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Just as I reach another alleyway, a hand reaches out and pulls me back into the darkness. Screaming, I punch and kick, smiling when I hear a voice grunt from the dark.
I turn and run for the doorway but I stumble and drop to my knees which gives the dark figure time to catch me. Jamming my elbow back into the figure, I hear him grunt. Then he growls and a fist slams into the side of my head. My ears ring and I can’t hear a damn thing but that ringing and my own heartbeat.
Grunting, I grab the side of my head and wince when it throbs with pain. Pushing back, I slam my own fist into the figure’s side and when his grip loosens, I rip out of his hands and fall out of the alley, getting my feet under me and running, falling, running again. His feet thud behind me and right when I think he’s about to get me again, another figure darts in between me and I hear a thud and then more grunts and thuds behind me.
And then like a damn idiot, I stop and lean against the wall, breath puffing out, eyes searching the deep as night darkness.
After one more grunt, one of the figures lifts up and away from the ground.
My eyes widen as I watch it grow and grow until it towers over me. I cower backwards and glance back and forth, looking for somewhere to hide. A hand reaches out and catches me before I can move. A snap of electricity whips up my arm and I gasp, stilling, my heart pounding.
“Hello, Red.”
I whip my head around and stare up into the dark, narrowing in on his huge figure.
“Who are you?”
He chuckles. “Doesn’t matter. Just a friend.”
I snort. “I don’t have any friends that look like you or would be out here this late at night.”
“You’re out here late at night,” he points out gruffly.
“I’m leaving work.”
“Maybe I am too.”
“Are you?”
“Nope.” He doesn’t even bother lying. “I’m following you.”
“Oh,” I answer weakly, wondering if I just jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
He grins and I see the quick flash of his smile as he fades backwards so that I can’t see him clearly. He’s big. I mean, really big. Broad shoulders that block out the light and taller than me by quite a bit. I’m five foot two and I think he’s at least six foot tall.
I glance around us and sigh. “Where did the other guy go?”
He growls and glares around. “Dammit! I lost him.” He starts to turn and take off but shakes his head, grunting and shoving his hand through his hair.
“I have no idea which direction he went.”
Nodding, I look around nervously. “I guess I should get on my way home.”
“I’ll walk you.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” But my eyes search the night, feeling that little chill skittering across my nerves again.
“I’ll walk you home, Red.”
“Not necessary.” My belly clenches when he moves closer and touches my arm.
“I don’t care if it’s necessary or not. I’m still walking you home, Red. It’s too dangerous out after dark. It’s silly that you work so late that you’re walking home at this time of the night. Don’t you know that’s when the rats come out?”
I choke on a laugh. “Aren’t you out right now?”
“Just because you are.”
A tiny niggle of unease licks at my nerves. “Why does it sound like you have been following me home?
