om the hallway bled t

ged sound of their breathi

d himself up

d down a

t coated her forehead. Her entire body was locked in a

ed. He shifte

o the white linen

g under the door, he saw it. A stark

pils d

ed from his eyes, replace

her fir

ne cursed und

less energy drained

vements suddenly agoni

away from her face. His rough thu

voice thick with a sudden, unf

y from his touch as

. She lived on pity from the ou

pped, her voice

edges of her dress u

you quiet. Don't look at me

eath, half-amused, half-in

ess in his ches

tie and handed it to

atic outside

s! Sweep the second f

nd quickly pulled

own at her,

'm going to draw them off. Then I'm comi

looked u

, softening her features into a

ed slowl

g second, burning the image of

he door open, slipping

ed shut, Katelyn's obedie

s turne

zipper of her dress with a saf

look

f this house years ago for this exact kind of emergency. She climbed onto the lower shelf, her muscles screaming in protest a

ne grabbed a heavy porcel

it down th

the marble floor wi

ienne shouted, his v

s rounded the corner

t, mocking grin and took off ru

gh the first floor, moving with the eff

rkness. The friction burned through the cheap fabric of her torn dress, scraping her elbows raw, but she didn't stop. She reached the second-floor access panel t

dress and shoved it deep into t

shower on as ho

in until it was bright red, trying to wash away the

hummed with the pha

a pair of oversized paja

burner phone fr

ging app and sent a single te

O

he ten-foot perimeter wall, leaving th

the tree line for cover, and sl

e hall and pulled open th

ht, le

sto

set was

d the blood-stained towe

red at the

ded. His jaw clenched so ha

used him as a distraction, and threw hi

t fury erupted

en doorframe. The wood splintered

he breathed, his

lay perfectly stil

ps stopped ou

ock c

into the room, his face

slowing her breathing,