Chapter 47

FORTY-SEVEN

" W hat happened? Why are you screaming?" I ask as I hurry into the living room, searching Alice for injuries.

"The crash scared me, that's all." She looks upstairs where it came from.

"Stay here," I order everyone, grabbing a baseball bat from a closet. I ascend the stairs, turning when there's a creak to find a determined Evan right behind me.

"Downstairs," I hiss.

"No," he snaps.

I grit my teeth, knowing it's no good to fight with him. I search the bathroom then Alice's room before mine. The back window is smashed in, glass covering the bed, and there's a giant rock on the comforter. Picking it up one-handed, I turn it over to find writing on the back.

SHE'S MINE.

I show Evan, and he nods. "He's here. We should call the police."

"Go back downstairs, I want us all together."

I follow him down and lock the front door, checking the windows. Everyone is huddled together in the living room. "Don't panic, okay? He's here." Alice's eyes widen, and I pull her into my arms. "He's trying to scare you. I'm going to call the police. The doors are locked. They'll come and get him, alright? You're safe. We are all here."

Just as I finish speaking, there's a crash from the back of the house—the kitchen. I share a look with Evan, who finished setting out candles. "Stay with her," I order. Gripping the bat tighter, I make my way down the hallway, but I feel Evan follow seconds later. When I glance back, Bones and Skylar are standing next to Alice, and they nod at me to let me know they have her.

I turn back to the hallway, peering at the dark kitchen, straining to see anything.

There's another crash, this time from the front of the house. I hesitate but keep moving, needing to check the back door.

"Well, that's clearly a trap, so nope, I'm not doing that. Not today, Mr. Serial Killer. You will have to do better. That's a basic bitch move right there," I hear Lally call as I move to the kitchen, Evan on my heels.

It's dark, but light from the back garden streams inside.

The back door is open, the lock on the floor. I search the empty space, my eyes landing on the knife block and the empty spot where the biggest knife should be. All the hair on my body rises as fear washes through me. This is serious. I need to get them out of here. It's no longer safe. "Evan, we can't wait here for the police. We'll drive to the station. Tell the others—" I turn just as something flashes in the dark.

A blur heads toward Evan, knife raised to plunge it into his body, the sharp tip glittering in the limited light.

Snarling, I push Evan aside, and he slams into the floor as I take the blade meant for him.

The sharp pain makes me grunt as I hit the wall, the knife sticking from my side before the shadow yanks it out and raises it again. My hands come up slowly to cover the wound when Evan yells and tackles the shadow, sending them sprawling across the room.

"Evan!" I yell, stumbling forward.

They grapple until Evan is above the masked assailant. The light shining in allows me to see a creepy mask over his face. Evan doesn't care. He slams his fist into the man's face over and over until he stops moving, then he grabs the knife and jumps to his feet. He turns to me, his eyes dropping to my side where I'm bleeding.

"Alek," he whispers before he grabs me and shoves me down the hallway to the others. Alice screams when she sees me.

Evan grabs my keys and looks at the others. "Go now! To the cars! Head to the station," he barks, shoving me to the front door as he glances back at the kitchen, the knife held in his hands as I grab him and pull him out after us, and we spill into the front garden. We all sprint to my car, squeezing in—Evan in the driver's seat, me in the passenger seat, and the others in the back, sitting on knees. As Evan turns on the engine and peels away, I turn back to see the masked man run from the house and dive into a car two doors down. The lights splash on the empty, quiet road, and then he's driving after us.

I look at Evan and find him gripping the wheel, glancing at the mirror over and over. "Ease up, baby," I warn. "Head to the station." Glancing down, I peel my hand away to see the bleeding wound. It's deep, but I don't think it hit anything vital or I would be bleeding more.

"What happened?" Bones asks from the back, where he's perched on Skylar's knee.

"Alice's stalker was there. He tried to gut Evan, but I stopped him."

"And got stabbed!" Evan yells hysterically, glancing at me with worried eyes. He looks at my side, where I'm holding the wound, and he gulps.

"Shh, it's okay, pretty boy, just a flesh wound," I promise, trying not to let my pain show.

"You let yourself get stabbed. Who lets themselves get stabbed nowadays?" Skylar scoffs.

Sighing, I glance back at him in disbelief. "I didn't let myself get stabbed. I got stabbed. There's a difference," I grumble.

"Who gets stabbed? What are we, in Scream or Freddy vs. Jason ? Hell, even Texas Chainsaw Massacre or some The Strangers bullshit?" He just keeps rapidly listing horror movies, and we all turn, even Evan, to stare at him. He stops babbling and glances around nervously. "What?"

"You have a suspicious amount of knowledge about horror films," Bones deadpans as Sky's cheeks heat, making me grin.

"I watch them when I want to feel something, okay?" Sky counters, and despite the situation, I kind of want to laugh, which is probably why he did it.

"When this is over, I think we need to get you a therapist," I suggest with a grin.

"Or laid." Bones snorts, glancing back at Sky, who wiggles his eyebrows at the tattooed asshole.

"Are you offering, sexy?"

"Is this really the time?" Evan yells, glancing at me as I staunch the blood flow. His eyes are wide and wild, and he's holding the wheel like a lifeline.

"Right, serial killer on the loose and chasing us. Alek let himself get stabbed?—"

"I didn't let myself get—you know what? Throw him out and let the stalker have him," I tell Bones and Evan.

"Then you wouldn't have any friends," Sky retorts.

"I have Bones," I argue.

"Nope, not your friend." Bones shrugs casually, even as we speed through the streets, heading toward the police station. I glance in the mirror but don't see any lights. Did we lose him?

"I'll be your friend," Evan says, throwing me a worried smile, knowing we are doing it to keep and me calm. My sister is practically hyperventilating. Lally has her arms around her, whispering to her quietly.

"Aww, that's so cute, I'm going to throw up," Bones grumbles.

Alice starts yelling then, which is better than crying. "What the hell is wrong with all of you?"

It goes silent, and Sky leans into Bones as I glance back at my sister. "I think she needs to get laid more or go to like a rage room or something. Why don't we get her drunk at a quiz or something?"

Alice turns and gapes at Sky as Evan focuses on driving, and I pull out some rags from the glove box. They are cleanish, thank fuck, so I bind my waist to stop as much bleeding as I can.

"I like quizzes," Lally says helpfully as Tommy nods, looking far too pale where he's squeezed between them.

"We should call our team Super Gays," Lally muses, following along to calm everyone down.

"I am not calling it Super Gays." I sigh then wince when it tugs on the wound.

"Right," she says. "Because Evan is bi."

"Seriously?" Alice yells, throwing her hands in the air before pointing at us. "Stop it. What the fuck is going on?"

Anger is better than fear, though, so it's working.

"Alice, it's okay," I tell her. "It didn't hit anything important. I'm stopping the bleeding, and we are heading to the station. I'll get seen, so sit back and calm down, alright?" I wait until she does that, huffing, but it's obvious she's worried. Glancing at Evan, I see him staring at the road as he presses down on the pedal, driving my car erratically, but I'm more worried about his grinding jaw.

Leaning over, I lay my hand on Evan's thigh. "Baby, slow down."

"I can't," he admits and lowers his voice. "He's following us."

I follow his eyes and see the lights hitting our back window. "He won't be able to follow us into the station. It will be okay."

"We have a problem with that." Evan nods his head, and I turn to see the road we need is closed, with flashing cones and signs blocking it. Groaning, I look back and turn to Evan. "Okay, we can just go around—" We are hit from behind. I slam my hand against the ceiling and my arm across the middle to stop them from flying through the windshield. Evan grits his teeth, controlling our spin as best as he can, jerking us back onto the road, but we are rammed again by the car. We fishtail, spinning, and luckily Evan stops us from flipping before we slide to a stop.

I look into the back. "Are you okay?" I ask them. They all nod, and I glance at Evan. "Evan?" I panic.

"Fine, I'm fine." He hits the steering wheel as the engine cuts out, and he turns the key, trying to restart it. "It won't fucking start. "

"He might have hit something. I don't have time to fix it." The revving of the other car makes my eyes narrow, and I jerk around, looking at where we are. The familiar art buildings on campus catch my eye. "Come on, let's get out. We can hide in the school and call the police."

"That's what he wants—us on foot," Evan hisses.

"I know, pretty boy." I grip his hand and kiss him. "But it's all we have."

"This is fucked up," he snaps. "He planned all of this."

"I know." Gripping the bat, I hand him the knife and glance back. "There are tools under the seat."

Bones leans over, grabbing the box and handing out wrenches and screwdrivers. It's better than nothing.

"We'll run to your art building." I can't believe we are here, of all places. "We'll get inside, find a classroom, and block the door while we wait for the cops."

"It's an away game today," Bones adds unhelpfully. "No one will be around to help."

"Fucking great." Gripping the bat, I run my eyes over them. "Run fast."

"Alek." Alice shakes her head. "I can't. Please, let's just go to the cops?—"

"Look at me," I order, and she does. "You can do this. I'll be right there, okay? He isn't getting anywhere near you. If we stay here, we're dead. We have to keep moving and find somewhere safe."

Bones nods. "I can take him. It's one fucking guy."

"With a car," I remind him. "If it comes to it, we can all take him, but not with him using a car. We would be sitting ducks. He's proven he's willing to kill."

"So am I," Bones replies seriously.

"Will you marry me?" Skylar teases.

I spare him a glare as the car revs. "Now!" I roar.

I kick open my door and climb out, ignoring my wound as much as I can. The back doors open, the others spilling out as I meet the eyes of the man in the car. Lights spread across us and the road, doors slam, and I turn away.

Throwing Alice at Lally, I push them forward as we start to run.

I grab Evan's hand and tug him after me as we burst into a sprint, heading toward the school. The car revs, and I glance back as we hit the path that leads past the parking lot, and the car suddenly rolls forward, heading straight for us. I stumble, but Evan pulls me upright, and we move faster. I can feel blood running down my side and jeans, but I ignore it, urging the others on.

"Keep going!" I yell as lights splash over us so brightly it burns, and I can nearly taste the metal of his bumper as he chases us. There's a groan, and I glance back to see him jumping the curb before he hits the path and barrels toward us, rocks spraying everywhere from his tires.

I push my body as fast as I can. The sound of Alice's panicked breathing reaches me from the front, where Lally holds her hand, pulling her along. Bones and Skylar reach the door first and yank it open, Tommy tumbling in after them. Racing up the steps after my sister, I push her inside and slam the door, turning as the car barrels into the stairs and stops, its engine smoking.

"Is there a lock?" I ask.

"No, not on the front door. It stays open for students working late," Evan mutters. "Come on, there's a lab on the second floor. It's keycard only."

Nodding, I keep my eyes on the car and the unmoving masked man inside before turning and following after them. Lally leads the way, holding onto Alice as we hit the stairs, taking them two at a time. I grit my teeth against the pain, not wanting to worry the others. Evan has his phone out, and I hear it ringing as we reach the second floor and hurry down the hallway, our feet squeaking on the tile.

"Hi, yes, we are at Pine Valley College. We have been attacked, and one of us has been stabbed. The assailant is still here. Please come quickly, we think it's the killer." He reels off more information as Tommy slides his card into the lock over and over until it glows green. We duck inside, shutting the door and turning on the lock. I push Alice under a desk with Lally while grabbing Evan and shoving him under another.

"Okay, they are coming. They said to hold on. Apparently, there was a big fire downtown," Evan whispers. "We are safe here. We just need to hide until they get here."

I hate hiding, but he's right. I'm injured, and I need to protect my sister. Who knows what this guy is capable of?

Sitting under the desk with a wince, I meet Evan's worried gaze. I open my arms and urge him to move closer. "I'm okay, pretty boy," I soothe.

He slides to my side as I meet Alice's worried gaze and smile. She gives me a shaky smile back, and I check on the others. Tommy is huddled under a tiny desk, and Skylar and Bones are under another one. I shake my head when Bones smacks Sky as he sneaks a hand down to his ass.

Sky isn't one to miss an opportunity.

"What does this psycho want?" Tommy mutters. "Is he seriously planning on killing us to get Alice? What the fuck?"

"He's insane," Evan replies. "He isn't thinking clearly, but if we play it safe and make it until the police get here, they'll get the bastard, and it will be over." He leans back, blowing out a breath, determination filling his gaze. "Okay, show me your wound, Alek, and let me see what I can do."

"Evan—"

"Now, Alek," he hisses. "Don't fight me on this."

I grin lazily. "You're hot when you're angry."

"Not the time, princess," he mutters, but he smiles like I wanted.

God, I love this boy.

I really fucking love him, and I hope I make it through the night to tell him that.