“Damn it!” the man yells as he shoves me to the side.“You’re really starting to piss me off!”
With a growl, he throws a punch that connects with my cheek. Then, he’s on top of me, pummeling me with his fists. Blow after blow lands on my face and my arms as he takes out all his aggression on me. I curl up into a ball, trying to protect my face from the onslaught. I’m not going to let the man beat me, but I need an opening.
I gather my strength. With a burst of energy, I push him off me and roll to my feet. He tries to grab me, but I sidestep him and land a powerful kick to his ribs. He grunts in pain, but quickly recovers and lunges forward, grabbing me by the neck. I gasp for air as he tightens his grip, cutting off my oxygen supply.
“You think you’re so tough, don’t you?” he sneers, his face contorted with rage.“Well, let’s see how tough you are without air.”
I struggle against his grip, clawing at his hands in a desperate attempt to free myself. But he’s too strong, and I’m starting to feel dizzy from lack of oxygen. I go slack, pretending to pass out. The idiot buys it, relaxing his hold just enough for me to break free. I jab my fist into his sternum. The man grunts and looks up in surprise. But instead of trying to fight me, he turns and runs, disappearing into the night.
My heart pounds as I try to catch my breath, cursing myself for letting him escape. If I weren’t so oxygen deprived, I would have had him.
“Damn it!” I can’t chase him down now. He’s too far gone. But this isn’t over, not by a long shot.
I turn back toward Sienna’s house, my mind racing with questions and concern. A dangerous game is being played here, and I need to find out who’s pulling the strings. For Jessica and Sienna’s sake, I won’t let this threat go unanswered.
Returning to the front porch, I try to slow my pounding heart. Something on the doormat catches my attention. It’s a plain white envelope without anything written on the front. I bend to pick it up. I’m about to open it when the front door swings open.
“Who’s there?” Sienna’s voice rings out, sharp with fear. She points a shotgun at me, its barrel just inches from my chest. I raise my hands slowly, praying she recognizes me before pulling the trigger.
“Sienna, wait! It’s me, Talon!”
Her eyes widen slightly as she lowers the gun, relief mingling with shock.
“What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of us,” Jessica says as she appears behind Sienna. They both stare at me with wide-eyed concern.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” I reply, lowering my hands, still clutching the unopened letter in one.“I couldn’t leave you two alone tonight. I had a bad feeling about it, and I was right. Someone was trying to break into your house. I saw him lurking around and chased him, but he got away.”
“Are you okay?” Jessica asks, her voice trembling slightly as she looks me over.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“What’s that?” Jessica asks, nodding toward the letter in my hand.
“Found it on the doormat. I was about to open it when you came out.”
“Let’s go inside and see what it says.” Sienna’s voice is tight with apprehension.
“Good idea,” Jessica says.
We step into the house and Sienna closes the door behind us. Loki runs up to greet me. I bend down to rub his ears before redirecting my attention to the letter.
“Let’s see what’s inside.” I slide my fingernail under the seam.
“Wait! What if there’s something bad inside it, like, I don’t know … anthrax or something?” Sienna’s gaze is firmly fixated on the envelope.
“Why would anyone put that on your porch?” Jessica asks.“Just open it.”
“Okay.”
They exchange wary glances as I open it. There’s a single, folded piece of paper inside. I unfold it, slowly revealing the contents. It’s comprised of cut-out letters from newspapers, and they form the chilling words: I’m coming for you.
Jessica’s eyes widen in horror, and her breath hitches as she reads it aloud.“I’m coming for you.” The color drains from her face, leaving her looking ghostly pale.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Sienna demands.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it,” I respond.
“Jess, hey, don’t cry. We’re here for you,” Sienna reassures her friend, stepping closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Sienna’s trying to keep her own fear under control, but I can see the tension in her jaw. She’s just as frightened as Jessica, and I don’t blame her. This isn’t good at all.
