Page 102 of Beautiful Prey

Fuck it.

I pressed my fingers into the wood of the lower shelf and pulled. The wood stuck halfway, and I had to pull hard to get it to slide all the way. I crawled inside feet first, cramming myself in just like I had before. I’d definitely grown some because instead of it just being uncomfortably cramped, it was damn near painful, and I had to curl myself up even tighter.

I tried sliding the wood door, shaking it back and forth when it got jammed.

Emery neared as he stomped across the hall. I clamped down a hiss of frustration as I slid the wood back but couldn’t get it to shut all the way, leaving a one-inch crack.

Too late to shut it all the way now. Emery came flying down the stairs, and I went still as he passed by.

He walked by a few times, calling my name. At one point, I saw a hammer in his hand as he went to the second floor, to what I suspected was the attic. Good thing I hadn’t chosen to hide in the wall after all because I heard him hammering against the wall, clearly having found the hole and opening it up more so he could see inside.

He returned and started to pace. Shouting my name.

In his voice, I heard it. The panic. But it wasn’t filled with rage like I had expected. It was laced with terror.

He was afraid.

I listened to him, my heart twisting. The pain in his voice was loud and clear. It almost made me want to come out and reveal myself to show him I was here and he didn’t have to be scared.

I forced myself not to. Even though I could hear the concern in his voice, the desperation. I refused to move.

He continued to pace, then he slowed.

“Evee, come out. Please. I know you’re here. There’s no use hiding, little rabbit.”

I tried not to breathe.

“I won’t hurt you. I’m not going to hurt you, Eve.”

I wanted to believe him. But I wondered what was really going through his head.

“I won’t…I won’t…” he said as he paced. “Don’t say her name,” he snarled.

One of the nasty bitches was trying to convince him to stick to the plan.

Everything was quiet as he went to the basement. But I expected he would return sooner or later to check again.

Still, I waited as long as I could.

I think I got an hour in before being curled up like I was became unbearable. I couldn’t move, all I could do was gaze around the dark. I started to feel awkward too like this was pointless, that eventually he was going to figure it out and find me.

And then there was the fear that had been in his voice. Whether I cared for it or not, it ate at me. The Emery I knew had slipped through again. Making me badly want to believe he meant what he said, that he really didn’t want to hurt me. He had even snapped back at his voices.

He hadn’t started a fire either which was a good sign. He was torn.

He could break away from their hold. He just needed a very good reason.

I could be that reason.

For all I knew, he had passed out downstairs, exhausted from little sleep. I could find another more comfortable place to hide.

I waited a little longer just to be sure. Listening for sounds coming from down below. I was afraid to move, but the pain was overpowering my fear. I could feel the knife jamming into my thigh, and if I were to move wrong, it might pierce the fabric and my skin.

I started to twist my body as I curled my fingers around the little sliding door. Carefully, I shimmied it apart until it slid back enough so that I could get out.

I pulled myself out, sliding free onto the dining room floor. My legs and arms ached so bad I winced as I tried to move them.

A shadow moved at the corner of my eye. When I turned my head, I thought my soul would fly out of my body. I tried to stand and bolt away as Emery came around the corner, but my legs gave out, and I fell, forced to crawl instead.

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