Page 6 of Tempted By Sin

This time, he’s standing about thirty feet away from me, his intimidating stance backlit by the street lamps in the parking lot behind him.

“Oh, shit,” I breathe, staring at the masked man. My throat is thick with lead, and I’m struggling to get any air into my lungs. “Oh, no.”

“Pae?” Raya’s voice rings through the phone. “Is everything okay?”

Now that I’m much closer to him, the details of the mask become clearer. The stitching over the eyes and mouth is terrifying, especially when paired with the piercing blue eyes gazing at me from behind the mask. They hold me captive, forcing me to stay where I am. Even if I wanted to run or scream, I couldn’t. Not when his stare is so intense.

The masked man tilts his head to the side, his hands clenching and unfurling as he watches me.

“Paetyn?” Raya tries again, panic settling in her tone. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”

I lower the phone to my side but don’t end the call. My gaze stays on the masked man, my heart about to leap out of my throat. He’s wearing the same clothes as two nights ago—a black T-shirt and black jeans. How is this man not freezing? Winter in New York City is no joke.

I swallow hard, my fingers twitching around my phone at my side. If I want to get away from this man alive, I need to do something.Now. My best option is to turn and run back to the busy sidewalk. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and hurt me in the middle of a busy walkway with plenty of eyewitnesses.

Running is my only option at this point. I just pray I’m a faster runner than he is.

Without giving it another thought, I turn on my heels and make a run for the end of the alleyway. I was never the best runner in school, but I’m hoping the adrenaline and fear coursing through my rigid body are enough to propel me forward and away from the danger lurking behind me.

Unfortunately for me, as soon as I start running, the masked man does too. The pounding of his footsteps against the concrete behind me spikes my heart rate to dangerous levels.

He’s gaining on me—and quickly.

The blood rushing in my ears intensifies with each step, blocking out Raya’s concerned voice calling loudly through the phone gripped tightly in my hand. I just need to make it to the end of the alley, and I’ll be okay. If I make it out of this alleyway, he won’t be able to—

I scream the moment a pair of strong arms wrap tightly around my waist. I’m feet away from the safety of the busy sidewalk, but that joy is ripped away from me as I’m pulled back into the depths of hell. Any hope I had of surviving this man has vanished into thin air.

My phone clatters to the ground. Raya hasn’t stopped calling my name the entire time.

“Let go of me!” I cry, clawing at the skin on his forearms in the hopes it’ll get me out of his hold. But it doesn’t work. “Help! Someone help me!”

The man doesn’t say a word as he hauls me down the alleyway, my back pressed firmly against his chest. He doesn’t seem fazed by the struggle I’m putting up. But I don’t stop. If I stop fighting, I’m dead.

A wave of sandalwood and nicotine assaults my senses before something wet covers my mouth and nose. My body goes limp in his arms as all the fight leaves me, followed by what I’m sure is the depths of hell—darkness as far as the eye can see.

CHAPTERFOUR

Paetyn

For a split second,my brain convinces me I’m blind. Darkness surrounds me, engulfing me whole and holding me hostage. But the soft buzzing working its way into the depths of my mind tells me that I haven’t been completely dragged down to the depths of hell with no sight of return.

Not yet, at least.

My head thumps painfully, the source coming from deep behind my eyes. The rhythmic movement echoes in my ears, making it hard to think straight. I try my best to force my hand up to cradle my head, hoping it’ll ease the pain, but my limbs are heavy. Too heavy to move.

With a groan, I fight against the pain coursing through my body to force my eyes open. At first, it’s almost painful. My eyelids feel as though they’ve been glued shut, keeping me from seeing. But with a great deal of effort, I pry them open and am immediately assaulted by a warm, orange glow above me.

A hiss slips past my lips as I fight to clear my vision. The sudden intrusion of light hitting my eyes only intensifies the pounding in my skull. Everything hurts.

But why?

Why does my body feel as though it’s on fire and weighs as much as a cement truck?

My limbs seem to be working now because I’m able to bring my elbow under me to prop my body up. I blink rapidly to clear my vision and focus on calming my heavy breathing. When my surroundings become clear, my heart rate spikes all over again.

Where the hell am I?

With my heart in my throat, I gaze down at the thin white sheets wrapped haphazardly around my jean-clad legs. The mattress beneath me is dirty and has seen better days. What shocks me the most is the thick chain cuffed around my ankle, keeping me a hostage of the twin bed. The metal is rusted and looks as though it has been around for many years.

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