Page 89 of Hunt Me

The thought makes my eyes sting, and I try to hide it, but Archie catches me by the chin and studies my face. ‘You’re not okay.’

I fight back a laugh. ‘No, but we can talk about it when we get home.’

Archie nods, then takes the bag from me and leads the way to the front door. Just before he yanks it open, I see it. A shadow near the front window.

I suck in a breath, but Archie has already seen it because the bag falls to the ground, and he jolts forward, moving so fast he knocks me backward. The movement makes my head spin, and I topple over as he yanks the window open and tears off the screen.

Before I can say or do anything, Archie is out after the figure, and I’m left alone in the apartment, entirely on my own. Suddenly, there’s a movement to my left, and a scream races up my throat as I see the front door open. I scramble to my feet, rushing toward it and slamming it shut. I twist the lock as myheart hammers against my ribs so hard I can feel it in my ears and behind my eyelids.

I reach up and touch my throat, even more tender now from the cry I let out, and I do my best to keep my wits about me, but the reality is Archie is gone, and I’m alone. And someone opened the front door. Fuck, I can’t keep standing here, useless and helpless. The kitchen has knives, but I don’t trust myself to be able to use them in a way that wouldn’t end up with me getting hurt.

I have only one option, so I rush down the hall and slip into my bathroom, nearly taking a finger off as I slam the door and lock it. There’s a small window above the shower, so I climb up on the toilet to make sure that’s secured as well.

And when I’m truly alone, I curl up in the corner of the room and wait for Archie to come back.

Fuck, I should have brought my phone up with me, but I left it in the car. A stupid, careless decision.

Tucking my knees into my chest tighter, my entire body trembles, but I make myself stay as quiet as I can be. I can’t hear anything, of course. My CIs are in the bag, uncharged and useless to me right now. I’ve never hated being Deaf until now, but this isn’t really about my lack of hearing.

It’s about the monsters who would take advantage of me because of it.

I hope he fucking finds them. I hope he rips them limb from limb.

I close my eyes, willing myself to breathe through my vicious thoughts, hyperaware of every movement I can feel in the tiles. I keep one palm pressed to the floor, my eyes on the doorknob as I wait, and I wonder how long I’m going to be in here. Archie would have left me in that graveyard for hours if I’d let him.

Do I keep hiding now? Do I wait for him? Do I?—

The door begins to shake, the vibration sending a wave of panic through me. Shit, shit, am I going to die? This can’t be it. I just found something that makes me feel alive for the first time in so fucking long. I’m not ready to give up. I can’t let go!

The wood cracks, the door hinge bending, and then it swings open, and I see a dark figure filling the space. I let out a scream as they approach, and then suddenly, everything goes still as warm, familiar, safe arms curl around me.

“Archie,” I feel myself say. My fingers clutch onto his shirt, twisting into it roughly as I struggle to breathe.

I feel him soothing me with warm breath on the skin of my neck and the rumble of his hum as his hands run up and down my back. I don’t know how long he holds me there, but he doesn’t pull away until my breathing is even and the violent trembling has become a gentle shake in my hands.

When he finally eases back, he stares down at me, and I can immediately see he’s bleeding from somewhere. There’s coppery red smeared across his cheek, but I can’t see where it’s coming from.

‘I got him with my knife,’ Archie signs, his hands sharp and furious, ‘but he got away.’

I want to care that this fucker managed to escape again, but I can’t. The only thing that matters now is that Archie is here, and the blood on him isn’t his own. I nod, my teeth clattering in my skull. It takes me a moment to calm the shakes down and find the strength in my hands to sign.

‘Let’s go.’

Archie nods and then helps me to my feet, my legs wobbling beneath me as we make our way to the door. He remembers to grab my bag—pointless now, I think—and keeps his arm around me as we head to the car.

I curl up in the seat as he throws everything into the trunk, and then he gets in and turns it on, but he doesn’t drive off rightaway. His eyes are wandering, restless as they take me in, and then he lifts his hands. ‘You did good.’

I shake my head, firm and quick. ‘I panicked.’

‘You kept yourself safe. You did good.’ He drags a touch down my jaw. ‘My good boy.’

I shiver, though the feeling those signs invoke isn’t the same as it usually is, but I feel comforted by that because I know he wouldn’t lie to me. Swallowing thickly, I press my fingers to my chin. ‘Thank you.’

He nods, then puts the car in reverse and pulls away from the complex, his gaze telling me he’s on alert as he drives us home.

God, I really thought it was over for me tonight. I never want to go back there again. I want to wipe my life clean of any of these memories, and if that means throwing it on the market for quick sale, that’s what I’ll do.

It’s not the most healthy coping mechanism, but it’s what I need. As soon as I can convey that, I’ll let Archie know. Maybe I can stay with him for a short time while I figure out where I’m going to end up next, but that’s a future Denver problem for a time when someone isn’t out to kill me.