“I would apologize for being gone longer than expected, but it seems you haven’t noticed,” Hobbs said, refilling my cup.
“It’s been a strange few days,” I muttered, drinking more. I noticed the sound of sizzling bacon and the smell of scrambled eggs. My stomach growled loudly.
“Does this have anything to do with the dilemma we discussed before?”
“Something like that,” I said, running a hand through my hair.
“Maybe it’s time you explain everything to me.”
“I can’t.”
“Maybe I can help you,” he said, setting a full plate in front of me. For the first time ever, the bacon wasn’t appealing.
“No one can help me,” I said.
“I don’t believe that.”
“Believe what you want,” I muttered, shoving a bite of eggs in my mouth. It didn’t taste as good as usual, but I ate it anyway because my stomach felt like it might consume itself.
Hobbs said nothing else and I continued to eat in silence, trying not to think of where I’d been. Grim made his point. Being recalled was the worst thing I could ever imagine. Actually, it was worse than anything I ever imagined.
I couldn’t go back there.
“I have to finish the job,” I said to myself.
“What job?” Hobbs asked.
I stood, my chair clattering to the floor. “I have something I have to do.”
“Wait!” Hobbs called behind me. “What is it?”
“I have to do it,” I told him.
I grabbed my keys and went out the garage door.
“There isalwaysa choice,” Hobbs yelled after me.
He didn’t understand. He didn’t know what it was like there… floating for days. If he did, he would understand. I couldn’t go back there. I wouldn’t.
This time I had no choice.
Chapter Forty-Six
“Fight - A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons.”
Piper
When we got to the sidewalk outside my apartment building the man had to pull the gun away from my head. Relief washed over me just because I didn’t have to feel the cold metal of the gun against my skin. But I knew I was far from danger.
He jammed the gun into my side and in low menacing tones he said, “Act normal or I guarantee I’ll shoot you right here and leave you to die on the pavement. Then I’ll go back upstairs and shoot your friend.”
I couldn’t let anything happen to Frankie. After that vision I had, I knew if this guy got anywhere near her again she really would die. I nodded and began walking. He nudged me along down the sidewalk a bit and when we passed by the small space between my building and the one next to it, I swear I saw something in the shadows move. I averted my eyes because I was afraid I would be too tempted to call out for help.
We came to a nearby alleyway and he told me to turn so I did and saw he had a car parked in the center. I didn’t pay attention to the make of the car because I was looking around for something I could use as a weapon.
Once we were out of the way of prying eyes, he shoved me to the side of the car, to the back door, and he flung it open. “Get in,” he said.
I shook my head.
