Page 76 of Blindsided

Time for a new plan.

I swing my legs to the side of the chair and stand up with the back of the chair in my hands. It’s not easy or comfortable, but I manage to lift it enough to walk over to the window. I use my face to open the blinds, only to find a massive brick building on the other side of the window.

Not. Helpful.

I look around, trying to figure out something else when the sound of footsteps thump outside the door. I awkwardly dart back to the kitchen and manage to be seated at the same time my stalker walks back into the room.

I have to hold my breath to keep from panting with the adrenaline racing through my system. He stomps toward me, his body radiating anger. There’s no way he knew I’d gotten up. It’s not possible.

He unlocks the cuffs but then reattaches them to my wrists once they’re free from the chair. “Get up,” he barks.

“Wh-what’s happening?” I stammer. He yanks me into the living room with a death grip on my bicep. The duffle bag on the floor is bulging, which makes me wonder what’s in it that’s so important to take with us. His balance wobbles a bit when he slings it over his shoulder. Then he’s shoving me out the door and into the hallway.

I’m running out of time. But I also have to be smart. With my hands tied behind my back, I won’t be able to get far before he’ll catch up to me. If I rush this, my escape will only lead to horrible consequences for me.

He leads us to the stairs at the end of the hall. His hand doesn’t leave my arm the entire time we go down to the main floor. My bicep aches with all the bruises stacking up on top of each other. I’m lucky to only have those injuries.

When he pushes through the fire exit door, the cool evening air is a welcome relief. Being outside helps clear my head, and I scan my surroundings again. The sidewalk is deserted, but this is New York—I assume, anyway—so there are still a good number of cars moving through the city. The horns blaring are a tease at how close freedom could be. All I need is one car to see me. One person to be willing to help.

My stalker takes me down the block. His car must be parked around the corner since he isn’t stopping at the many that are sitting in front of us.

He slows to a stop in front of a silver sedan and drops the bag onto the sidewalk. In the split second that his fingers loosen around my arm, I bolt. I sprint as hard as I can toward the busier block of traffic. The likelihood of someone on the sidewalk stopping to help me is minimal, but I have to try. If I’m taken away by this monster, I would never forgive myself for not trying to save myself first.

Footsteps pound behind me, making me push my feet to move faster. I’m almost to the stoplight when a hard body crashes into me from behind. Lights dance behind my eyes when my head bounces off the concrete.

“You fucking bitch,” he growls into my ear. “All you had to do was listen, but you were too stupid to stand still.”

“No!” I scream as he flips me over, crushing my hands against the sidewalk. I try to buck him off me, to no avail.

He slams the back of his hand across my face. Shadows dance in my eyes. The pain ricochets through my head, pounding at the same rhythm as my heart.

Then he roughly pulls me to stand. My knees give out, and he wraps his arm around my waist to hold me up. The press of his body against mine makes me want to vomit. The hard press of his dick against my thigh tells me exactly how he feels about chasing after me.

He drags me back toward his car, my feet barely touching the ground as we move. Tears stream down my face. I was so close. I’d have flown myself into oncoming traffic if it meant getting out of his clutches.

The headlights of his car flash. Despair begins to set in. This is it. I won’t get another chance to escape. In all likelihood, I won’t even make it to our destination alive.

Flashing lights shine in my peripherals. I just close my eyes in defeat. Those sirens are like a tease. No one knows where I am. Desmond couldn’t give two shits. Matthew will probably be worried, but he’s in Westlake. There’s nothing he can do from there.

Which means… no one is coming.

“Fuck.” He yanks me forward and shoves me into the passenger seat of the car.

I don’t resist. My will to survive was left on the sidewalk thirty feet away.

Those teasing sirens grow louder, as if they’re getting closer. Maybe the person they’re helping will survive the night. I could live with that idea. Something catches my eye, and I look through the windshield. I have to blink several times to ensure I’m seeing what I think I’m seeing.

The police cars are getting closer. The flashes of red and blue are coming downthisstreet. Their lights illuminate the area around the car. Are they here… for me? I don’t dare to hope.

Then the car is being surrounded by people, and all I can do is gape.

“How…”

Where did my stalker go? He was just here, hovering over me. Except, that’s a police officer.

An officer squats down next to the still-open passenger door. “I’m going to help you out of there, okay?”

I nod, still unsure if this is truly happening.

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