it, but Stephen was on me in a literal flash, pressing me hard against the wall. The rough surface of the brick bit through my sweater and against my skin. Stephen's hand slapped over my mouth. His skin felt dry, like slightly cool fabric against my skin. The cold aura drifting from him grew into an almost tangible entity of its own, like a reptilian presence that wanted nothing more than to sink its fangs into my flesh.
Reflex kicked in, and my knee went straight for his groin. Somehow, he blocked it and used a leg to press my thighs tight against the wall. I couldn't move. Couldn't scream. All I could do was look into his hard blue eyes and the sadistic joy within.
"Didn't want to come with me, huh, bitch?" he said. "Looks like I get dinner and dessert tonight." He moved his hand from my mouth and shifted his grip to my throat. "Nobody turns me down." He sniffed me like I was his next meal. "Nobody."
With his fingers digging into my neck, I couldn't answer, only tremble in fear and loathing. I squirmed, using all my strength to win my way free, but he was insanely strong. It reminded me of—I cut off my thoughts, trying desperately not to conjure up those images, but it was too late. A claustrophobic sensation sucked the remaining oxygen from my lungs. Panic gripped my muscles and fired off every nerve in my body.
I struggled, but I was a mouse caught in the grip of a cat's paw. Judging by the amusement in his eyes, he knew it.
"I'm going to enjoy this," he said. His mouth sprang open.
His teeth flashed in the light, two of them looking unnaturally long. Stephen froze. A croaking gasp escaped his throat and his grip on me loosened. His head snapped back. Flashed forward and smacked hard against the brick wall. I felt something wet spatter against the side of my face and winced.
Stephen thudded to the ground.
Another figure stood where he had. An older man with a concerned look on his face, and piercing green eyes. He took my hand. Gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Are you okay?"
I nodded. Tried to speak but nothing came out. My senses scrambled, I could hardly think straight.
He bent down and scooped Izzy off the ground, cradling her like a baby in his arms. He motioned with his head. "Let's get out of this alley, okay?"
I nodded again.
We made our way back to the street. Our savior set Izzy on a bench and looked her over. Pulled out a handkerchief and wiped at her neck, shaking his head and muttering.
"What did he do to her?" I asked, finally able to force words from my mouth.
"Crazy guy bit her," the man said. "Probably on drugs."
"We have to call the cops," I said, looking for my purse, and realizing it wasn't on me.
"You dropped it in the alley," he said, standing. "You stay with her. I'll be right back."
All I knew was nothing could make me go back down that dark tunnel. I shuddered. Squeezed my eyes shut against the terrors of the past and wished them away. I dropped next to Izzy and felt her neck, searching for a pulse. I found it. I also saw where Stephen had bitten her and grimaced. While it wasn't exactly a bad bite, it left a nasty mark.
"Nyuhhh," Isabel said, her eyelids fluttering. "Bluh."
Well, it wasn't the most eloquent statement in the world, but relief warmed me. She was okay. Everything would be all right.
The man returned a moment later with two purses, one in either hand. He set them both down on the bench next to me. "It looks like the attacker ran away."
"After the way you hit him?" I felt my eyebrows go up. "I'm calling the cops."
"You look exhausted." He frowned. "If you call the police, you'll be here for hours waiting and filling out paperwork."
"I don't want that asshole free to do this again."
He shrugged. "Okay."
I looked up at him. Though his face looked perfectly normal—average even—his remarkable eyes stood out like emerald beacons. When his gaze met mine, a hint of uncertainty crept into his demeanor. He backed away a step. Unlike the coldness I felt with Stephen,
Reflex kicked in, and my knee went straight for his groin. Somehow, he blocked it and used a leg to press my thighs tight against the wall. I couldn't move. Couldn't scream. All I could do was look into his hard blue eyes and the sadistic joy within.
"Didn't want to come with me, huh, bitch?" he said. "Looks like I get dinner and dessert tonight." He moved his hand from my mouth and shifted his grip to my throat. "Nobody turns me down." He sniffed me like I was his next meal. "Nobody."
With his fingers digging into my neck, I couldn't answer, only tremble in fear and loathing. I squirmed, using all my strength to win my way free, but he was insanely strong. It reminded me of—I cut off my thoughts, trying desperately not to conjure up those images, but it was too late. A claustrophobic sensation sucked the remaining oxygen from my lungs. Panic gripped my muscles and fired off every nerve in my body.
I struggled, but I was a mouse caught in the grip of a cat's paw. Judging by the amusement in his eyes, he knew it.
"I'm going to enjoy this," he said. His mouth sprang open.
His teeth flashed in the light, two of them looking unnaturally long. Stephen froze. A croaking gasp escaped his throat and his grip on me loosened. His head snapped back. Flashed forward and smacked hard against the brick wall. I felt something wet spatter against the side of my face and winced.
Stephen thudded to the ground.
Another figure stood where he had. An older man with a concerned look on his face, and piercing green eyes. He took my hand. Gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Are you okay?"
I nodded. Tried to speak but nothing came out. My senses scrambled, I could hardly think straight.
He bent down and scooped Izzy off the ground, cradling her like a baby in his arms. He motioned with his head. "Let's get out of this alley, okay?"
I nodded again.
We made our way back to the street. Our savior set Izzy on a bench and looked her over. Pulled out a handkerchief and wiped at her neck, shaking his head and muttering.
"What did he do to her?" I asked, finally able to force words from my mouth.
"Crazy guy bit her," the man said. "Probably on drugs."
"We have to call the cops," I said, looking for my purse, and realizing it wasn't on me.
"You dropped it in the alley," he said, standing. "You stay with her. I'll be right back."
All I knew was nothing could make me go back down that dark tunnel. I shuddered. Squeezed my eyes shut against the terrors of the past and wished them away. I dropped next to Izzy and felt her neck, searching for a pulse. I found it. I also saw where Stephen had bitten her and grimaced. While it wasn't exactly a bad bite, it left a nasty mark.
"Nyuhhh," Isabel said, her eyelids fluttering. "Bluh."
Well, it wasn't the most eloquent statement in the world, but relief warmed me. She was okay. Everything would be all right.
The man returned a moment later with two purses, one in either hand. He set them both down on the bench next to me. "It looks like the attacker ran away."
"After the way you hit him?" I felt my eyebrows go up. "I'm calling the cops."
"You look exhausted." He frowned. "If you call the police, you'll be here for hours waiting and filling out paperwork."
"I don't want that asshole free to do this again."
He shrugged. "Okay."
I looked up at him. Though his face looked perfectly normal—average even—his remarkable eyes stood out like emerald beacons. When his gaze met mine, a hint of uncertainty crept into his demeanor. He backed away a step. Unlike the coldness I felt with Stephen,
Similar Books
Mid-Flinx
Alan Dean Foster
Paige Cameron
Commando Cowboys Find Their Desire
Her Mad Dragon (Dragon Guard Series Book 15)
Julia Mills
Three Fates
Nora Roberts
The Warlord Wants Forever
Kresley Cole
Kissing Brendan Callahan
Susan Amesse
Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding
Lea Wait
Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography
Kevin Dodds
Fluke
James Herbert
Look Homeward, Angel - Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Wolfe