Page 148 of Broken Omega

A burst of adrenaline catches me up to her, finally.

I reach out and grab hold of her hand, trying to look inconspicuous.

She tugs it away, frowning at me.

She’s annoyed that I’ve slowed her down.

I get in front of her, forcing her to come to a stop.

“Stop,” I tell her quietly, in my command voice.

She stills, looking at me in confusion.

She doesn’t speak. Doesn’t ask me why.

She just stands there, waiting for instructions.

A woman with a baby in a stroller gives me an irritable look, and I walk Brooke out of her way, letting her pass us by.

I take Brooke’s hands in mine and look her in the eyes.

They’re unfocused, clouded with confusion.

I need to give her a new instruction, and I’m not sure where to start.

Sighing, I fight past the exhaustion I’m feeling now that I’m standing still.

“Brooke, I need you to remember,” I start, jolting something inside her with the incomplete command.

She shivers as she looks at me, coming back to herself. “I tried to run home.”

“You did,” I confirm, glad it looks like she’s back to normal.

“He’s made me do that before,” she says, tears welling up in her eyes.

“He has?” I ask, wondering if I messed up by not telling her exactly what to remember.

She nods. “Over and over again. He had to make sure his order was working.”

“Well, it didn’t work this time.”

“Because you stopped it,” she says. “Thank God you stopped me.”

She wraps her arms around me, and I hold her close, glad that she’s okay.

I made the right choice. I didn’t think I had, but if Donnie had chased her down, there’s no way he could have stopped her. I have to stop second guessing my instincts.

“This is a little bit public,” I tell her. “We should head back to the apartment.”

She breaks away from me. “You’re right. We need to get back there.”

“Come on,” I tell her turning away from the main street we were about to go down.

I catch sight of a guy dressed all in black, like one of Goldcrest’s guards, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I take another glimpse as I walk Brooke back down the street.

It’s not just someone dressed like one of the guards, it is one of the guards.

It’s that guy, Henry. The one who seemed obsessed with Brooke.

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