Page 25 of Tainted Beginnings (Dark Syndicate 7)

“Yes, I am in danger. From you. I saw what you did to that man.”

“He came to kill me. Please, just come with me, and we’ll talk properly when I get you somewhere safe.” He reaches for me, but I back into the wall.

“Don’t touch me.”

I stumble over my feet when I retreat to the kitchen.

He comes after me, and I run to the back door, my heart galloping in my chest so fast I fear it might leap out and keep running.

I manage to open the door and run out into the garden. There I crash into a monstrous man who looks like the Hulk, and he grabs me.

I scream as he hoists me off the ground and places a gun to the side of my head. Theclick-clackof the hammer sounds in my ear along with the fire of the gun.

I expect to be dead, but I’m still aware of what’s happening when I find myself falling.

The hulking man drops to the ground next to me with a bullet hole in his forehead, and I whip around to see Nick standing across from me holding out his gun.

It was him who shot the man.

I assumed he was with Nick, but he wasn’t. That man would have killed me just now.

So, I am in danger?

Tears track down my cheeks, but I don’t get the moment to sink into despair and allow the shock of what’s happening to consume me.

A loud crash slams into the fence, and the side door flies open. Four men rush in carrying guns.

Nick rushes to my side seconds before they open fire. He scoops me up and covers me with his body while he shoots back at the men.

He gets me back inside the house, then out the front door, where he takes my hand and we run down the street.

The men are behind us, coming to get us. Coming to kill us.

With my heart in my throat, I run as fast as I can, pushing my body to move for survival.

Jesus, I can’t believe this is happening to me.

I didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t even know who these people are, but they’re here to kill me.

And the man I was running from is the one who’s helping me escape.

When we reach a black SUV at the end of the curb, he yanks the door open and lifts me into the passenger seat.

Frantically, I look back at the men pursuing us while he gets into the car and drives.

The men get in their cars and follow us.

Nick accelerates as we turn onto the road, but I already know we won’t be able to get away easily.

There are too many of them.

We drive until we blend in with other cars heading into the town. Then we see the lever crossing coming down as an oncoming train approaches. To my horror, Nick keeps going and doesn’t stop.

I scream as we drive onto the tracks, and the sound of the train raises every nerve in my body.

We just make it across, and I pray with everything inside me we’re safe now.

My hope extinguishes, however, when I look back and see one of the cars still tailing us. The others got left behind at the crossing.

---