The Prey by Allison Brennan Read Free Book Online Page B

them in. Michael was surprised at how tidy the kid was, though the room’s décor was bizarre. The worn ’fifties-style furniture was functional if unattractive; the bookshelf in the corner overflowed with books, though Rowan’s four novels were stacked neatly on the top shelf. The horror posters tacked to the walls unnerved Michael, but it was the realistic dummy sitting in the corner with its head half off, blood and tendons hanging out, that made him jump. The blood looked so real it appeared wet. Upon closer examination, it was simply plastic.
    “Hey, Rowan!” Adam smiled widely. “Wait here—I want to show you something.” He ran to the back of the house and Michael tensed momentarily. The kid seemed harmless, but appearances could be deceiving. He stood in front of Rowan.
    “I thought you said you were backup,” Rowan whispered.
    “I’m still your bodyguard,” he said, equally quiet.
    Adam bounded back into the room, holding an ordinary box. “I think I solved the problem Barry was having with the blood seepage. I made a valve here, see?” He opened the box and showed Rowan, his back to Michael, effectively cutting him off, like a jealous child. “If we create a vacuum in the bag, once you release the valve, the blood will seep out at a slower rate. I can set the valve for any rate they want.”
    “That’s smart, Adam. I wouldn’t have thought of that.”
    “Do you think Barry will like it?”
    “Yes, I think he will.”
    Adam was all smiles, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
    “Adam, I need to talk to you about what happened in Studio B this afternoon.”
    Adam frowned, a child about to be reprimanded. “I—I—I didn’t mean to scare you, Rowan. I thought nothing scared you. But Marcy was really mean to Barry this morning. It wasn’t his fault the vase broke before it was supposed to. He
told
her to hold it by the base, and she didn’t listen. She never listens to him. Barry was really upset, and I thought it was okay to scare her because she’s really mean, anyway.” His bottom lip protruded and quivered.
    Rowan took Adam’s hand and led him to the couch. She sat down, motioning for Adam to sit as well. She nodded at Michael and motioned toward the chair in the corner, next to the beheaded dummy. He sat and frowned at the mannequin. How could anyone live with that staring at him?
    “Adam, I’ve told you before that you can’t play those kinds of jokes at the studio. Some people don’t think they’re funny.”
    “But I didn’t hurt anyone! I just wanted to scare her.”
    “I know you wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose. But sometimes, jokes go too far.” She paused. “Marcy
is
mean, and Barry didn’t deserve to be yelled at. But Marcy didn’t deserve to be scared. Barry told me that you are very valuable to him, that you do a good job. I don’t want you to jeopardize your job, Adam.”
    “Th-they wouldn’t fire me, would they? I didn’t mean—” He was on the verge of tears.
    Rowan squeezed his hand. “No, I promise you won’t be fired over this. But tomorrow you’re going to have to tell Barry what you did. And you have to promise him, and me, that you won’t play any more practical jokes on anyone at the studio.”
    “I won’t. I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to hurt anyone.” He blinked and looked like a lost puppy. “Are we still friends?”
    “Of course. We’ll always be friends, Adam.”
    He nodded. “I’m sorry.”
    “Adam, I can trust you, right?”
    “Oh, yes. Always.” He crossed his heart like a six-year-old might after making a solemn promise.
    “You’re going to be reading some things in the newspaper, and I want to tell you what’s happening. There’s a very bad man who’s killing people and using my stories. He’s taking murders from my books—pretend murders—and making them real.”
    Adam’s eyes widened. “That’s bad.”
    “The police are investigating, and the studio hired Mr. Flynn here to keep an eye out for me.”
    Adam gave