The Hunter's Angel

Lucid Dreams

The sound of my feet scuffling against the cement echoed through the alleyway as I hurried towards the opening ahead.

I needed to getaway.

Daring a glance over my shoulder, my breath caught in my throat when I saw the shadow of the man who was following me only several feet behind me.

Shit.

I picked up into a run, my arms swinging wildly by my side as I fought with every ounce of my being to make it out of the alleyway and into safety. To get away from the threatening figure that was getting closer and closer.

"You can run, but you can't hide," sang the man in a chilling voice. A voice that sounded frighteningly close.

"Come on, Layla," I muttered under my breath, urging myself to run faster. No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn't move fast enough.

A low chuckle sounded behind me, right before a meaty hand grabbed onto my shoulder.

I let out a shrill scream, wriggling in the man's hold to try and get out of his grip, but it was no use. He wasn't letting go.

He spun me around to face him, and I sucked in a sharp breath at the look of his cruel face. His eyes were so dark they seemed soulless, and the grim curl of his lips made my stomach churn in fear.

He seemed like someone I had seen before, only warped into something more devilish. Who was it?

"Are you from the cartel?" I murmured fearfully.

The man let out a toe-curling laugh, sending me a look that said I should have known better. "Oh, Layla. Don't you know? I don't belong to just one group. I am everywhere."

What was he talking about?

"You still haven't figured it out - have you? Stupid little girl," he spat. "It doesn't matter anyway. You're too late."

"Too late?" I questioned, trying to back away from the sinister look in his eyes.

With a menacing grin, the man pulled a metal object out of his waistband. He lifted it, bringing it into view, and I gasped when I realized it was a gun. Aimed straight at me.

"I told you we wouldn't miss again."

"Wait!" I shouted holding my hands up. I didn't want to die. Why did it have to come to this? "Please don't-"

"Say hello to Mr. Michealson for me," the man rasped, right as he pulled the trigger.

"Layla, wake up. You're okay, Angel. Just wake up."

I shot up in the bed, the soothing voice that spoke to me pulling me out of my dream.

Not a dream. A nightmare.

Glancing beside me, I gasped when I saw the shadow of a man next to me.

"Shh, Layla. It's me - Hunter." He grasped my face gently, running a soothing hand down my back.

Oh, thank god. It was just Hunter.

I leaned into his touch, letting out a shaky breath as I waited for my pulse to settle down. I had forgotten that we had crashed at his place, right after I had revealed the chilling threat I had received from the cartel.

We had fallen asleep on the couch, but glancing around me, I noticed we were in his bedroom. He must have carried me up here sometime in the middle of the night.