“Kade! Livia told me to call you…..she said you have to come!” Evie was screaming and I could barely make out what she was saying in her panic.
“Evie. It’s ok, half pint. Tell me where you are. Are you still at dance class?” I asked as I leapt up, grabbed my jacket, and ran.
“Yes. Livia was scared and…..” She tapered off and went quiet, but I could hear her sniffling.
“Where’s Olivia now Evie?” I asked breathlessly. I reached my car and slammed my cell in the hands free as I started the engine and screeched out of the lot.
“Evie!” I yelled when she didn’t answer.
“Hey! Hey! LET HER GO! NO! STOP!!” Evie screamed at the top of her voice, and my heart pounded hard. I had no idea what was going on, but the terror in Evie’s screams had me terrified.
“EVIE!” I yelled, losing all calm as she continued to scream on the other end.
I grabbed my radio and called for back up to meet me at the dance studio. I was only a few minutes away, but I had no idea what I was walking into, and there was no way I was taking any chances with my family.
“Kade!” Evie’s cry came over the loudspeaker.
“I’m here, half pint. Are you alright? Where’s Livy? Is she ok?” I asked, fighting to sound calm.
“There’s a man. He’s taking her Kade! He’s hurting her! I can’t get out. She locked the car….I can’t get out to help her!” She was crying so hard I only caught bits of what she was saying, but it was enough to have me lighting up my car and slamming my foot down to the floor. I had to get to my girl before it was too late. I couldn’t lose her, I wouldn’t!
OLIVIA
“NO!” I screamed as I fought with everything in me to get free of The Shadow’s grip around my waist. He had tried, at first, to just grab my arm and drag me away, but when I slipped his hold and tried to run around the car, he had grabbed me around the waist with a vise like grip, and lifted me from the ground.
I kicked my legs as hard as I could into his shins and clawed and hit out at his face like a wild animal, the whole time screaming as loud as my pathetic voice would allow. There was no way I was letting him take me without a fight this time. Kade was coming. I just had to hold on.
“Let me go!” I screamed, hoping to gain someone’s, anyone’s, attention. It went against my every instinct to scream in his face as I did, but I wasn’t alone in The Darkness this time. I had to do all I could to fight.
I got a good hold of his face and scratched him like hell down both cheeks. He growled, a sound I had never heard him make, ever, then he backhanded me hard across the face, dazing me for a moment.
“Hey! Put her down!” Keira’s voice came from far away, and I guessed she had just stepped from the dance studio. I fought even harder to get free from his hold at the sound of her voice, but he wasn’t releasing the grip he had on me.
“HELP!” Keira screamed wildly, her voice now much closer. “SOMEONE HELP!” Then she was there, behind him. She swung her purse, which was huge and always packed with books from her job and her need to be reading just about anywhere. It hit him with a thud on the head. He released me with a groan, and I landed hard on the floor as he bent forward and held the back of his head with his hand.
“Olivia! Get up!” Keira cried as she appeared beside me and grabbed the top of my arm to pull me to my feet. She yanked me up with a strength I didn’t know she had, and I scrambled to get my feet under me.
“Evie!” I gasped. My head was spinning from the hit I took, and I could barely breathe through the panic and trembling of the adrenaline.
Keira wrapped her arms around me and backed the both of us up to the other side of the car just as The Shadow stood fully once again, and looked around for us, for me. Keira must have had some serious books in her bag, because he was still swaying from the hit he took. He started to move toward us and Kiera pushed me behind her as she readied her purse for another swing.
“Stay back! The police are on the way!” She yelled fiercely. I forced myself to stand and fought to see straight, past the dizziness. He rounded the car, that evil look in his eye, and I knew he wasn’t put off by Keira’s threat. I knew we were in trouble, and I fought to get around Keira, wanting to protect her, but she wouldn’t have it, just continually pushing me behind her.
“Keira!” I cried desperately, too exhausted, and in pain to keep fighting her too.
“No Olivia! Stay the hell behind me!” She yelled.
“Hey!” The male voice came from behind us, and I glanced back and saw a guy around Kade’s age, wearing a backpack and sports clothes getting out of a blue SUV. “Is everything ok?” He asked as he slammed his driver’s door and started in our direction from where he had parked two car rows away.
“No, it’s not! Please, call 911.” Keira yelled. I glanced back at the approaching guy, who was on his cell now, as he began to jog towards us. He was around the same size as Matt, only not quite as built.
I turned back to The Shadow, who had now paused in his approach and was looking around unsure.
“The police will be here any minute.” I gasped as those cold dark green eyes locked on mine. “You…..y-you’ll be caught if you don’t
