Page 76 of Beautiful Prey

His gaze sent a shudder down my body. I hardly recognized them. I didn’t even know if he was in there or if something else had taken his place.

He backed away as the elevator sank down past the second level, disappearing from the room.

“Why is he after you?” the woman asked after a moment of silence.

“It’s a long story,” I murmured. The elevator sank to the first level and I wanted to shout at it to move faster, my hand clutching the gate. “Where is the nearest exit?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Just through the kitchen,” she said, “to your left.”

The elevator touched down, and I shoved the gate aside then threw open the door. The kitchen was dark and empty, smoke wafting in the air from a low fire on the burners.

“This way,” the woman said. She grabbed my hand and together we ran past metal tables and shelves and out the back door of the kitchen.

Behind the mansion, the alleyway was lit by a single orange streetlight above, empty, save for a dumpster to one side.

“If we go around this way, we can make it to the garden,” the woman said, pointing to the right. I followed her along, looking behind me every second, waiting to see him there, somewhere in the dark.

We rounded a corner and came to the back of the garden. The woman went over to a small gate by the wall and took out a gray card, pressing it to a scanner. The gate buzzed and she pulled at the handle but it didn’t open.

“Damn finicky thing,” she whispered, wiping the card and trying again.

I thought I heard something clatter down the alley, and I flinched. I slipped by the wall and peeked around the corner.

It was still empty. An old tin sheet on its side of the dumpster had tipped over.

Rats. Just rats or something. It isn’t him, we lost him, he can’t find me, please, oh god, please, open this fucking gate.

The gate buzzed again and made a soft click. This time when she pulled, it opened.

Quickly, we slipped inside. As I went to shut the gate, I heard the crunching of feet coming around the corner.

“Go!” I hissed. “Hide!” I shut the gate and he was there. I gasped as he came up to the wrought iron fence, gripping it and pulling.

The gate rattled but didn’t open.

I whimpered as I backed away. He pulled again and when the gate didn’t move, he looked around for another way in.

“Emery,” I whispered.

I couldn’t help it. I knew he was gone but I couldn’t stop myself from calling to him. He paused and looked at me. No, he looked right through me. Then he moved again as if he hadn’t heard at all.

I followed him with my gaze as he moved like a wolf along the fence-line. “Emery, please don’t do this.”

He didn’t listen, didn’t stop. No, there was no stopping him. I needed to run.

“Hey, this way!” the lady called.

I took a few steps back, then I ran.

We rushed along the walkways and into the courtyard where they had set up tables. Then we made it to the front gates where hordes of people crowded the streets.

I lost her in the crowd as we split away. Everything was too chaotic, too overwhelming. A fire truck slowly passed with three ambulances behind, followed by two cop cars. People moved aside to let them pass, packing the sidewalks. From the mansion, the smoke billowed from one end.

I didn’t know if he started the fire to hurt everyone or just to distract them to get to me.

“Eve? Eve! There you are!”

Mr. Foley jogged over to me. “Are you alright?”

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