath out of me. I stumbled backward, the impact jarring through my bones. The kitten hissed in my arms, and my takeout bag went flying, hitting the ground.
Strong hands shot out, gripping my shoulders before I could fall, sturdy fingers holding me upright with bruising force. “Whoa,” someone said.
My heart nearly exploded out of my chest, adrenaline flooding my system so fast my vision tunneled. I jerked my head up and stared into the shadowed face of the man standing in front of me, blocking the exit…my escape, and I deeply wanted to get the hell out of here.
The angle of the light obscured his features, his face cast in darkness, but I could make out the general shape. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.
“Let me go,” I gasped out, trying to twist away from his grip.
But his hands only held me in place. “Hey, easy,” he said, and there was a familiarity in his voice. Something I couldn’t quite place through the panic, and I realized with horror that I was completely trapped. No one knew where I was. My phone was in my pocket, but my hands were full. The alley was behind me. I had nowhere to go. I could throw the kitten at him and hope she did some damage, but I couldn’t sacrifice her to save myself.
The man tilted his head, and the light finally caught his face. “You’re going to hurt yourself, Hales.”
Recognition slammed into my gut, stealing what little breath I had left. “Maddox,” I gasped, relief and residual fear warring in my chest. “Fuck, you scared me.”
His brows drew together, concern replacing whatever expression had been there before. His eyes scanned my face. “I’m not sure I’m the one who scared you. Your damn face is white as a ghost.”
A rush of air left my lungs, my knees going weak, and I locked them to stay upright while maintaining my hold on the kitten.
“What are you doing here out alone?” he demanded, his hands still on my shoulders. “It’s not safe. Especially not after dark.”
“Saving a life.” The words came out breathless, my voice still thin and reedy from fear.
His gaze dropped to the furball tucked against my chest, nestled in the space between my breasts where she’d burrowed. The kitten blinked up at him with wide, watery eyes. Maddox exhaled slowly through his nose. “And I’m going to save yours, Hales. Let’s go. I’m taking you home.”
I suddenly remembered I was wearing his hoodie, the one he’d given me on Raven Night.God, I hope he doesn’t notice.Why had I thrown it on? And what were the chances I’d run intohimof all people? I grabbed my fallen takeout, no longer having much of an appetite, and studied him as we walked, my eyes adjusting fully now that we were out of the alley’s oppressive darkness. “You weren’t following me, were you?”
“No,” he scoffed, his eyes partially shielded by his hat. “Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know.” I shifted the kitten, adjusting my grip so she sat more securely against me. “You just showed up out of nowhere. Right when I needed you. That’s…convenient.”
“That’s luck,” he stated flatly. “Not stalking.” He paused as his lips turned down. “Why did you need me? Did something happen?”
I shook my head. “No…I don’t know. Maybe. I thought someone was watching me back there.”
“And this is why I told you to keep your ass at home, Hales,” he grumbled.
“I was hungry.”
“DoorDash,” he replied.
I rolled my eyes.
He leaned against the side of his Jeep parked at the curb. “Are you suspicious of me?”
“Maybe,” I admitted. “I don’t know. I’m suspicious of everyone at this point, but somehow, these things only seem to happen when you’re around.”
His head tilted slightly, considering. “That might actually be an angle worth exploring.”
“How so?” I asked, caught off guard by his agreement.
“It’s possible you’re being stalked because of me.”
I snorted harshly. “Does everything revolve around you?”
“My last name is Corvo?” he said bluntly, no humor in his tone. Just a cold fact. “So, yes.” His gaze flicked toward the alley behind us. “The bigger question is…what possessed you to go in there alone?”
