Page 53 of The Eleventh Hour

I don’t dare take my eyes from Gideon. “Don’t hurt them,” I whisper. “For me, please.”

He lashes out and boxes to my left fly across the filthy room, causing me to jump. Light shines over at me as Rafael rushes over. He eyes the mess and smiles at me in confusion.

“Didn’t like those boxes?”

My mouth is dry, and my fingertips tingle. Dust swirls in the light, and I sneeze. Across the room, I see Gideon sitting on a stack of boxes, observing us. Dane is standing to the side, his face half in shadow, but there is something off about the way he’s holding himself. I don’t have time to analyze it or the way his eyes turn slowly to the back of the room, searching for what I’m staring at. Gideon moves like a panther in the shadows and finds himself another perch, higher up. He puts his hands between his legs and leans down. Coiled, ready to spring. One leap would have him on top of Dane.

Dangerous, he is so beautiful and so dangerous. I forget sometimes, but it’s not something I should. I have to get Dane and Rafael out of here.

“Can we leave, please?” It hurts my heart to say the words. It hurts to see Gideon stiffen. But I’ll make it up to him later. We’ll talk later. I force myself to look away and focus on Rafael. On his real, human features, so clear in the dark. I take his warm hand, the one he holds out to me. He laces his fingers through mine, gently, softly. I don’t look at Gideon again. After all, he’s not real, except in my mind.

Rafael gives me a soft, reassuring smile that eases the tension wrapping around me.

He squeezes my hand, calls Dane, and leads me out of the darkness. And I feel the glare of the hallucination I love all the way out of the room.

Jax

We are driving quietly, and I’m staring out the window, replaying that scene in my mind, trying to understand what happened, when I see something that makes my blood run cold.

“Pull over!”

Dane curses and pulls the car over. I jump out before the car has even stopped properly. I turn and sprint back down the street. Eugene’s supermarket is closed. I look up at all the signs, closed down signs. There are four of them. I try the door, find it open, and slip inside.

I work my way through the dark shop until I find the office and tap on the door.

Eugene opens it and blinks at me.

“What happened?” I almost shout.

“I just can’t. It won’t sell. I’m losing more money than I’m making. I had to close.” He’s defensive and sad. I can hear it. He almost sounds scared.

Sadness fills me. “That was quick. I thought you had more time.”

He rubs his knuckles into one eye and yawns. “So did I, but when Cherise didn’t turn up for work today, I had to make the final decision.”

My tongue is suddenly thick, and I can’t move.

“I tried to do everything myself, but it really just hit home. Empty shelves, a customer maybe an hour on a good day. People calling for payments. I can’t do it.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to head home, pack up, and get out of this town before it kills me. It’s well on its way.”

I shake my head. “Can’t believe how quickly things happen. Take care of yourself, Eugene, and thanks for being a good boss.”

He holds out his hand, and I shake it. “I never liked that doctor of yours, with him calling every day, asking about you and what you were doing. Unnatural. He’s got a weird thing for you, Jax. Be careful there.”

All the hairs on my body stand on end. “He called every day?”

“Oh, yes, with a dozen questions. Paid me for it, too. I’m sorry to say, I took the money, I needed it. Shames me now to admit it. I just…tried my best.”

“I know, and it’s okay. He would have got the information another way.”

“He even asked for the video footage, but I said we didn’t have any.”

Relief fills me, and I smile. “Thanks, Eugene.”

“Just,” he stares past me, over my shoulder, “get free of him if you can. The man is driven for a purpose, and he doesn’t care who he takes down on his way. I hesitate to say evil, but he comes pretty damn close.”

---