Page 117 of Haunted Prey

I opened my eyes, confused. Blinking a few times, I looked up to see Leslie standing before us, blocking the screen. For whatever reason, he wore a police uniform and the clown mask from that night at the club.

“Um, can you move?” Lena asked.

Leslie didn’t respond. Andrea had stopped reading to watch him, her brows furrowed. “Lez?”

He bowed his head. With a slow, almost sluggish movement, he unholstered his gun. Gripping it tight, he kept it close to his side.

Lena shifted. “What the fuck are you—”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

We pulled away from each other and froze as he lifted the gun and aimed it toward me.

“Lez?” My blood went cold as I stared down the end of the gun.

Andrea shot up from her seat so fast it fell backward. She took a step toward us, then froze as well.

“Don’t move,” Cassidy said.

I dared to look over and saw Cass in her police attire, her gun aimed at Andrea. She moved into the room. “Sit down,” she ordered.

Andrea slowly righted her seat and sat back down, her face ashen. “Please, Cass, don’t do this.”

Cassidy aimed her gun over at me. “Get up.”

I didn’t move.

“I said get up!” she yelled.

I flinched but couldn’t bring my body to listen.

She gritted her teeth and lunged for me. She grabbed my arm and pulled me off the couch.

“What are you doing? Leave her alone!” Lena cried, reaching for me.

“Lez,” Cassidy snapped when Lena took hold of me. I cried out in pain as I swung my bad arm, trying to wrench Cassidy off.

Lez dropped his aim and came for Lena. She fought as he separated her from me, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her away.

“You asshole, let me go, let me go! Eve!” She struggled in his grip but he held her tight enough against him that her feet were off the ground.

Cassidy swung me around, making me stumble. “Let’s go. Don’t honestly think I won’t shoot you if you try anything. Move!”

Cassidy steered me toward the garage. I looked back at Lena who was still in Lez’s grip, her fists and elbows beating against him, but they did nothing.

As Lez was busy dealing with Lena and Cassidy had her back turned, Andrea bolted from her seat and rushed toward her room.

Lez aimed his gun past Lena’s head and fired.

A deafening bang shot out along with a bright light. Andrea went down a second later, falling on her face. Specks of blood splattered against the doorframe.

My ears rang and I felt everything slow down.

“Lez, leave her, let’s go!” Cassidy called, not missing a beat.

Lez pressed his mask up against Lena’s face as if he were saying something to her, but I couldn’t hear what it was. He put her back on the couch and left her, following Cassidy’s commands.

Lena dropped from the couch and tried to slide across the ground, but she was too slow. As I heard her scream my name, we were already out the door and into the garage. Cassidy pushed me into the back seat of her police cruiser and got in the driver seat while Lez got in the passenger.

---