now I have some protection.”
“You really think these guys will come and find you?”
She nodded, tamping down on the fear threatening to rise inside her. “Yeah, I do. I don’t know if it will be today, or even tomorrow, but the minute they discover I’m still alive and back in the country, they’ll come for me.”
“I can’t believe the cops aren’t going to do more to protect you.”
She shrugged. “What can they do? I’ve given them descriptions, but they’re not going to station police officers outside of my apartment just because I’ve told them I think I’m in danger. I don’t think they completely believe my story, anyway.”
Cameron glanced down, and then looked back up and offered her an awkward smile. “Yeah, sorry about my part in that.”
“It’s not your fault.” Lily tapped her waistband where the gun was held. “And you’ve done your bit to make things up to me.”
She turned toward their building, and her heart lurched.
Someone darted into the alley beside the property—she was sure of it—someone the shape of a large man. It hadn’t just been a passerby; they’d moved too quickly, as though afraid of being seen.
Not giving herself enough time to change her mind, she stepped away from Cameron’s car and strode across the road.
“Lily?” he called out to her, but she ignored him, focused only on the spot where she’d last seen the figure. Had Cigarette Hands and his buddy found her already? She’d thought her reappearance wouldn’t have made the news for at least another twenty-four hours, but perhaps they had friends in the police force who had tipped them off, and they were already after her.
Her heart thumped, her mouth running dry, but she refused to be a victim again. She would stand up to these people—kill them if she had to. Even if it meant she spent time in prison herself, it would be worth it to know these bastards were no longer on the street.
“Lily? What’s going on?”
She didn’t reply.
With her hand resting on her newly acquired weapon, she ran across the street, toward the opening of the alley. She slowed as she reached the spot, the tall walls of the buildings either side swallowing the light.
Lily pulled the gun and stepped into the alley, the weapon drawn. Her gaze scanned the narrow space, but, from what she could see, no one was there. A tall, chain-link fence blocked the far side, so they couldn’t have gone that way. Was the person hiding? Perhaps he’d climbed one of the fire escapes when he realized he’d been seen.
Cameron’s footsteps pounded the sidewalk behind her, and he drew to a stop at her shoulder. “I hadn’t thought you’d need to use that thing quite so soon.”
“Did you see him?” she demanded, not taking her eyes off the alley in case the person tried to make a run for it.
“See who?”
“Someone was watching us, I’m sure of it.”
“Lily, you’ve been through a lot, and it’s understandable you’re jumpy, but honestly, I didn’t see anyone. Are you sure you weren’t mistaken?”
“No, I’ve felt it before. Someone’s watching me. And yes, I am jumpy, and paranoid, too, but I’ve got a good fucking reason to be. If you’d seen half of what I had, you’d be paranoid, too.”
He lifted his hands in defense. “Okay, okay. Point made. There’s no one here now. Let’s go inside. You’ll feel safer then.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe.” But she allowed Cameron’s hand at the base of her spine to turn her from the empty alley and guide her to the front door of their building. Chewing her lip, she walked with Cameron into the elevator, and they rode up to their floor.
He walked her to her door.
“Are you going to be all right?” he asked as she opened the door to let herself in.
She turned to face him. “I guess so,” she said, though in her head she thought, I’m not sure if I’m ever going to be all right again.
He peered over her shoulder,
“You really think these guys will come and find you?”
She nodded, tamping down on the fear threatening to rise inside her. “Yeah, I do. I don’t know if it will be today, or even tomorrow, but the minute they discover I’m still alive and back in the country, they’ll come for me.”
“I can’t believe the cops aren’t going to do more to protect you.”
She shrugged. “What can they do? I’ve given them descriptions, but they’re not going to station police officers outside of my apartment just because I’ve told them I think I’m in danger. I don’t think they completely believe my story, anyway.”
Cameron glanced down, and then looked back up and offered her an awkward smile. “Yeah, sorry about my part in that.”
“It’s not your fault.” Lily tapped her waistband where the gun was held. “And you’ve done your bit to make things up to me.”
She turned toward their building, and her heart lurched.
Someone darted into the alley beside the property—she was sure of it—someone the shape of a large man. It hadn’t just been a passerby; they’d moved too quickly, as though afraid of being seen.
Not giving herself enough time to change her mind, she stepped away from Cameron’s car and strode across the road.
“Lily?” he called out to her, but she ignored him, focused only on the spot where she’d last seen the figure. Had Cigarette Hands and his buddy found her already? She’d thought her reappearance wouldn’t have made the news for at least another twenty-four hours, but perhaps they had friends in the police force who had tipped them off, and they were already after her.
Her heart thumped, her mouth running dry, but she refused to be a victim again. She would stand up to these people—kill them if she had to. Even if it meant she spent time in prison herself, it would be worth it to know these bastards were no longer on the street.
“Lily? What’s going on?”
She didn’t reply.
With her hand resting on her newly acquired weapon, she ran across the street, toward the opening of the alley. She slowed as she reached the spot, the tall walls of the buildings either side swallowing the light.
Lily pulled the gun and stepped into the alley, the weapon drawn. Her gaze scanned the narrow space, but, from what she could see, no one was there. A tall, chain-link fence blocked the far side, so they couldn’t have gone that way. Was the person hiding? Perhaps he’d climbed one of the fire escapes when he realized he’d been seen.
Cameron’s footsteps pounded the sidewalk behind her, and he drew to a stop at her shoulder. “I hadn’t thought you’d need to use that thing quite so soon.”
“Did you see him?” she demanded, not taking her eyes off the alley in case the person tried to make a run for it.
“See who?”
“Someone was watching us, I’m sure of it.”
“Lily, you’ve been through a lot, and it’s understandable you’re jumpy, but honestly, I didn’t see anyone. Are you sure you weren’t mistaken?”
“No, I’ve felt it before. Someone’s watching me. And yes, I am jumpy, and paranoid, too, but I’ve got a good fucking reason to be. If you’d seen half of what I had, you’d be paranoid, too.”
He lifted his hands in defense. “Okay, okay. Point made. There’s no one here now. Let’s go inside. You’ll feel safer then.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe.” But she allowed Cameron’s hand at the base of her spine to turn her from the empty alley and guide her to the front door of their building. Chewing her lip, she walked with Cameron into the elevator, and they rode up to their floor.
He walked her to her door.
“Are you going to be all right?” he asked as she opened the door to let herself in.
She turned to face him. “I guess so,” she said, though in her head she thought, I’m not sure if I’m ever going to be all right again.
He peered over her shoulder,
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