Blooding Riley by E.L. Blair

Author:E.L. Blair [Blair, E.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Riley

In shock, I turn and sprint toward the stairs, scrambling up them before tripping halfway up and falling face-first. The impact is sudden and brutal. My chin slams hard against the edge of a stair, sending a sharp jolt of pain radiating through my jaw and neck. The force of the collision makes my teeth clack together, and I can taste blood mingling with the metallic taste still lingering in my mouth. Dazed, I touch my chin, feeling the warm wetness of blood seeping from a gash. The pain is intense, but I know I can’t afford to stay down. Pushing through the haze of pain, I scramble to my feet, continuing my desperate ascent, even as tears blur my vision.

But I don’t get very far before I feel something grab my ankle and pull me back, causing me to fall again, though I break the fall slightly with my arms this time as I scream. Turning slightly, I see my attacker, who has a hold of my ankle. The lights in the house are pulsing on and off madly, linked as they are to the ghost’s energy, making the whole situation seem like a scene from a horror movie.

My assailant had a hood on before, but now that hood is down and I can see his face properly for the first time. He’s a man in his late forties, with a rugged, weathered face that speaks of a life filled with hardship and cruelty. Deep-set, cold blue eyes stare back at me, devoid of any warmth or humanity. His skin is rough, tanned from the sun, with patches of dark stubble covering his square jaw. A jagged scar runs from his left temple, cutting through his eyebrow and across the bridge of his nose, giving him an even more menacing appearance. His thin lips are pulled back in a snarl, revealing yellowed, uneven teeth. Every feature on his face seems to be carved from stone, hard and unyielding. The sheer malevolence radiating from him sends a fresh wave of terror coursing through me. This is not just a man; this is a predator, and right now, I’m his prey.

“Who the fuck are you?” I scream. “What do you want?”

The man smiles, revealing his broken teeth. “You shouldn’t be here,” he growls. “You should’ve stayed in the city where you belong. Now you have to be taken care of, and I’m here to take care of you.”

What? What the fuck is he talking about?

“Let me go!” I try to pull my ankle away, but his grip is too strong. He let me get away once. He clearly doesn’t want me escaping again, though I get the impression the bastard would relish the chase through the house.

Turning, he pulls me down the stairs. Desperately, I reach out for the railings, but the width of the staircase keeps them just out of my grasp and I feel like I’m being dragged toward my death.

Seconds later, I’m being hauled across the hard stone floor of the hallway, toward the center, and then my assailant finally lets go of my ankle.

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