her boss was beaten up after work one night, Abby was sure it
was Charlie who had done it.
Wanting to leave everything behind, Abby made the decision
to leave Atlanta. She packed her bags and moved to New York City, ready to begin
a new life away from Charlie…but he had followed her.
Abby had just gotten settled in the city with a new job and
a tiny studio apartment she was proud to call her own. When she’d left work
tonight, she’d been happy, feeling hopeful for the future regardless of the
rain that blanketed the city. Her lighthearted mood changed instantly when
Charlie slid out of the shadows, jerking her into a darkened alley.
She’d tried to scream, but the people hurrying down the
street couldn’t hear her over the sound of traffic, and their umbrellas blocked
their view of her struggling against Charlie’s hold on her as he pulled her
deeper into the dark, away from safety.
It was easy to see that Charlie was drunk and high on his
power over her as he’d shoved her against the alley wall. He’d demanded she go
home with him, and when she’d told him no, he’d gone crazy. He’d said if he
couldn’t have her, no one could. She hadn’t understood what he’d meant until
she’d felt the shock of pain as the knife he held slid into her…once, twice,
three times.
The loud honking of a taxi distracted Charlie for a few
seconds, long enough for her to break away from him. Abby had run, but she’d
been disoriented, going deeper into the maze of alleyways instead of out toward
the street.
Now, she was stuck in this alley, slowly bleeding to death.
At least she’d get the last laugh. Abby had told her new boss about Charlie,
but that wasn’t all. On the day she’d arrived in New York, she had gone to the
police department and spoke to a female detective about what had happened back
in Atlanta. Abby had given the detective a copy of the file she had, containing
the police report, restraining order, divorce decree and the photographs taken
after Charlie had beaten her.
The detective had been disgusted by what Charlie had done,
but she wasn’t sure what Abby wanted her to do with the file. Some might have
thought it was fatalistic of her, but Abby wanted the detective to know exactly
who was to blame in case anything happened to her.
She let out a snort of laughter. Yeah, the detective would
make Charlie pay for what he’d done, all right. Too bad she had to die in order
to make it happen. The weight of her wet hair made it impossible for Abby to
lift her head, so when someone came to a halt in front of her, she didn’t even
bother to look up. Closing her eyes, she sighed.
“You may have killed me, you bastard, but I’ll make sure
you pay for it.”
Silence met her statement. Lifting her lashes, she glanced
in front of her and blinked. Abby had been prepared to see Charlie’s triumphant
grin as he squatted down in front of her, but the man in front of her wasn’t
her ex-husband.
Actually, the man wasn’t a man at all.
Bending down in front of her was a being shaped like a man,
only it seemed to be made of water or some other type of liquid that shimmered
within the confines of its form. The being seemed to be absorbing the rain that
touched its skin, its body rippling as it drew the water into itself.
Okay, so she was losing her mind.
Or maybe she was already dead and this was just her sucky
introduction into the afterlife. If that was the case, then she was screwed. Abby
tried to sit up, but the sharp, stabbing pain in her abdomen made her freeze.
Nope, not dead yet, although she would be soon.
Take my hand and come with me if you want to live…
The voice echoed in her mind, and she watched as the being
held out its hand to her. She blinked the water out of her eyes and mentally
shrugged. If this was a hallucination, then she really was more creative than
she’d always given herself credit for. And if this was real, she had nothing to
lose.
Reaching out, she placed her hand in his,
was Charlie who had done it.
Wanting to leave everything behind, Abby made the decision
to leave Atlanta. She packed her bags and moved to New York City, ready to begin
a new life away from Charlie…but he had followed her.
Abby had just gotten settled in the city with a new job and
a tiny studio apartment she was proud to call her own. When she’d left work
tonight, she’d been happy, feeling hopeful for the future regardless of the
rain that blanketed the city. Her lighthearted mood changed instantly when
Charlie slid out of the shadows, jerking her into a darkened alley.
She’d tried to scream, but the people hurrying down the
street couldn’t hear her over the sound of traffic, and their umbrellas blocked
their view of her struggling against Charlie’s hold on her as he pulled her
deeper into the dark, away from safety.
It was easy to see that Charlie was drunk and high on his
power over her as he’d shoved her against the alley wall. He’d demanded she go
home with him, and when she’d told him no, he’d gone crazy. He’d said if he
couldn’t have her, no one could. She hadn’t understood what he’d meant until
she’d felt the shock of pain as the knife he held slid into her…once, twice,
three times.
The loud honking of a taxi distracted Charlie for a few
seconds, long enough for her to break away from him. Abby had run, but she’d
been disoriented, going deeper into the maze of alleyways instead of out toward
the street.
Now, she was stuck in this alley, slowly bleeding to death.
At least she’d get the last laugh. Abby had told her new boss about Charlie,
but that wasn’t all. On the day she’d arrived in New York, she had gone to the
police department and spoke to a female detective about what had happened back
in Atlanta. Abby had given the detective a copy of the file she had, containing
the police report, restraining order, divorce decree and the photographs taken
after Charlie had beaten her.
The detective had been disgusted by what Charlie had done,
but she wasn’t sure what Abby wanted her to do with the file. Some might have
thought it was fatalistic of her, but Abby wanted the detective to know exactly
who was to blame in case anything happened to her.
She let out a snort of laughter. Yeah, the detective would
make Charlie pay for what he’d done, all right. Too bad she had to die in order
to make it happen. The weight of her wet hair made it impossible for Abby to
lift her head, so when someone came to a halt in front of her, she didn’t even
bother to look up. Closing her eyes, she sighed.
“You may have killed me, you bastard, but I’ll make sure
you pay for it.”
Silence met her statement. Lifting her lashes, she glanced
in front of her and blinked. Abby had been prepared to see Charlie’s triumphant
grin as he squatted down in front of her, but the man in front of her wasn’t
her ex-husband.
Actually, the man wasn’t a man at all.
Bending down in front of her was a being shaped like a man,
only it seemed to be made of water or some other type of liquid that shimmered
within the confines of its form. The being seemed to be absorbing the rain that
touched its skin, its body rippling as it drew the water into itself.
Okay, so she was losing her mind.
Or maybe she was already dead and this was just her sucky
introduction into the afterlife. If that was the case, then she was screwed. Abby
tried to sit up, but the sharp, stabbing pain in her abdomen made her freeze.
Nope, not dead yet, although she would be soon.
Take my hand and come with me if you want to live…
The voice echoed in her mind, and she watched as the being
held out its hand to her. She blinked the water out of her eyes and mentally
shrugged. If this was a hallucination, then she really was more creative than
she’d always given herself credit for. And if this was real, she had nothing to
lose.
Reaching out, she placed her hand in his,
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