Page 23 of Heat Lightning

Taking advantage of the distraction, I threw my weight backwards, trying to dislodge his grip. “HELP!” I cried. “SOMEBODY HELP ME!”

“Fuck,” he cursed. “You’re going to wake up the whole town shouting like that. Hush.”

Obviously, I ignored him. “HELP!” I screamed again, throat raw.

He lifted me, and my feet kicked out, tipping us backwards. With a heavy grunt, he slammed into the wall—I wouldn’t be surprised if he left a dent.

I don’t know how to fix a hole in the wall, I thought wildly, clawing at the arm wrapped around my chest. As if that mattered in this moment when my life was literally in the hands of a murdering stalker.

He covered my mouth again to muffle my cries, knocking my glasses off. They crunched under his boot, shattered and bent. “Jesus fucking Christ. This—wasn’t supposed to—would you stop squirming for one goddamn minute and look at me?”

Absolutely not.

I head-butted him, and he released me with a cry, cupping his face.

Breaking into a run down the hall, I dove onto the bed, reaching for my phone. I just needed to call the emergency line. Even if I didn’t have time to say anything, they had to come and check, right?

I sure as fuck hoped so.

My hands fumbled to pull the phone from the charger, and I dropped it. “Fuck!”

Frantically, I felt around for where it landed on the carpeted floor. There! Phone secure in my hand, I rolled onto my back and swiped up, looking for the emergency call button.

Almost there, almost there, almost there!

But the Masked Man was right behind me. “No, no, no, no, no,” he said, like I was a cat poised to knock a drinking glass off the counter. “We don’t want to do that.” He straddled my hips, batted the phone out of my hand, and pinned my wrists faster than anyone that big had a right to be.

I wanted to shout some more, or maybe beg for my life, but my teeth chattered so hard from the adrenaline pumping through my veins I couldn’t move my mouth correctly. “Pl—se d-don’t⁠—”

“Shh,” he said, running his thumb across the wrist he’d trapped against the bed. It sent shivers down my spine. “Seriously, Max. I am not going to hurt you.”

I froze, heart beating frantically. Staring up into those bright blue eyes, the ones that’d haunted my dreams for two years, I wanted to believe him.

But should I? He hadn’t hurt me before, not really, but why the fuck would he be here if it wasn’t to punish me for something? Did he think I’d told someone about him?

Shaking my head frantically, I tried to get free. “I h-haven’t—told-told any—anyone,” I choked out. “Please.” Please don’t kill me.

Pinned like this, I was a rabbit caught beneath his paw, staring into the maw of the wolf. Maybe if I don’t move, he won’t hurt me.

Except holding my breath wasn’t going to work. My vision grew spotty, and the world tipped beneath me.

Those piercing eyes narrowed, accentuating the gruesomeness of the snarling canine smile. “For the love of God, take a deep breath.”

As if on command, I gasped, inhaling gulps of air. He said it almost like he was annoyed by my genuine terror, which sobered me a bit. What right did he have to be annoyed?

I squirmed beneath him. “Get—get off,” I said, trying for vicious and landing somewhere in the realm of pathetic.

“Ah ah ah.” He bore down on me even more. “Not until you’re rational.”

A wheezing half-laugh, half-cough burst out of me. I couldn’t help my next words. “Rational?” I said. “Fuck off. The only rational thing to do right now would be to stab you in the eye. GET OFF!”

His eyes twinkled, and the mask stretched wide, hiding a grin beneath. Oh, God, what had I done? “There you are. Glad to have you back, sweetheart. But we don’t want to involve the very nice family next door, do we? So keep your voice down.”

Enzo’s sweet little face flashed through my mind, and terror seized me again. Would he really hurt a child? I honestly wasn’t sure.

“Don’t,” I said, teeth clenched to stop the involuntary chattering. My eyes darted between his, pleading. I was panicking again. “D—don’t hurt them. They don’t know anything. They’re n—nice.”

“Hey,” he said, genuine concern entering his voice. “Shh. It’s alright.”