Page 49 of Heart of a Killer

Holding him tight, I try to make him see how I feel about him through my embrace. His muscles relax in my hold, and his back shudders as he releases a sigh. It’s as if he’s been holding himself together for so long, and no one has ever taken his burden for him, just held the pieces to give him a break.

Everyone needs someone who can hold them when they can’t do it anymore. I know this from Nicole. She was the one who did the same for me.

He sits upright, panic in his rapid movements. “Skylar, we have to get out of here.”

“Okay, slow down.” I hold his shoulders, forcing him to look into my eyes, and I firmly say, “Explain.”

“The doctor—he’s not right.” His eyes look back and forth between mine, wild, before adding, “We have to get Brieanna, too, and get out of here.”

“Think about what you are saying. The only way out of here is through the front door. And what do you mean he’s not right? Is there something wrong with the doctor?”

Ever since Clarissa was “discharged,” I’ve felt something off, but I thought it was Alex. Especially after the Patricia incident. I guess I should have never assumed the worst about him.

Alex—because he is finallymyAlex again—jumps up, pulling me with him. “I don’t have time to explain.”

The urgency in his voice has me worried for Brie, so I give him a curt nod.

With his hand in mine, we run down the dark, yellowed hallways. I’m trying to keep up with Alex as he pulls me along. He’s sprinting as if we’re in a time crunch. He knows things; he always has. If Brie needs our help, we have to help her and get her out too. I won’t leave here without her, and I’m glad Alex is on the same page.

We turn the corner toward the section that holds Brie’s room. Screams of terror erupt, making my heart beat erratically in my chest. Alex’s pace picks up. The closer we get, the louder the screams grow. I’m confused. I don’t understand what’s happening, but Alex seems to know more than any of us. He bursts into the room, still dragging me along, and the sight before me has me inhaling a sharp breath.

Brie is restrained to the bedframe by her wrists, and the doctor’s bare ass is in the air, thrusting into her. His fingers are pressing into her cheeks, trying to keep her mouth closed. She thrashes against him, fighting with all her might.

My limbs are stiff as I freeze in the doorframe, my hands over my mouth at the sight.

Alex, on the other hand, wastes no time. He strides in with his bloody back in all its glory, muscles flexing and on display with each step. His arm rears back, and he knocks the doctor in the head.

Dr. Benjamin falls to the concrete floor, his body going limp. Alex grabs his hands behind his back and presses his knee against it for good measure. Even though he’s knocked out for now, there’s no telling when he could wake up. Alex looks back at me with dark pits for eyes, his teeth bared. The cords bulging in his neck speak of the restraint he’s showing.

“Skylar, take care of Brie,” he commands.

My shoulders jump at his booming voice, shocking me out of my trance.

My body feels weightless as my legs carry me over to Brie. Her body bounces at my intrusion on the bed, and her eyes flutter with exhaustion. Her wrists go limp by her side once I get them free. A distressed moan leaves her lips, and her tear-streaked face sends a sharp pang to my chest, cracking my heart in two.

“It’s okay, Brie. We have you now. No one will ever hurt you again,” I whisper in her ear, smoothing her hair back before fumbling with the other restraint.

When Brie is finally free, Alex nudges me to hand the restraints over to him. I help Brie up to get her dressed, and she stumbles a bit, her eyes glazed as if she’s been drugged. Knowing Dr. Benjamin, that’s exactly how he got her into this position, because Brie is a fighter. She would never let this happen willingly.

“What are y’all doing here?” she asks, her voice cracking at the end.

I look over at Alex, securing the doctor to the bed where Brie once lay, then back to her. “It’s a long story. Alex said the doctor is fucked in the head and that we have to save you and get out of here,” I rasp.

“Alex?”

Biting my lip, I admit, “That’s also a long story.”

I glance back at Alex. He is now pacing the room, running his hands through his long strands. I’m unsure what to do with how he acted earlier, him saying he is Josh and all that. I can tell he is at war with himself, but the longer we wait, the less time we have to escape unnoticed. I take a risky move and jar him out of his trance.

“So, what? We’re just going to tie him up and leave?”

Alex does something I don’t expect. He grabs Brie by her neck, slamming her against the wall. Brie’s eyes and mouth are wide with fright. Her drugged state is washed clean as the shock of Alex’s actions takes effect.

“Why the fuck did you let him do this?” Alex’s voice comes out as a hiss, and spit drips from his lips.

“Leland, stop,” Brie begs as she holds on to the wrist I cut up just moments ago.

“Why did you tell the doctor about your demons?”

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