The Creep

ANNA

“Hey, girl. My ride’s just about here.” I leaned in and gave Kris a quick kiss on the cheek where she was talking to a guy at the bar.

Her bottom lip pouted. “Aww. Are you sure you have to go?”

“I’ve got an early morning,” I lied, needing more than anything to sleep and maybe burn a few hours obsessively dwelling on my problems.

She immediately moved to stand. “I’ll walk you out.”

I waved her off. “They should be right outside. Finish your drink. I’ll text you when I’m home.”

She looked torn but nodded reluctantly. The man to her right seemed especially pleased.

“Make sure Jake walks you out,” I told her, shooting him a look. His face fell, even as Kris bobbed her head in agreement.

I grabbed my coat and headed for the exit. Just as I stepped to the curb, the ride-share app indicated my driver had canceled, and my fare had been reassigned.

“Dammit,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Normally, it didn’t bother me to wait a few minutes on my own, even though Kris berated me any time I was solo after dark. However, the unusually quiet street was giving me the creeps.

With a shiver, I decided to go back inside. Even if Kris was busy chatting with that guy, Jake would happily keep me company.

I was halfway to the door of the bar when a voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

“Where you going, baby?”

I looked over my shoulder and saw Drunk Guy walking toward me with one of his friends. A single glance at the glint in his eyes, and immediate panic washed over me.

When I whipped around toward the bar, I found another of his companions blocking my path.

~Shit.~

“Just forgot my ID inside,” I lied and took a step backward.

“Let me go grab it for you,” one of the guys offered, and then snapped his fingers as though remembering something. “Oh wait, your bitch ass got us kicked out.”

They neared closer on either side of me. Outrunning three grown men in high heels didn’t seem feasible.

Not to mention the alcohol making my head spin and vision blur. I felt as though I couldn’t get enough air in my lungs as a mixture of fear and adrenaline flooded my veins.

“My friend’s waiting for me.” I continued to retreat until my back collided with the brick wall behind me. One of the men smirked and licked his lips as my eyes widened.

They had me pinned. I looked around for anyone to help, but there wasn’t a soul in sight.

I tried desperately to unlock my phone, but they were faster than my tipsy fingers. It was quickly snatched away and tossed to the side.

“You still owe me a dance.” Drunk Guy sneered as he pressed his greasy body to mine. Bile rose in my throat, and I turned my face away from his foul breath.

“Please, just leave me alone,” I pleaded.

When he laughed, I drove my knee straight to his groin as hard as I could. He folded over, and I bolted.

I’d been right about running being futile at best. I only made it three steps before beefy arms wrapped around my middle.

I tried to scream, but a hand clamped down over my mouth, quieting any hope I had of raising the alarm.

I bit down hard enough to taste blood. The owner yelped, and something solid struck me in the side of my head.

My heels made me off balance, causing me to stumble before my knees and hands scraped against the rough sidewalk.

A hard shove to my back knocked the wind out of me and sent my cheek on a crash course with the pavement.

I saw stars, and the noises around me became muffled. I knew I was about to pass out but tried to fight it.

~Keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open.~

Rough hands picked me up, and I vaguely registered I was being dragged.

Reality struck me like a freight train. ~They’re going to kill me.~

I kicked out and thrashed as hard as I could. My foot made contact with what I could only hope was something especially sensitive. A deep voice swore before I was thrown to the ground once again.

Even as spots danced across my vision, I tried to push myself up to my hands. A sharp kick to my ribs knocked the wind out of me, but I refused to stay down.

One of the men chuckled. “Feisty little thing, isn’t she?”

I fought the urge to vomit. He sounded so disgustingly pleased. They were enjoying the pain they inflicted.

~Please. Please someone help me. I can’t die like this.~

All at once, the sound of squealing tires cut through the cool night. I looked up just in time to see a dark SUV jump the curb before screeching to a halt.

The headlights were blinding. I barely made out the shadow of a figure as it leapt from the passenger side before the vehicle had even come to a full stop.

“Who the fuck—” My perpetrator didn’t get to finish his question before the strange man swung for his jaw.

Even through the ringing in my ears, the sickening crunch was undeniable. He crumpled immediately.

Time seemed to stand still for a brief moment as shock set in with the other two. Then, a second man joined the first, and suddenly it was an all-out brawl.

I could barely keep up with the frenzied activity.

My breath came in ragged gasps, and every inch of my body hurt.

Running was clearly out of the question. I managed to scoot toward the side of the building and grunted as I sat up against it.

When the world around me began to swirl, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, praying for a miracle.

“Annalise!”

“Huh?” I blinked and felt like the world was moving in slow motion.

“Annalise, wake up!”

I hadn’t even realized I’d gone unconscious.

My vision slowly came into focus, and I frowned up at the concerned face staring back at me.

“Gavin?”