Page 20 of Surging Reef
Ashby moved toward the bathroom again. He shoved things into his toiletry bag, put it in his backpack, and zipped it up. He’d take it to the car, then come back for Kazimir. He’d be fine for a few minutes.
He stepped on the toilet lid, pushed the window open, and climbed out. His fingertips ached from the strain of holding him up with little to no purchase.
Sweat was beading on his forehead by the time he reached the fire escape. He reached out with one leg, put his foot on the railing, and jumped down on the grid landing.
“I knew you’d come here.”
He whirled around. Naveen was standing there with a smug grin on his face and his phone held in a position that made Ashby think he was filming him.
Anger erupted, and before he could stop himself, hewas moving. He grabbed the phone, broke Naveen’s arm, and pushed him over the railing. His scream bounced between the buildings. Shit. When he’d fantasized about killing Naveen, this wasn’t how he’d pictured it.
Ashby checked to see he hadn’t been recording him live or whatever it was called when it posted directly to some social media platform.
He hadn’t.
Ashby more or less jumped down the flights, trying to delete the video at the same time. Once he reached the ground, he spared one second to take in Naveen’s lifeless eyes and the growing puddle of blood around him. He wished he could’ve savored his death, but he had to get out of there.
He ran faster than any human ever could. He heard windows being opened, and there was a cry flying over the night sky.
Ashby ran toward the car, dialing the emergency services as he did.
When a woman answered and spoke in a calm tone, he snarled. “There is a break-in.”
“Where are you?”
“They’re in an apartment on the third floor of Parkside Row sixteen. I heard a scream, and it didn’t sound good.”
“What’s your name?”
“I have to go, send the cops, and…eh…I guess the ambulance.”
“Sir?”
Ashby hung up and crushed the phone in his hand. He ran another block before he found a trash can he could drop it into.
* * * *
Kazimir did his best to appear calm. The woman walked around the apartment, sliding her fingers over things.
“He never did have any taste.” She arched a brow at Kazimir. He assumed she meant both the apartment and him, but her words made him look around. There wasn’t much. IKEA furniture, a few books, but nothing on the walls. Wasn’t it strange for an adult man not to have anything? Even if you weren’t into art, surely, you’d buy a painting or something. No rugs on the floor, no tablecloth, and no curtains. No desk, nothing resembling an office area. Kazimir scrunched his nose, and the woman laughed.
“Guess you don’t know him after all.”
“I wasn’t exactly looking around last time I was here.”
“Fair enough.”
The woman stilled abruptly, and Kazimir looked at the man to see if he reacted to it. He was frowning. Kazimir listened for sounds. Was he missing something? “What is it?”
The woman ignored him, but the man glanced at the wall behind Kazimir. Then someone screamed. It sounded like a woman. Not Ashby then.
Kazimir held his breath and waited. Did vampires have better hearing? Did they know what was going on? His heart sped up. Ashby better not have come here.
An eternity went by without anyone moving or speaking, then sirens sounded in the distance.
“Anne?” Anne? As in Queen Anne? Kazimir’s heart sped up. Did she know he’d stolen Ashby from her?
She shrugged. “Maybe check on Naveen.”
