Page 36 of The Stolen Dagger
“You weren’t supposed to see that,mi princesa.”
I turned to a run but tripped over that stupid tin can. I righted my footing, but his heavy footsteps were right behind me. He wrapped an arm around my stomach, pulling me back into him before I could take another step. A hard object dug into my side.
The gun.Hisgun.
“Oh, pretty girl, you know you can’t run from me,” Adrian whispered in my ear. His arm tightened around me, pulling me harder into him.
“Please,” I whimpered, shifting away from the gun against my ribs.
“I really wish you hadn’t seen that,mi princesa.” his breath was heavy against my ear. “What am I going to do with you now?”
Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head and struggled against his hold.
Adrian spun me around in his arms, so we were chest to chest. “Oh, don’t worry,” he said, wiping the runaway tears on my cheeks. “You know I could never hurt you. So long as you do exactly as I say.”
Whoa.I shook my head as if to shake away the memory.
Where did that come from?
My memories of that night were hazy. The scene of Adrian shooting Henry was vivid in my mind but after that was like a movie I hadn’t seen in years. Even though I’d livedthrough it, it felt like I was grasping for the details in a sea of fragmented scenes that were just now coming to the surface.
Piecing together what happened was difficult, painful even, as I was forced to relive a night I’d repressed for more than a year.
Yet, I was haunted by it—taunted with the truth that was buried in my subconscious.
My phone vibrated on the table beside me. It was probably Drew saying he was on his way. Reaching for the device, I smiled to myself. It was nice to not deal with this all on my own. I was grateful for Drew, and I wanted him to know it.
But when I looked at my phone, it wasn’t Drew.
The stalker had sent another picture.
A single image.
My heart rate increased, beating like a drum in my ears.
Of me.
Goosebumps prickled along my skin.
Sitting at this table.
My mouth opened in a gasp.
With a message that said,“Here I come, little bird.”
I quickly stood, dropped my phone on the table, and searched my secluded corner of the library for the stalker, but the area was empty.
There was no sign of anyone watching me or taking pictures. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen anyone walk by for the past hour.
Where is everyone?
I looked back down at my phone and the photo displayed on the screen. It was taken at an angle from behind me through the small gaps in the bookshelves. The picture was zoomed in, like it was taken from across the room.
How did I not notice someone taking my picture?
I mentally kicked myself, recounting the first thing Drewtaught me in self-defense: always be aware of your surroundings.
I stepped out from the little enclave I was in, searching for any other student or librarian, but the floor was empty. The barred lights that hung from the ceiling were dimmed, and darkness spread in the farthest corners of the library.
