Page 96 of Half the Summer's Night
“Which one?” Charlotte breathes out. “I can’t narrow it down.”
I can. Abi’s heartbeat is like a beacon screaming into the night. For a moment, I swear I can see it, like a lighthouse marking danger in the dark.
“That one there.” I point to a dark house on the corner, illuminated by a yellow streetlamp. It’s half-built, the walls nothing but plaster. But she’s in there. And she’s still alive.
Charlotte’s barely slowed down before I fling the door open and throw myself out onto the street.
“What the fu—” That’s all I hear before she slams on the brakes, flooding the street with red light. I take off running toward the house, my blood pumping hot in my veins. It’s like when we killed people earlier, but so much more focused. I have a single purpose: to destroy whoever took Abi from me.
But then Charlotte jumps in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.
“Get the fuck out of my way,” I snarl, moving to shove her aside. She stops me, of course, her grip on my wrist almost painful.
“You need to think this through,” Charlotte says in a sharp whisper. “She’s still alive in there. I can feel her.”
So can I. It’s all I can feel, actually, and I look past Charlotte at the beach house, my blood surging.
“She’s not alone.”
I jerk my gaze over to Charlotte’s face. “I’ll kill him,” I say.
“Not if he kills you first.” Charlotte lets go of my hand and steps back. “We technically do die, remember? We come back, but not right away. It could take months. Maybe even years. And that’s time Abi can’t afford.”
I take deep, choking breaths. I don’t care about dying. I only care about Abi living.
But I also know that Charlotte is right. There’s someone else in there. Someone human. Someone male.
And his blood is up, too.
Anger twists in my chest. “I have to get to her,” I snarl.
“I’m not trying to stop you,” Charlotte says. “I’m telling you to be fucking careful and to go in there with a plan. This isn’t like?—”
“I’ve been killing men since I was thirteen years old,” I say. “I know what I’m fucking doing.”
Charlotte’s eyes flash. “I’m sure you do. But you’re not exactly in the best frame of mi?—”
A scream tears through the night.
Charlotte freezes, and I shove her aside just as a swell of Abi’s terror comes rushing over me with the sea wind.
Her terror?—
And the fresh, sharp scent of her blood.
35
ABI
Istare at Kaplan, certain that I must be wrong. That I’m hallucinating.
He grins at me, baring his teeth. “Surprised to see me?” he asks as he saunters into the room. I press my back against the wall and squeeze my hand tighter around the rope.
He kicks the door shut, making the walls rattle. “Answer me, bitch.”
Blood rushes into my ears. “Yes,” I finally croak out, dizzy with fear.
He nods at that and saunters up to the mattress. I curl away from him on instinct as he towers over me. I’m used to seeing him in his sheriff’s uniform, but he’s dressed in dark tactical clothes now.
