The bass from V Club thumped through the walls like a heartbeat. Neon lights spilled across the wet pavement outside, painting the alley in pink and blue.
Suzy stepped out the back door, exhaling slowly as the cool night air brushed her face. The noise of the club faded behind her, but the uneasy feeling in her chest didn't.
Someone was watching her.
She turned slightly, pretending to check her phone, her eyes scanning the street. Two men stood across the road beside a black car. Their attention wasn't on the club.
It was on her.
"Great," she muttered under her breath.
Before she could slip back inside, a sudden thud echoed from the alley beside the club.
Suzy's head snapped toward the sound.
A man stumbled out of the shadows, grabbing the brick wall to steady himself. His shirt was darkened with blood near his ribs, and his breathing was uneven. Even under the dim streetlight, it was obvious he had been in a fight.
For a second, their eyes met.
Sharp. Alert. Dangerous.
"Don't scream," the man said quietly.
Suzy crossed her arms instead, unimpressed.
"You look like the one who should be screaming."
The man let out a short breath that might have been a laugh if he wasn't clearly in pain.
Before either of them could say more, the sound of engines cut through the night.
A black SUV rolled slowly down the street.
Robert's expression hardened instantly.
"Damn it."
Suzy followed his gaze—and her stomach tightened.
Three men stepped out of the vehicle, scanning the area.
Not the same men watching her earlier.
Different group.
Which meant two very bad things.
Robert pushed himself off the wall.
"You should leave," he said.
Suzy gave him a sharp look. "Funny. I was about to tell you the same thing."
At that moment, the two men across the street started walking toward her.
Robert noticed.
Suzy noticed.
They both realized the truth at the same time.
They weren't just in the same place.
They were both being hunted.
"Well," Suzy said flatly, "this is awkward."
One of the men shouted something into a radio.
Robert grabbed Suzy's wrist suddenly.
"Run."
"Excuse me—"
But there was no time to argue. The men were already moving.
Suzy cursed under her breath and ran beside him, heels slapping against the pavement as they cut through a narrow side street.
Behind them, footsteps echoed.
Robert's breathing grew heavier, one hand pressed against the wound on his side.
"You're slowing down," Suzy snapped while running.
"I'm bleeding," he shot back.
"Not my problem."
They turned a corner and nearly collided with a flickering neon sign.
MOTEL
Robert didn't hesitate. He pushed open the office door and pulled Suzy in behind him.
An old receptionist barely glanced up from the television.
"One room," Robert said, tossing cash onto the counter.
The woman raised an eyebrow but slid a key across the desk.
"Room 12."
A minute later they were inside.
The door slammed shut.
Silence filled the small motel room.
Suzy immediately stepped away from him, glaring.
"Alright," she said, crossing her arms. "Start explaining."
Robert leaned against the wall, clearly trying to stay conscious.
"I'm not explaining anything."
"Oh, you definitely are," she said sharply. "Because five minutes ago I was minding my own business, and now I'm hiding in a motel with a bleeding stranger."
Robert studied her for a moment.
Then he asked quietly,
"Who were those men chasing you?"
Suzy didn't answer.
Instead, she asked her own question.
"Who are the ones chasing you?"
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Outside, a car drove past slowly.
Robert finally said,
"If they find us tonight…"
He looked directly at her.
"…both of us are dead."