Chapter 27
Evelyn kept her gaze fixed on Gabriel’s barely visible outline as he descended the stairs.
She held her breath, afraid even the movement of her chest would cause the walls to scream her location to the madman she hid from.
The scent of death permeated her skin from the body beside her.
She’d been tempted to crawl inside the box and hide but couldn’t bring herself to squeeze into the small space with death staring her in the face.
“You want to play hide-and-seek, huh?” Gabriel chuckled. “I’m always up for a challenge, but I should warn you, I know this place inside and out. You won’t escape me.”
She shrank into the corner and tried to stop the tremors shaking her body as memories of her past mixed with the horrors of her present.
The shimmer of moonlight through the dirt-covered window highlighted the center of the room, and Evelyn pressed closer to the box beside her.
She crouched on the balls of her feet with the nail in her hand.
She hadn’t chosen this spot so she could disappear into the darkness—that’d never work. She’d chosen this location because of its proximity to the stairs. Once Gabriel crossed the room, she could sneak to the steps and run for her life.
He stepped off the last stair, and his profile disappeared from view. He scanned the room, and she froze.
Her heart thwacked against her chest.
He whipped his head from side to side, and the moonlight shone around his head, casting a faint glow over his face. The whites of his eyes lit the darkness, and the smirk that haunted her dreams lifted the side of his mouth.
She crouched lower, and fear pulsed inside her with every shallow breath. Please don’t let him see me.
A beat passed and he turned toward the center of the room. “Enough games. Don’t you think I can just turn on the damn light?”
He took one, two, three steps toward the cord dangling in the center of the room. He was the farthest he’d be from the stairs without the light shining down to give her away. Now was the time to move.
Staying low to the ground, she crept toward the stairs. Her feet shuffled along the dirt floor, and she kept her gaze on Gabriel’s back.
He lifted his arm high above his head, and she sprinted up the stairs.
The light flickered on. “What the fuck?”
His footsteps pounded behind her on the stairs. As she reached the top, his hand wrapped around her ankle, yanking her foot out from under her.
Her body crashed down on the hard wood, the uneven edges of the stairs digging into her stomach.
Her head bounced against the top step, and pain exploded in her brain.
She grabbed the edge of the stairs to keep from being dragged back to the basement, fighting like hell to keep the nail pressed into the palm of her hand.
“You think you can get away that easily?” Gabriel’s rough tone had her biting back tears.
She kicked backward with all her strength, and his grip slipped from her ankle. She reared back again and swung until a satisfying crunch vibrated through her foot.
“Bitch!”
She scrambled forward on her hands and knees.
Dried dirt crumbled against her palms, and a sob caught in her throat.
Reaching the door, she pulled herself to her feet and slammed the door shut as she ran into the room, but it bounced back open and Gabriel burst from the threshold.
Blood spurted from his nose and rage burned in his hazel eyes.
Fear froze Evelyn to the spot, and she darted her gaze around for the door. The serrated edges of saws in every shape and size shimmered against the bright light. She spun in a semicircle, keeping her face toward him, searching for any way to escape.
A grin spread on his face. “The only way out of here is through me, my little mouse.”
She peered over his head, and her heart sank. Behind her was nothing but a tool bench and some sort of workstation, behind Gabriel was the door.
Taking a deep breath, she replayed the moves Connor had shown her in her mind and stood her ground. If he wanted to take her out, she wouldn’t go down without a fight. She planted her feet on the floor, tensed her muscles, and waited for him to attack.
He came toward her, slow and steady like a wild animal ready to strike its prey. His chest heaved up and down, and ragged pants tore through his mouth. “You’re a lot livelier than I anticipated. It will make this much more satisfying.”
He lunged at her, locking his hands to her throat. Terror slowed her mind. Connor hadn’t gone over this. He’d never pretended to attack her from the front.
Gabriel squeezed and her throat burned.
She closed her eyes and regained her focus. She needed to protect her airway. She turned her neck to the side, folded her hands around his wrists, and dropped her weight toward the floor.
His grip loosened enough for her to inhale a sharp breath. Evelyn used all of her strength to bring her knee to Gabriel’s balls.
“Sonofabitch!”
He dropped his hands, she gripped the nail in her fist, and plunged it into his eye. Gabriel howled in pain, and she ran to the door. She was almost there. She was going to get away from him. Her shaking fingers found the handle and she turned the knob.
Nothing happened. The handle didn’t move. The door didn’t open.
Gabriel coughed and groaned as he rolled on the ground, the sound morphing into hysterical laughter. “You dumb bitch. I told you. There’s no way to escape me.”