Page 3 of Byte

“Are you in the safe room?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Stay quiet, but stay on the phone with me,” he instructed and moved the phone away from his mouth. “Hey, man! Gotta run. This should cover it.”

“Can you still hear them?” he asked.

“Yes.” I could hear someone moving around the house. They were no longer trying to be quiet, and I hoped that was because they thought no one was home.

“I’m on my way,” Byte said. “It’ll be okay. I’ll be there soon.”

The sounds got progressively louder, and I knew the intruder was in my bedroom. I jumped and almost let out a scream when something thumped against one of the walls surrounding me. My heart was beating against my chest faster than it ever had before while I was trying to breathe and not breathe at the same time.

And then it felt like my heart stopped when I heard someone softly say, “Gabby girl, where are you?”

It was a man. And he said my name. At least, I thought he did.

Please don’t let him find me.

Please don’t let him find me.

Please don’t let him find me.

My internal chant was interrupted by the sound of motorcycle pipes, which did little to comfort me. There hadn’t been enough time for Byte, or any of the Blackwings, to get to me.

“Fuck!” I heard from a male voice I didn’t recognize, followed by the sound of someone running through the house.

“Hey!” another voice yelled. “Stop right there!”

Then more running.

A gunshot.

A GUNSHOT!

Footsteps pounded through the house, right into my bedroom.

Someone knocked on the secret door hiding me.

Before I could drop dead on the spot, he spoke. “Gabby, it’s Byte. Open up.”

2

BYTE

Iwasn’t prepared for her to open the door and launch herself into my arms. I wasn’t prepared for her to cling to me with such great relief and sob into the crook of my neck. I wasn’t prepared for her to beg me not to let her go. I wasn’t prepared for any of it.

I was sitting at a bar in Cedar Valley talking to a woman I had absolutely no interest in. Well, I did at first, but not after talking to her for a few minutes. As I was trying to come up with a polite way to ditch her, my phone rang.

I glanced at the screen, surprised to see Gabby’s name. “Excuse me, I have to take this,” I told the annoying woman and answered without waiting for her response. “Hey, Gab?—”

“Someone’s in my house,” she whispered harshly.

“Are you in the safe room?” I asked and waved my hand to get the bartender’s attention.

I shoved a wad of bills in his hand and turned to the woman beside me. “Gotta go. Family emergency.”

“Wait! Let me get your number,” she said to my back because I was already headed for the door. I pretended not to hear her and all but ran for my bike.

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