Page 47 of Deadly Vows

I hesitate as I take a tentative step toward the door, the knife still held tightly in my hand. Danny watches me, his eyes following my every move, but he doesn’t stop me.

For a second, I think I might actually make it. I might actually get out of this house, away from him.

But as I reach the door, something in his expression changes. His lips curl into a slow, cold smile.

“Run, Talia. Let’s see how far you get before I catch you. I’ll give you a head start.”

I force myself to turn the handle, open the door, and enter the cold night air. I don’t look back as I run.

Chapter 27

Talia

I bolted through the door, the adrenaline burning through my veins like fire. Every breath felt like it could be my last, each footfall a desperate attempt to escape the hell I was trapped in. The street stretched before me, dark and silent, the cold air biting at my skin as I ran.

I could feel every ounce of the baby’s weight now. My belly ached from the sudden movement, the pressure of each hurried step intensifying the discomfort. But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t slow down. If I did, he’d find me. And if he found me, I’d die.

I won’t let him hurt my baby.

My eyes darted to the houses lining the street.Help. I needed help.Spotting the closest house, I veered toward it, my vision blurry with tears. My hands slammed against the door with desperate force.

“Help! Please!” I pounded hard, but there was no response. Panic clawed at my chest as I frantically knocked again. “Please, I need help! He’s coming!”

I twisted the doorknob, but it didn’t budge. Locked. A cold dread settled in my stomach as I stumbled back, glancing over my shoulder. He was getting closer. I couldn’t stay here.

I bolted toward the next house, my legs threatening to give out beneath me. When I reached the second house, I nearly collapsed against the door, banging on it with both fists.

“Help me!” I screamed, my voice breaking. “Someone, please!”

Nothing. The house was dark and silent, like a tomb. I yanked at the doorknob, but it, too, was locked. My breathing hitched as I glanced back at the street. The sound of footsteps echoed behind me, relentlessly closing in. My heart thundered in my chest, desperation threatening to choke me.

“I’m coming for you, Talia.” His voice was closer now, cold and amused. He was toying with me.

I stumbled away from the house and continued running. As I neared the end of the street, I glanced over my shoulder. My lungs screamed for air. At first, there was only silence, the wind howling through the trees. But then I heard it.

Footsteps.

No. God, no.

My legs screamed as I forced myself to move faster. Every fiber of my being told me to keep running, but my body was betraying me. The pregnancy was slowing me down, and I could feel myself faltering. But I couldn’t give up now. I wouldn’t.

I turned the corner at the end of the street, spotting a yard up ahead. Maybe I’d have a chance if I could just get behind those bushes. Maybe I could lose him long enough to hide or make a run for the next block. My heart pounded with desperate hope.

I heard him as he called out to me, in a sing-song way.

“I’m coming for you, Talia.” His voice echoed in the night, taunting me.

I pushed myself harder, my cheeks streaked with tears as I reached the perimeter of the yard. My fingers brushed the tall grass as I stumbled forward. Just a little further. Just one more step.

But I didn’t make it.

An electric shock ripped through my body, blinding me with white-hot pain. I gasped, but no sound came out. My legs crumpled, my body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. The shock coursed through me, paralyzing me, my muscles locked in a brutal, unrelenting spasm.

NO!!

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream. The world around me spun. The ground felt cold, and I could hear Danny’s footsteps as they drew closer.

“That was fun,” he said. Kneeling beside me, he brushed my hair away from my face. “You always think you can run, don’t you? You’ll never get away from me,” he whispered into my ear.

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