Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
I walk to the door, gaze out the peephole.
But no one’s there.
Still wearing only my underwear, I rip the door open. “Where the fuck are you? Come out, you coward!”
I leave the apartment, making sure to close the door securely, and then I race down the hallway both ways, check the stairwell.
Damn. He must’ve had the elevator open and waiting.
I walk back to Kelly’s apartment.
And then I see it. An envelope on the floor right outside her door.
I pick it up.
Not much frightens me anymore, but I’m sure apprehensive about looking inside this envelope.
I close the door to Kelly’s apartment and lock it. I place the envelope on the table. Before anything else, I need to make sure Kelly’s okay.
I walk back to her bedroom. She’s still sitting up in bed, her eyes wide.
“Who was it?”
“No one. I checked the hallways and the stairwell. Whoever it was must’ve had an elevator waiting.”
“Who could have gotten in here? Through all the security?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “But I’m damned well going to find out.”
“No!” she nearly shrieks. “Don’t leave me. Please. It’s the middle of the night.”
“Sweetheart, you’ll be perfectly safe.”
“Please don’t.”
“I’ll get Buck—” I shake my hand. “Shit. Buck and Aspen went to Colorado for a few days.”
“There’s no one else?”
“I’ll get a security guard from downstairs.”
She jumps to her feet. “What good are they? Whoever pounded on my door already got past them.”
She’s right, of course.
“What if we call Brindley? Ask her to come down.”
“She smaller than I am. She can’t protect me.”
“But at least you won’t be alone, Kelly. One of us is going to have to go downstairs and figure out what happened with security. I certainly don’t expect that to be you.”
In fact, I need to go back to my apartment next door and grab a second gun. I should have had both pieces on me tonight after that text message came through.
Kelly races around the room frantically. “I’m getting dressed. I’m going with you.”
“Kelly, no—”
“Shut up, Leif. Just shut up. I’m not going to stay here alone or with Brindley or with anyone else other than you. If you go, Leif, I’m going.”
“Kelly…”
“This isn’t up for argument. I’m coming along.” She runs into the bathroom and returns with her hair brushed and pulled into a ponytail. She scrambles into a pair of jeans, moccasin slippers, and a pink sweatshirt.
“I’m ready.”
I’m dressed as well, and I wish I could talk her out of this, but already I know that would be futile. An ultimate exercise in futility.
“Kelly, this isn’t a joke.”
She sets her hands on her hips. “Do I look like I’m joking?”
Kelly never looks like she’s joking, but that’s beside the point. At least if she’s with me, I can shield her with my body. Do my best to keep her safe.
“All right. First we’re going back over to my place. I need to get my piece.”
“You mean you’re not armed?”
“No. I wasn’t expecting any trouble tonight.”
“After that fucking text? You weren’t expecting any trouble?” She swats me on the shoulder. Not enough to hurt, but not lightly either.
“Do you want to stand here and argue with me, or do you want to go next door so I can get my other pistol? Then we’ll figure out what’s going on.”
“Fine,” she huffs.
I take her hand, and I’m surprised when she doesn’t pull away. When she’s in this kind of a mood, she normally doesn’t like to be touched. But her fear is overpowering her spitefulness. We walk the few steps to my apartment, and I open the door.
I allow her to go in before me. Quick as a flash, I move to the safe I keep my weapons in, grab my other Glock, and shove it in the back of my jeans. No time to mess with the shoulder holster. My ankle holster is already in place.
“Kelly,” I say seriously, “why don’t you stay here in my place? I know it’s safe. I’ll lock you in. Nothing can happen to you here. No one’s expecting you to be here.”
She bites her lower lip. Good, she’s thinking about it.
“I want to go with you.”
“I don’t have a lot of time to argue,” I say.
“Then don’t.”
“My place is secure. Please. Stay here. If anything happened to you…”
I shake my head. If anything happened to Kelly, the woman I love, I’d get a good dose of what Ace went through.
She swallows. Not audibly, but I see her throat move. She’s thinking about it again. Good.
“Please, Kelly.” I cup her cheek, her skin so silky.
“All right, Leif. But damn it, you’d better come back to me.”
5
KELLY
A look of pure relief crosses Leif’s face. He truly is concerned. But of course he is. It’s his job.
He stares at me, and for a moment I think he’s going to kiss me, but he doesn’t.