Bait. Samantha Keith

straightened her spine and moved quickly around the corner. Long, scraggly twigs scraped her arm from the unmanicured shrubs, sending an array of goose bumps over her flesh. Her breath picked up in quick pants as her house came into view. The porch light shone brightly, casting a pool of light down her front walkway.

      Five more houses and she’d be home.

      She crossed the opening of the alley that ran perpendicular between two houses. Dark shapes dotted the narrow path.

      Just shrubs. She tightened her grip on her purse strap, crushing it in her grasp. Her pulse surged to a rapid gallop, drowning out the hiss of cicadas from her eardrums.

      A flurry of movement charged toward her. She staggered back, and sucked in a breath of the warm, sticky air. The scream lodged in her throat like a boulder, trapped. Large, black hands lunged for her. Her feet scraped across the pavement and a scream wracked through her. The hands locked around her arms and turned her back against his chest, propelling her backward into the alley. Her scream cut off, turning it to a sharp squeak. Warm, moist leather clamped over her mouth and hot breath tickled her ear lobe.

      “You’re mine now. Hanna will be so happy to see you.” he hissed. He lifted one arm away from her and slammed something into the side of her head. Pain exploded through her skull and her knees buckled. He held her weight, his hold unrelenting. His fingertips rooted into the sensitive flesh of her cheeks. She twisted and forced her mouth open to take a bite of his fingers.

      Her teeth sunk through the soft material, piercing his skin. His hand jerked, not enough to pull away, but enough that she could twist her head.

      “Help!” The scream came out over the rough flesh at the inside of her throat. The word swallowed up by the inky blackness. The hand around her body yanked her harder, cutting off her breath. His palm clamped down over her mouth, preventing her jaw from closing in on another bite. Another blow to her head snapped her neck to the side. Her vision blurred and the object came crashing down again. A scream split the air…but it wasn’t hers.

      The fierce clutches around her let go and she plummeted to the ground.

      Chapter 5

      Adrenaline scorched his veins like a match dropping to kerosene. He sprinted to the sidewalk and stopped to scan the veil of darkness around him. He’d been relaxing on the porch, hoping to catch a glimpse of Riley getting dropped off to ensure she’d made it home safely without her car. The street was quiet, but there was no mistaking the sharp, female scream—Riley. His nerve endings buzzed, and signals of warning communicated to his brain.

      He should have grabbed his gun.

      “Riley!” he cried again, the word echoed through the street. The thickness of the night air settled on his chest, making every breath a struggle. His eyes adjusted to the black shadows that lay outside Riley’s porch lit walk. He opened and closed his hands at his sides as his bare feet padded swiftly down the sidewalk.

      A small mound stretched out toward the sidewalk from the alleyway a few houses down caught his eye. His heart stalled. He sprinted for the unmoving form, sweat rolling down his forehead to collect at his brow. As his sightline of the alleyway expanded, the small mound stretched into a large one. A long river of pale locks stuck out amongst all the black.

      Riley.

      He skidded to the ground at her side, his exposed knees ate up the rough terrain. She lay on her side, her hand limp near her face as if she’d been shielding it, her shoulders curled in toward her body.

      Rage, so hot and violent crashed through the membranes of his brain. He surveyed their surroundings, his gaze skimming every sharp, shadowed line of the shrubs lining the length of the alley.

      Motherfucker.

      He ran his hand over her head, his other hand down her back. Nothing felt amiss, but for all he knew she’d been stabbed…or worse.

      “Riley,” he whispered, almost afraid to speak for fear he’d hurt her more. Dammit, he’d left his phone on the floor of the porch, so he couldn’t call 911 or use its flashlight to inspect her. And he sure as shit wasn’t leaving her in the alley for even a second. He wiggled his hand under her neck and carefully eased her into his arms.

      “Mmm…” Her brow wrinkled and her lips moved into a pout. He shifted her in his hold and got to his feet. Her body turned as stiff as concrete. Her legs kicked wildly and her palms pressed to his chest. “No!”

      “Riley, it’s me.” As if he’d dropped a cloak of relief around her, she melted against him, her body lax. Except her hands. Her fingers dug into the front of his T-shirt, pinching his skin through the fabric. He carried her out of the alley and to his porch where his phone lay. The yellow glow welcomed them as he ascended the stairs. Illumination from the porch light touched her hair and a small, dark red patch coated the side of her head.

      Blood.

      Steel shot down his spine. Her eyes remained tightly closed, as if the harsh lighting hurt her. Instead of setting her in the chair to examine her, he lowered himself down, cradling her on his lap. With the power of her fisted hands gripped to him, he wouldn’t be able to pull her off him if he tried. He bent and picked up his phone and moved his thumb over the keypad on the screen. She needed an ambulance. He pressed the device to his ear and gave his address to the operator, and then disconnected.

      She shifted her chin to look up at him, her green eyes turned a deep, olive shade and her pupils dilated. Dirt smudged the ivory sheen of her cheek. Redness blotched the smooth skin around her mouth, and her usual full lips were swollen.

      “How did you find me?” She spoke barely above a whisper, with a ring of marvel. He switched on the flashlight on his phone and moved the beam over her head to get a better look.

      “I was sitting out here and heard you scream.” He zeroed the light in on her head and winced. “Shit.”

      Her fingers fluttered to the spot. “He hit me…” That small, broken voice ripped a hole in his chest. Her eyes glazed over and moisture clung to her lashes. She shifted her focus away and straightened in his lap. She wavered, her body veered toward the floor as if a magnet had pulled her. He steadied her by her shoulders and she sat fully erect.

      Gone was the weakness that had flashed in her eyes a second ago. Hard, unrelenting ice enveloped her. She sat balanced on his knee, her feet dangled inches from the ground. Her body stiffened as if she’d dare to stand. In one swoop, he stood up and placed her in the chair. Her back pressed to the cushion and her head tilted against it for support. Her gaze was distant, her eyes clouded. Her lids slowly lowered. She was in shock, likely had a concussion, and still, she fought to keep him at arm’s length.

      That was fine. He wasn’t going to make her depend on him. But he needed to find out what had happened. He kneeled down in front of her and rested his hand on her knee. Her lashes fluttered and her intent gaze fell on his hand first, then his face.

      The lines of her face softened, and she showed no intention of shaking his hold away.

      “What happened, honey?”

      Her eyes rounded and she sucked in a breath at the endearment. Shit. She lifted her hand to explore the wound on her scalp.

      “I walked home and—”

      “Why’d you walk?” It came out in a growl. He cleared his throat, but it didn’t soften the words. “You told me you’d get a ride from Jenny.”

      The tops of her teeth slid over her bottom lip. “She was there until close and I didn’t want to wait.” She straightened her shoulders, daring him to press her more. He didn’t. But fuck, he wished he had given her his number so she could have called him. Though she probably wouldn’t have.

      “I reached the alleyway and he jumped me. I managed to scream, but he hit me in the head a few times…with something hard as a rock, but I don’t know what it was.”

      “Did he say anything?”

      Sirens screeched through the air, their howls piercing