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When I reached Alex’s street, I parked three houses down froel’s ine, I escaped off the driveway and started sprinting through the heavily tree-lined yards At the corner of her yard, I ducked behind a bush to survey the scene The streetlaht that I could see there was no car parked in Alex’s driveway However, just down the street, a dark car sat outside a house with a FOR SALE sign in the yard

Keeping low to the ground, I hustled across the driveway With the garage door down, Ifor another way into the garage or the house I found a side door to the garage that was locked Taking my wallet out of the back of my pants, I used one of the oldest tricks in the book to shie, stepping lightly to avoidany noise I was halfway around the side of Alex’s car when the sound of struggling caused ruff voice shouted When I got to the door, I peered inside Rage burned within ed, and unconscious It took everything within me not to rush forward But I had to keep my head and use reason in the situation I’d co to alert a neighbor and the police That was the last thing I wanted I was going to take care of this fucker withwent out the hen the hs Before his hand could go any farther, I storh the door The man whirled around Before he had the chance to raise his knife to ut The knife clattered to the floor When he reached for it, the heel ofthe heel into the back of his hand As he cried out in pain, I broughtback

I nailed hiut and then to the jaw Blood spattered over rabbed hi his face into the stove When he finally slu I had beaten him unconscious, I released his hair and shoved him onto the floor

At the sound of a whimper, I whirled around Alexthe scum who had dared to attack her When I met her eyes, they ith fear I took a few steps toward her and held upto hurt you anymore"

When I reached for her, she shrieked and shifted away fro shock she was in I had expected her to fall intowith Case and Mac, ca into the house from different entrances

"House and perimeter are clear," Case informed ,to the man crumpled on the kitchen floor

"Yeah Hopefully the piece of shit is down for a while" Glancing back at Alex, I said, "But I don’t know about her"

"She in shock?" Mac asked

I nodded "Won’t letthe hell out of the man"

Case nodded "She’s spooked about you"

"Wash your hands and face," Rev ordered I allance at erator I realized then how I frightening I must look to her with blood spattered on my shirt and face, not to mention that my hands, all the way up to my elboere coated in it

With a nod, I stepped past hi, and I glanced down "Son of a bitch! That fucker killed her dog"

At the , Alex whi sorry," I muttered over my shoulder When she didn’t respond, I went on to the sink I rippedsome of the blood off my arms As I turned on the hot water, I craneda knife from his pocket, he slowly approached Alex "Alexandra, it’s Rev Will you let me cut you down?"

She stared at hied But Rev didn’t back down He kept inching closer and closer to her "None of us are going to hurt you I want to cut you down, so we can get you out of here and back to the coood care of you" Rev spoke evenly and in a soothing tone Finally, it see to cut you free now" She eyed him warily, but she didn’t try to s that held her to the kitchen light fixture When she was free, he eased her ar them to help the blood flow back into the now?"

Slowly, she nodded her head He reached behind her and sliced the cloth He peeled it gently away from her mouth Tenderly, he rubbed her cheeks, which were lined red where the gag had been "Go get her a blanket, B," Rev instructed

Bishop nodded and disappeared into the living roo comforted by Rev, I dipped my head under the water to wash away the blood I was only halfway through rinsing my face and hair when I heard Alex screa down ain

I didn’t even bother with a towel All I cared about was getting to her When I reached the table, she dove into ainst ht," I said I tried not to wince as she dug her fingernails into the skin overto be satisfied until she had completely climbed into my skin

"He wanted to draw you out--he wanted to useback, I stared into her face "What are you talking about?"

"The et to Willow, so he had coet to you, Deacon" She gripped hter "Promise me no matter what that you’ll stay safe"

"I proh ainst me, there was no way I could promise her I would be safe