My hands wrap tighter around the steering wheel, but it doesn’t change how shaky I feel.Is it fear, or the comedown from my orgasm blackout?
The answer doesn’t change the fact that right now I’m completely alone.And out of my depth.
Sighing in defeat, I grab my phone from the cupholder and hit the voice command button.“Call Demanding Asshole.”
He answers on the first ring.“Kid?”
The nickname makes me want to growl at him.It also kind of gives me the shivers, because he called me that when he had me naked and tied to his bed.
“Okay.Don’t be mad, but I kind of decided to go out and find some breakfast.And, well, I think someone’s following me.”
Footsteps echo on his end of the call.“What do you mean you think someone’s following you?”
“Well, it’s pretty early on a Sunday morning for people to be out, and this car came up behind me almost as soon as I left your property.It’s kind of nice, actually.Red?I’m not good with the brands though.Anyway, I drove around in a weird pattern for a while, and it’s still behind me.”
“Where the fuck are you now?”
“Downtown.I was on my way to get a breakfast burrito.”My stomach rumbles when I say the words.
He grumbles something I can’t make out before adding, “Keep your speed reasonable.Not too slow, but I don’t want you leading this guy on a car chase.Keep me on the phone.Zed and I are on our way.Whatever you do, stay in the car.Try to not get fucking kidnapped before we find you.”
I roll my shoulders and take a deep breath.“You got it, Daddy.”
It sounds a little like he’s being strangled on the other end.In spite of the fact that there’s a potential murderer or whatever following me, I still enjoy rattling him so much.
Wherever Liam has been, he gets to me surprisingly fast.I’ve only had to circle the block a few more times before a black SUV pulls up close behind the red car.I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it parked in Liam’s driveway before.The vehicle swerves around the red car and then makes a sudden ninety-degree turn, blocking the street.
Then Liam’s out, aiming a gun at the red car.Dammit, he’s going to get arrested.I glance around, thankful the street is otherwise empty for now.
“Shit.”My focus is all on my rearview, and I kind of didn’t realize I’d been drifting toward the curb.I pull into an empty spot in front of a flower shop, only a couple of blocks down from Gil’s.There’s no chance I’m in the space properly, but I need to get to Liam.
“You can’t shoot someone in the middle of downtown,” I yell.
But Liam’s already approaching the car, knocking on the window with the butt of the gun.When the window rolls down, it’s a scared-looking teenager holding his hands up by his shoulders.
I know this guy, I think.“Wait.Liam.Put the gun down.”
Liam glances my way but keeps his gun trained on the car window.
My phone rings in my back pocket.I ignore it as I draw closer, because the kid in the driver’s seat is definitely familiar.By kid I mean he’s maybe a year or two younger than me, so not really a kid.Liam must be rubbing off on me.
Okay, I feel like that sentence would be funny in a different scenario.
“Liam, I’m serious,” I say as I approach.“Stop.I know him.He was staying with Simon for a while.One of the other escorts.”
“You do know that escorts are criminals, Ravi.”
I want to roll my eyes at him so badly right now.“He’s not one.He was crashing on Simon and Sebastian’s couch for some reason.”I look at the wide-eyed driver.“Right?”
“R-right.Jacob.”His gaze bounces between me and Liam and occasionally over to Zed.“I’m sorry.I didn’t know who I was following.I swear I wasn’t going to hurt anyone.There was a weird AppTasker request to follow someone around and say where they went.Th-that’s all.I knew it was sketch, but also I kind of really needed the money.”
My phone goes off again.When I pull it out, it’s Brennan.
“You needed something, little man?”
Why does everyone have to call me little?I know I’m not big.Idon’tneed it pointed out all the time.
“It’s fine now,” I tell Brennan.“Someone was following me, but it’s just this kid who used to live next door to Simon and Sebastian.”
