Page 90 of Heathen

Fear sweeps over me once again, heightening every sense which is a miracle, considering how high they all were already.

This has to be him, the guy she was arguing with on the front porch last night, but it doesn't make me feel any better that this isn't my fault because it probably won't change the outcome.

My phone chirps in his hand, and I have no doubt it's a return text from Morgan. When he drops the phone back to the floor, telling me that he knows for a fact he won't need it again, I know my best friend is on her way, heading right up the stairs to sure death.

I have a flash of what might happen next, and I have to wonder what would be worse… if he killed me first or waited to kill me after forcing me to witness her death.

I doubt the man is going through so much trouble just so he can have a conversation with her.

Any sane person would know that doing something like this doesn't end well for at least someone involved.

His eyes dart toward the door, but the jolt against the hardwood clearly isn't the sound he was hoping for.

As if he had a Plan B all along, he runs to the window and disappears just as the door is kicked open.

Chapter 37

Heathen

Nothing in my mind about why it was taking her so long to come back down prepared me for busting into the room and seeing her tied up and gagged on the bed.

She writhes and whimpers at the sight of me, the gag in her mouth preventing her from speaking. I rush to her, my hands tracing her arms and the rest of her body to make sure she’s okay.

"The window!" she yells when I pull the gag from her mouth.

I bolt to the other side of the room where the curtains are blowing in the breeze, but I already know without climbing out there that I wasted too much time checking on her, and whoever the fuck thought they could do this to her is long gone.

Noise across the room makes me rush to her, my gun pointed at the door, a bullet ready for whoever it might be.

"No!" Kaylee screams, still squirming on the bed when she sees Morgan appear in the doorway.

I lower the weapon immediately, hating the way the other woman is looking at me.

"He's the one who is hurting you?" Morgan snaps, enough ire in her voice that I wonder if she's unafraid of the gun I just had pointed at her.

From her tone, it sounds like she'd still risk getting shot just to claw my fucking eyes out.

"No," Kaylee says before looking in my direction. "Can you please untie me?"

I work at pulling the knots out of the rope around her ankles and knees and then set to the rope tied around her waist that is preventing her from lifting her arms.

"Is this some sort of kinky game you two play?" Morgan asks, looking very Cruella-esque as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"She was fucking tied up," I hiss.

"It was the guy who you were arguing with last night," Kaylee says, sitting up with a wince as she reaches for her ankles.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"How are you sure?"

"How many other guys do you think would tie me up and text you to come up here?" Kaylee asks, glaring at her friend.

"You saw his face?" Morgan challenges, as if she can't believe that the guy is capable of doing what he's being accused of.

"Who is it?" I demand, shifting my weight so I can go after him once I have the right information.

"He was a little creepy, but I don't think he'd do something like this," Morgan says, refusing to give me the information I want.

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