Page 9 of Knight

I press the barrel to the back of her head.

“Don’t move.”

A smart intruder freezes. The stupid ones? They make me pull the trigger.

CHAPTER FOUR

Evangeline

The elevator doors slide open,revealing a hallway bathed in dim recessed lighting so faint it barely deserves the name. I check the message Knight sent me again.

Third floor. Door at the end.

Two potted plants flank the only door. Ithasto be Knight's apartment.

I take a steadying breath, and walk down the hallway. There’s a security pad to the right. I look at the message again, then input the code he sent. The red light turns green. A click follows, then the lock disengages, and the door swings open slightly.

I hesitate.

Three weeks of late-night messages have led to this moment.

Nervous butterflies take off in my stomach.

What if meeting in person changes things? What if?—

I shake my head, pushing the door open wider. Darkness swallows me whole. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows spill moonlight through the cracks in the blinds, but the small streaks of light do nothing to cut through the heavy dark. I clutch my laptop closer.

"Knight?" My voice wavers in the silence.

Nothing.

A shiver snakes its way down my spine, my mind summoning all sorts of monsters lurking in the shadows. I step forward cautiously, heartbeat loud in my ears. My foot catches on something, sending me forward a stumbling step. I shuffle around, then freeze.

Did I hear someone moving?

Don’t be ridiculous.

“Knight?”

He should be here. Hesaidhe’d be here. Maybe he’s in his office, headphones on, lost in code like he always says he gets. The thought steadies me into taking another step deeper into the room … then another, moving farther away from the door.

Something begins to take shape in the shadows ahead—a hallway or doorway? Maybe it’s his office. Just a few more steps and?—

Cold metal presses against the back of my head.

Every muscle in my body locks up. My thoughts scatter, unable to process what's happening.

What is?—

"Don't move." A male voice. Deep and hard.

Oh god. Ohgodohgodohgod.

"Turn around." A pause. "Slowly."

My breath is coming too fast, fear locking my throat. My body fights the command.

“Turn. Around.”

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