“Rick, this isn’t a good time,” I said as I answered.
“Cam!” He was nearly shouting into the phone, his voice verging on panic. “Please don’t hang up.”
“I’m sorry, Rick, but I told you earlier, this is over. We’re too different. I don’t really think there’s anything more to talk about. You made it very clear how your family views me.”
“No, no, no, that’s not true. Please. I was a dumbass, I swear. An idiot. I don’t care what they think. Hell, you can wear torn jeans and shave your head for the gala for all I care. Seriously, Cameron. Give me another chance.”
The office doors were just ahead, beyond the alleyway that separatedThe Chroniclebuilding from an apartment complex.I wanted to be off the phone by the time I got to the door. He needed to understand this was final.
“Rick, you’re a great guy, but this is never going to work. It probablyneverwould have worked. We?—”
The shout of surprise burst from my lips before I realized what was happening. Something had grabbed me around my middle and was dragging me into the alleyway. I tumbled sideways and fell, smacking my head on the pavement. Stars burst across my vision, and a groggy sleepiness swarmed my head, making it hard to focus. Somehow, I was still holding my phone. Rick’s voice was shouting from the speaker as I skidded across the ground.
“Cam? Cameron, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t answer; I could barely understand what was going on, much less articulate it. The phone finally fell from my hand when a heavy weight crashed onto me. Hot, fetid breath washed over my face, and a sense of déjà vu slammed into me. I recalled the attack in the garage last week, but this time I was too dazed to fight back.
The body on top of me disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, and the sound of something hitting the wall echoed through the alley. The earth spun as I rolled over. Nate stood above me, lips peeled back in a grimace. He stared across the alley at the man who’d attacked me. It was the man in the photo Ollie had shown me earlier. The same man who had attacked me in the parking garage. Somehow, he looked even dirtier and scragglier than he had the night he’d jumped me and Lesley.
Once I’d regained my equilibrium, I crawled behind Nate, pressing my back into the building behind me. Nate took a step toward the man, and I couldn’t be sure, but it almost sounded like he wasgrowlingat him. Like a deep, rumbling, dog-like growl. I’d never heard a man make such a sound, and even inmy dazed state, I was impressed by its volume and intimidating resonance.
“Fucker,” the guy hissed. He sounded more animal than human as he growled back at Nate. An actual growl, like he was a dog or something.
An instant later, he lunged at Nate. I opened my mouth to shout, to warn Nate, but he needed no help from me. He slid aside with the speed of an athlete, dodging the attacker, then slammed his fist into the man’s jaw. Blood burst from the man’s mouth, but he wasn’t fazed. He whirled and leaped onto Nate, grabbing his jacket and dragging him to the ground.
Nate brought his elbows down on the man’s wrists, breaking the hold. He rolled aside, then kicked the attacker in the side. As my vision cleared, I was shocked at Nate’s speed and agility. It was almost otherworldly. The same could be said about the attacker. They both let out strange animalistic noises as they fought. Snarls, growls, and angry rumbling sounds deep in their throats.
Nate evaded another attack, diving under the man’s outstretched hands. Grabbing the guy around the middle, Nate ran him into the wall of the building. He grunted as he hit the unyielding brick and hammered his fists onto Nate’s back.
Nate cursed and tossed the man over his shoulder like a rag doll. My God, how strongwasNate? In a display that would have looked like CGI from a movie had I not witnessed it with my own eyes, the attacker managed to flip and right himself in midair, landing on his feet. For a moment, it felt like I was watching a scene from some sort of sci-fi movie. Nate moved so fast, his roundhouse kick to the guy’s chest was little more than a blur. The man tumbled out of the alleyway and onto the sidewalk. He rolled to a stop in the street, and a taxi had to slam on its brakes to keep from hitting him.
Several pedestrians screamed in surprise. When he stood, and they saw the madness evident in his eyes, the screams became more frantic. A man called out for the police. The guy looked around at the gathering crowd, then back into the alley, his eyes locking on mine. He peeled his lips back and snarled, then sprinted away down the street.
Safe, I sagged against the wall, and Nate turned to me. “Are you okay?” He knelt and took me in his arms.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled.
“All right,” Nate said. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.”
On the pavement, Rick’s voice was still calling out from the tiny speaker. “Cameron? Who the hell is that? Who’s with you?”
10
Nate
Anger seethed within me—angerandsurprise. The fucking feral had attacked her in broad daylight? Jesus, he was really fucked in the head. His scent had given off rancid wafts of stale sweat and madness. It had taken every ounce of restraint I possessed not to chase after him. Too many witnesses. They’d get suspicious of our speed, and going after him would mean leaving Cameron here alone. I couldn’t do that.
“Hey, are you guys all right?” someone called from the street.
Snapping my head around, I discovered a group of curious onlookers had gathered. Fuck. One of them looked familiar. I was sure I’d seen her earlier in the newsroom.
Shit. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
Some guy was still barking on Cameron’s phone. He sounded pissed and kept asking who I was. I hung up on him and tucked her phone into my jacket pocket.
“Are you all right?” I asked, tilting her chin up so she could meet my eyes.
Her face wasn’t hurt, but she looked dazed. Her eyes were barely able to focus. Why the hell had he attacked her again? It made no sense whatsoever. A mad feral would be searching for the easiest prey. Stalking a woman who got away took too much time and energy. What about Cameron made him want to follow her across the city?
