Page 57 of Tainted Tempos

But my feet don’t move. My body doesn’t shift. Instead, my legs feel like lead. I’m frozen, unable to do anything but stare at the man in front of me.

The rushing water in my ears roars, clogging out the sounds of the night.

Panic washes over the guy’s face as he looms closer.

My limbs grow heavier. My feet are two cement blocks stuck to the pavement. At the end of a tunnel, I spot my car.

It’s so close. So fucking far away.

I don’t have my keys.

My throat is dry, and my tongue is swollen. My eyes feel scratchy and too big for my head.

Am I talking? Screaming? Whimpering?

My knees give out, and the ground surges upward.

A hand closes around my upper arm.

Is it Bran? Is it the guy?

Is it—nothing.

When I come to, bright light assaults my eyes.

I blink rapidly, trying to dislodge the feeling of sand from my eyeballs.

The incessant sound of a nearby beep increases.

I suck in oxygen, surprised by how heavy my chest feels.

I open my eyes, and a face looms over me.

Fuck! It’s the guy.

Is he stalking me? Is he going to kill me?

“You gotta calm down,” he says, his voice low. “They’re gonna kick me out if you don’t calm down.”

The beeping sound quickens, and he swears.

“Are you going to hurt me?” I manage to ask.

Shock blooms in the stranger’s eyes. “Hurt you? No, I’m trying to protect you.”

Even though I don’t know him or trust him, my heart rate slows slightly.

Still, it doesn’t make sense. “Did Bran send you?”

His eyebrows dip, pulling together over his crooked nose. “No.” He shakes his head. “I’m trying to keep you safe. I’m sorry I scared you. You passed out and hit your head hard. You got stitches in the back. I brought you here to the hospital.”

The beeping intensifies again.

“You gotta calm down,” he repeats.

“Who sent you?” I demand. “Who is making you watch over me?”

For a heartbeat, I wonder if it’s my dad. It makes no sense since Dad knows nothing about my current predicament. Jeannie sent a vase as a wedding gift and Dad left me a voicemail to arrange another dinner, but they don’t know about Bran.

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