Page 85 of Spinner's Luck

Behind me.

I turned slowly, my heart sinking when I saw him. Fang.

He was standing just a few feet away, his grin wicked and dangerous, his eyes gleaming in the weak light of the dock lamps.

“Well, well,” he said, his voice velvety and mocking. “Look who we have here—curiosity really is a dangerous habit, isn’t it, Lucy?”

My breath caught in my throat, and I took a step back, my mind racing. I couldn’t fight him—not here, and past experience told me not ever.

Run.

I bolted, my feet pounding against the hard cement of the shipyard as Fang’s laughter followed me. “Get her!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the night.

I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.

My lungs burned as I sprinted past rows of shipping containers, their towering shapes creating a maze of shadows. The sound of boots on cement and gravel grew louder behind me, the Fire Dragons closing in.

Think, Lucy. Think.

I ducked around a corner, pulling my knife from its sheath. My hands were shaking, but I held it firm, ready to swing if anyone came too close.

“Split up!” I heard Fang yell. “She’s not getting away this time!”

A rush of adrenaline flooded my system as my heart hammered against my ribs. I darted toward the end of the pier, the water glinting under the moonlight. A dead end.

“Shit,” I hissed, spinning on my heel and doubling back.

A shadow loomed in front of me, one of Fang’s men blocking my path. He lunged, but I sidestepped, slashing out with the knife. He yelped as the blade grazed his arm, and I shoved him aside, sprinting past before he could recover.

My legs screamed in protest, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.

The sound of Fang’s voice grew closer, his taunts cutting through the air. . “Run, Lucy. Make it interesting. But youknowI’ll catch up.”

I spotted a narrow gap between two containers and dove into it, pressing my back against the cold metal. My breath was ragged, my chest heaving as I tried to quiet the pounding of my heart.

The sound of footsteps slowed, and I held my breath, the shadows shifting as Fang and another man walked past the opening.

“She’s close,” Fang said, his tone menacing. “Spread out.”

I waited until their footsteps faded before slipping out of the gap, moving silently along the edge of the dock. My escape route was clear now—an old access ladder leading down to the water.

The ladder groaned under my weight as I climbed down, the cold sea breeze biting at my skin. I dropped onto the lower pier, crouching low as I made my way toward the darkened shore.

Behind me, Fang’s voice rose in frustration. “Find her! She couldn’t have gotten far!”

I kept moving, my muscles trembling from the effort, until I was far enough from the docks to risk a glance back. The Dragon Fire men were scattered, their flashlights darting through the shadows, but they hadn’t spotted me.

Not yet.

I slipped into the cover of some containers, my chest heaving as I collapsed against the steel wall. My hands were still shaking, my knife clutched tightly in my grip.

For a moment, I let myself breathe, the adrenaline fading just enough for the fear to settle in.

I’d gotten away.

But just barely.

And I knew one thing for certain.

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