Page 11 of Caught in His Sights

The panic that didn’t register when I found Caleb in my room surges through me now. Someone just tried to shoot me.

Before I can process what’s happening, Caleb crawls forward to close the curtain over the slider. More bullets rip through the fabric, hitting the couch and sending stuffing flying. My heart hammers to see the place where I had sat only seconds ago now filled with holes.

“Oliver, put your pants on!” Caleb shouts, his Alpha Command getting me to move amid the chaos when nothing else could have.

Crawling through the minefield of glass fragments, I wince as they dig into my palms and knees. I reach my jeans and pull them back toward the safety of my desk, shaking them out as best I can before pulling them on. It’s difficult to button them with my hands trembling, but I manage to do it.

I grab my laptop and the folder lying on top of it, shoving them into my computer bag, then snatch up the pic of me with my little brother, stuffing it into the back pocket.

As I do, Caleb shuts off the lights in the apartment, plunging us into darkness.

I freeze, waiting for my vision to adjust to the dim light in the room coming through the bullet-ridden curtain. Caleb moves to the window that faces in the same direction and parts the edge of the drapes far enough to peer outside.

“Come on.” Caleb beckons me over to him.

Clutching my bag to my chest, I crouch and race to his side, my pulse thundering every step of the way as I wait for more gunshots.

“What’s happening?” I whisper, trying to control the quiver in my voice.

“Stay low and stick with me.” Caleb tugs me toward the door. “We’re getting out of here.”

After the darkness of my apartment, I flinch at the bright lights in the hallway. I follow Caleb without question, glad at least one of us has a plan.

The sudden chill of the cement stairs beneath my bare feet jolts me back to my senses as Caleb leads the way down, each step echoing around us. I shiver as goose bumps rise on my naked chest and clutch the handrail with my free hand, afraid my shaking legs will fail and send me tumbling to the landing below.

Once we reach the bottom of the stairs, Caleb motions for me to stay against the wall while he peers out into the dim lobby.

My breaths come out in desperate gasps, the air too thin as I struggle to fill my lungs. A light-headed sensation sweeps through me, the adrenaline coursing through my body threatening to overwhelm my senses.

“Oliver.” Caleb turns back to me and grips my jaw, tilting my face.

His intense gaze searches my features for any sign I can’t keep going. As his pheromones wash over me, my racing pulse slows, my breathing evening out.

“Good,” he murmurs, releasing my face. “Once we leave the stairwell, we need to move fast. We’re going to go out the back entrance, through the parking lot, and into the alley to the left. My car is parked behind the next building over. Understand?”

I nod, my chest rising as I take in deep, steadying breaths of his scent.

Caleb’s eyes flicker over my exposed skin, and he frowns before shrugging out of his thin sweater, revealing a tight black undershirt and the shoulder holster that holds his gun.

“Put this on.” He passes it to me. “You’re too much of a target like that.”

I fumble with my satchel, slipping the shirt over my head with shaking hands. The fabric smells like Caleb, a mix of leather, gunpowder, and a distinctive Alpha musk that helps to settle my nerves.

“Ready?” he whispers.

I clutch my computer bag to my chest so that it won’t bounce around when we run. “Ready.”

With a final, sweeping look over me, Caleb steps out into the lobby. I follow, sticking close to Caleb, half expecting a gunman to come rushing through the front doors.

At the back entrance, Caleb motions for me to press against the wall while he peers outside, scanning for any signs of movement.

Satisfied the coast is clear, he gestures for me to stay on his heels.

As soon as my bare feet touch the cold cement of the parking lot, a sharp pain shoots through them, the rough surface abrasive under my tender soles. I bite back a whimper and focus on keeping up with Caleb’s brisk pace.

“Stay crouched,” he whispers, guiding us through the parked cars in a low run.

My heart races, the space between my shoulder blades itching with the fear of a bullet tearing into me at any moment. Still, I follow Caleb without hesitation, trusting he’ll keep me safe.

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