Chase got Caught.
Night Giant’s taunts in my head are maddening me.
Focus, man.
I fling myself over the fence and land on the gravel hard, nearly twisting my ankle in the process. The shouts get louder behind me, but I’m past the biggest hurdle. Now, I just have to put distance between me and them. Lots and lots of distance.
Running as fast as my legs will carry me, I dart down a narrow alleyway between two buildings. I cut right and run all the way to the end of the block. Quickly, I rush across the street and run until I come across another alley. In the distance, I can hear tires squealing, which means they’ll find me soon.
Hide.
I run down the alleyway and dive into the first shadowed area I find. There are boxes and other trash stacked up, so I drag them over my shaking body.
Fear swallows me whole and the tears begin. Once they start, it’s hard to get them to stop. I suck in air, trying to calm myself, but it’s too hard. I’ll die if they found me because I was crying too loudly.
A sound nearby has me choking down my sobs. Footsteps come closer and then the boxes move. A boy with a filthy face, close to my eighteen years of age and messy black hair peers down at me, a frown tugging at his lips.
“Are you okay?”
“Hide,” I hiss. “You have to hide.”
“Me?”
“Yes. T-They’re coming for me and they’ll t-take you t-too.”
Shouts can be heard nearby. He snaps his head toward the direction of the road and then glances down the alley. “They’ll find us here. Come on. I know a spot.”
He helps me to my feet and we run toward a giant dumpster. With quick, efficient movements, he helps me into the dumpster before also climbing inside. As quietly as we can, we bury ourselves under the trash.
The sounds of men speaking grow louder. I start to tremble so hard, all the trash around me rustles. The kid draws me to him, locking me in a warm embrace. For the first time in two years, I feel safe and protected and cared for. Tears silently stream down my face while I bask in the closeness of another human being who isn’t out to hurt me.
Now, if we can only make it out of here unscathed, I can finally be free.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
I swivel my head to see who’s tapping on the glass of the Tahoe. When green, familiar eyes mirror my own, I freeze.
Kai Thomas.
My brother.
Seeing him on social media is one thing, but seeing him on the other side of my window is something else entirely.
“Step out of the car,” Kai growls. Always had balls of steel. I guess some things never change.
“Nah, we’re just passing through,” I say through the glass, unable to stop looking at him.
His eyes narrow as though he recognizes me. I’d stolen Bermuda’s hat earlier and exchanged my Arkansas Razorbacks shirt I’d picked up at a gas station for a black T-shirt from my bag the guys brought with them this morning. My tattoos are on full display and I’m wearing sunglasses, so I’m not even close to looking like the brother Kai saw last. Still, he seems to pick up on the fact he knows me.
“Should we drive off?” Filter asks low enough for only me to hear.
I glance over at the house where a shiny silver Maserati sits in the driveway now. I’d been remembering my past and not paying attention to the fact someone arrived. And Filter’s dumb ass was probably sexting with Calla.
“Two guys went into the house and this one came this way,” Filter grunts, answering my unanswered question.
“Walk away,” I tell Kai, not looking at him. “Now.”
The car door opens, much to my surprise, and Kai grabs my arm. Before I can react, he twists my wrist and runs his finger over a scar—one he gave to me when we were kids.
“I fucking knew it,” Kai growls. “Chase? What the fuck, man? What the actual fuck?”
Flinging off my sunglasses, I shake off his hold and pin him with a fiery glare. “Chase is dead.”
His nostrils flare. “Always were dramatic as fuck. I told Mom and Dad a thousand times you ran away—”
I jump out of the Tahoe, shoving him so hard, he lands on his ass in the grass. “I did not run away.”
Always the quicker of us two, he’s back on his feet in a flash, shoving me back. He takes a swing at me, but I pull a knife and press it beneath his chin seconds after I duck.
“Look what you’ve done now,” I spit out, pressing the point of the blade into his flesh but not piercing him. “You’ve pissed me off.”
“Dragon,” Kai snarls. “I had a feeling and I was right. Benjamin owes me a hundred bucks.”