Chapter 264

Kylie wanted a pack of gummies from the little convenience store down the street, because she’d been craving something sweet for the last twenty minutes and her kitchen had absolutely nothing qualified as a proper snack proper snack.

She adjusted the wireless earpiece in her ear and continued down the pavement, with her phone tucked into the back pocket of her jeans.

A song played softly in her ears.

She hummed along, barely paying attention to the pedestrians passing her or the cars moving along the road.

Christian was in the guest room.

An hour ago, he’d received the news about his grandfather’s funeral.

Two weeks.

His mother had apparently decided that was enough time to arrange everything, invite half the people who’d ever benefited from the Sinclair name, and ensure that Christian understood exactly where he stood.

Nowhere near the family.

She had removed him from the guest list because, according to her, he was no longer a Sinclair.

Kylie had been furious on his behalf.

Christian, infuriatingly, had been quiet.

Not his usual amused quiet, either, or the kind that preceded a teasing remark or a ridiculous observation that made her want to throw something at his head.

He’d read the message, set his phone down, and stared at nothing for several minutes.

When she’d asked whether he was all right, he’d told her he was fine. Which was how she’d known he absolutely wasn’t.

She’d considered staying with him, but he’d gone into the guest room to make a call, and she’d decided he might appreciate a little space.

Besides, she wanted gummies.

Priorities.

She turned onto the quieter street leading towards the store.

The evening air was cool against her face. The streetlights illuminated the pavement, and the distant noise of traffic followed her as she walked.

She passed a closed restaurant, a parked delivery van, and a narrow alley between two buildings.

The convenience store was just beyond it. She was almost there.

Kylie glanced at her phone when the song changed, smiled at something on the screen, and slipped it back into her pocket.

She never noticed the footsteps behind her due to thw music playing in her ear.

She took a few steps forward. Almost out of the ally, an arm suddenly locked around her from the back.

A hand clamped over her mouth.

Kylie’s eyes flew wide.

For one frozen second, her mind refused to understand what was happening.

Then instinct took over.

She jerked her head forward, trying to break free of the hand covering her mouth. Her fingers clawed at the arm around her, and she drove her heel backwards as hard as she could.

The man grunted.

His grip loosened for half a second.

Kylie tore the earpiece from her ear, barely registering the sharp sting as the wire caught against her hair. She twisted blindly, grabbed the cord, and flung it around the man’s neck.

She pulled quick and hard.

The man swore, stumbling backwards as the cord tightened.

Kylie couldn’t see his face properly, but she didn’t care.

She pulled again, digging her heels into the pavement, desperate to make him release her.

"Get the fuck off me!"

The words came out muffled, barely audible beneath the hand still covering her mouth.

He caught her wrist.

Kylie kicked at his shin.

He cursed again, and she felt his grip shift. For one wild moment, she thought she might actually get away.

Then he slammed her backwards.

Her back struck the ground with a sickening jolt. Pain shot through her spine, and the breath left her lungs in a strangled gasp.

Before she could roll away, his knee drove into her stomach.

Kylie doubled beneath the pressure.

She tried to inhale, but nothing came.

Panic surged through her as she struggled for air, her hands flying to his leg. She shoved at him, tried to twist sideways, and tried anything that might get his weight off her.

He was too heavy.

"Stay still!" He snapped at her.

She barely heard him over the rushing in her ears.

Kylie struck at his face, catching something hard beneath her knuckles. He recoiled just enough for her to drag in a shallow breath.

Then his hand came down.

He landed a hard slap cracked across her face.

Her head snapped sideways.

For a moment, she saw nothing but a burst of white light.

A sharp, metallic taste filled her mouth. She coughed, one hand flying to her cheek, qith her eyes watering from the force of the blow.

She tried to move.

He shoved her shoulder against the ground.

"Stop fighting."

Kylie stared up at him through blurred vision.

She wanted to scream.

She wanted Christian.

She wanted to go back upstairs and complain about his pathetic snack selection and steal the grapes he’d bought because he’d remembered she liked them.

She wanted—

The man reached into his jacket.

Something black appeared in his hand.

Kylie’s gaze dropped to it. Her stomach turned cold. "No. Fucking asshoe, get off me.’

He caught her arm.

She tried to wrench it away, but his grip tightened around her wrist. "No, no, wait—"

The electric stun device pressed against her upper arm.

Pain erupted through her body.

Kylie’s muscles seized. A broken sound escaped her throat as her limbs jerked uncontrollably beneath his grip.

She couldn’t pull away, and at the same time, she couldn’t fight.

The alley lights blurred above her.

She felt the device withdraw, but her body no longer seemed to belong to her. Her fingers twitched against the pavement, and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

The man said something.

She couldn’t understand him.

Her earpiece lay several feet away, with the thin cord stretched across the pavement.

Her phone was still in her pocket.

Christian was upstairs.

The thought came to her in fragments, slipping away before she could hold on to it.

She tried to lift her head.

The world tilted violently, and then everything went dark.