Page 129 of Beautiful Prey

I turned around, ready to return to the boathouse, and found myself face-to-face with a man.

Not Emery.

“L-Liam,” I breathed.

He put a finger to his lips to warn me not to make a sound. In his other hand was a gun. He wore all black, which contrasted with his bright slicked-back hair.

He grabbed my hand and started to drag me across the yard toward the woods.

I tried to tug my hand away. “Liam, stop!” I snapped.

He turned to me, confused, then leaned in, his hand gripping my arm tight. “It’s okay. I got you now,” he whispered. “Don’t be scared, he can’t get you, I know where he is and if he comes after us, I’ll shoot him down. But we have to go now, Eve, okay?”

I shook my head. “No, no, I can’t!”

“SWAT is coming through the front. They’ll mow down anything that moves. I barely had time to head them off.” He pulled me again toward the forest.

I wanted to call out to Emery but knew I put his life at risk if I did. And if the cops were really coming…it would be very bad.

I looked back at the boathouse in panic but Emery didn’t come out.

Liam tugged at me again and this time I let myself be taken into the woods.

Please, Emery, just leave.Take the boat and go!

If he left before they came, he might have a chance to get away. He could hide for however long he needed to, then he could find me again when he was ready.

Liam took me down the narrow path through the woods. Passed the firepit and on toward the edge of the property.

My heart was jackhammering out of my chest, wondering where the hell Liam was taking me. By now, Emery had to wonder why I had been gone so long. He’d see I was missing and freak the fuck out. He’d search for me, I knew he would. Even when I didn’t want him to because it meant not leaving and I believed Liam when he said he hadn’t come alone.

We made it to the creek that served as the line between the family property and the neighbors. He took me over a shallow section, keeping me running with him even though I could barely keep up and stumbled more than once as I had no shoes.

“Liam, wait,” I tried to talk, breathless. “Liam—”

Through the hiss of the rain, there came a thunderous, ground-shaking bang that made us both jump. Not the soundof thunder but more like a bomb going off. Liam stopped in his tracks, looking back toward the house.

Blood drained from my face. Oh god, Emery’s trap at the gate. It had gone off.

“Fuck,” Liam cursed sharply, then pulled me onward. “We're almost there.”

We slipped through the last bit of woods. When we broke out into the yard, Liam turned us toward the back.

Down a small incline, I saw the neighbor’s dock that stretched out far into the river. At the very end was a boat tied to the left side.

He slowed as we crossed, making sure I didn’t slip. As the boat got closer and closer, the more my feet seemed to drag under me, not wanting to move.

We were only a few feet away when I saw something whoosh past and heard Liam suddenly cry out in pain, letting me go. He hunched over, cursing, and I saw blood run down his arm, dripping onto the dock. As he twisted around, I saw the knife dug deep in his back shoulder.

Too shocked to move, I turned my eyes back along the dock toward the shore where Emery stood. His head was bent, his shoulders hunched, his chest rising and falling like he had been running.

Even from this distance, I could see the fury burning in his eyes. And it made me shudder.

I took a step toward him, and Liam caught my arm in a vice grip. Emery moved across the dock toward us. As he got closer, Liam forced me behind him and brought up his gun.

“No!” I cried out.

Liam aimed but didn’t pull the trigger. “Stay the fuck where you are, Emery.”

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