Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

tonight, I’m actually kinda surprised this is the worst one I’ve inadvertently vocalized. “Er, I think I
stepped in… something,” I mutter, poorly offering up a less mortifying reason for saying that.
“Anyway, no. I’m tired and it’s late…”
“One kiss.”
He thinks he’s being sexy, but I do not agree. The last thing in the world that I want is his lips on
any part of me. I don’t appreciate the way he’s towering over me. Looking up at him, my chest
tightens. I press myself against the wall, a sensation of panic closing in quickly.
Uh oh.
A frown of concern flickers across Lance’s face. “Hallie?”
I’m close to hyperventilating, and the closer I get, the worse the panic is.
“Hey, I’m sorry, I’ll back off,” he says, immediately backing away.
I shake my head, trying to assure him it’s not him, I got triggered, but it’s not his fault. He
couldn’t have known it would trigger me. I didn’t even know.
But I can’t squeeze any words out past the panic.
I try to breathe slowly, try to reason with myself that he’s not even near me anymore so there’s no
reason to freak out.
“I don’t know what to…” He backs up more, but this time it’s less like he’s trying to reassure
me, and more like he’s ready to bail.
He wouldn’t actually bail on a person on the verge of a panic attack, would he?
I don’t get to find out.
When we started walking down this alley way, a man in baggy jeans and a hoodie was walking
in our direction, but it didn’t draw much of my attention. I might have felt a little warier alone, but
with a man walking beside me, I wasn’t too worried.
I guess that background instinct was dead wrong, because the man steps up behind Lance and
calmly presses the long barrel of a gun against his temple.
“Wallet.”
Lance freezes.
My panic subsides quickly, pushed out by a more urgent sense of fear.
“Whoa,” Lance says, slowly raising his hands like he’s a criminal and the guy’s a cop. “Easy,
pal.”
“Wallet,” the hooded figure says again, more distinctly.
“I don’t have much cash on me, but what I have is yours,” Lance says. “Let’s just keep cool. I’m