Page 51 of Beautiful Prey

“She was so close, but luck wasn’t on her side. Funny, sometime after her escape attempt, she did get free in the end. They beat her bad enough they had to take her away. I never saw her after that, and they said she died. I was alone for a long time before I was let go and told my use was through.

“If only she could have found her way out,” he continued, “maybe she could have at least survived. After they locked her back up, she told me through the wall that she got lost and tried to hide, but she got scared when someone found her. She was so scared she could hardly speak. That was the last time we talked before they hurt her.”

My throat tightened, a small chill going up my arms, imagining what she felt.

“And I’m scared too, Evee. I fucking hate having to see you afraid. That I’m fucking helpless again.”

I leaned forward and assured him, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’m not scared of that guy.”

“It’s not just him,” he said. “It’s just the thought of him and everything else.”

The helplessness. I understood now.

“But I can’t do anything about it, especially when I’m sick in the head, can I?” he said. “So give me the meds, Eve, and let’s get this over with.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

I parked at the back of the bar in a small gravel parking lot, a little string of lights hanging around the building and on poles around the lot to see my way. I could hear music coming from the open door where a bouncer sat, beats mingling with the laughter and loud voices of people inside.

I wore jeans and a simple gray T-shirt underneath my coat, not even bothering to put on makeup. Because this wasn’t a date. This was just two schoolmates catching up. Not even friends. I hated wasting my time with this. And worse, the anxiety was turning into a dread I couldn’t shake.

Me and Emery’s conversation kept playing in my head. And I felt an awful sick feeling knowing now someone in my father’s company had done something unspeakable to his sister. What they had been doing to them was bad enough, but knowing she died from her escape attempt…it tore at me.

I should be at the warehouse not this fucking place. I should be getting into that safe.

I should have gone sooner, but the stress of trying to get Emery on his meds was hard enough. And there was also that small part of me that was afraid to know. That didn’t want it tobe true. Maybe there would be nothing in there and I would only have my assumptions to go by. But I couldn’t let it sit any longer.

I went to the door and showed the bouncer my ID. Inside, most of the crowd gathered by the bar, but there were a few hanging out in the back by a set of pool tables. Booths sat to one wall nearby, and I saw Ethan talking with a hot redhead, who was clearly a waitress. As she left to get his order, he looked around, saw me, and gave me that wicked grin before nodding toward me.

I weaved through the crowd, then took a seat opposite him, noticing he still wore his work clothes, clearly not bothering to go home and shower first. Thankfully, I saw that as a sign he didn’t see this as a date either. At least I sure hoped not.

“What are you drinking?” he asked.

I glanced over at the bar. One drink. “Vodka soda.”

He laughed. “Not a beer gal, huh?”

“Not a bar gal either.”

“Man, you haven't changed much since high school, I’m surprised.”

“Why’s that?”

“You know why. A killer fucked up what little family you had left. You don’t usually come out of that the same.”

“And how would you know that?” I asked.

“You know where I work. You think all those patients are just psycho murderers like your guy? Not a chance. One girl got raped so violently and so many times it broke her. She burned her house, along with a few others, thinking the rapist was hiding somewhere inside. Another watched his grandma and her little dog get beat to a pulp in a house robbery. His mind snapped and he thinks he’s the dog looking for granny. You might know about this if you looked into the other patients.” He leaned forward to glare at me. “But you only got your sights on one.”

I crossed my arms as I leaned back in the seat. “Why do you care so much?”

He threw up his hands. “What he did to you…”

“So what?”

The waitress returned with Ethan’s beer and grabbed my order before disappearing.

“Eve, come on,” Ethan said. “Tell me the truth…are you really there to help him? Or are you planning your revenge?”

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