Page 78 of Abandoned

Zara shrugged. “Thanks. It’s been fun.” It’d be better with Will and Logan.

“You and Will seem to be getting serious. I’ve never seen him so happy as when he looks at you.”

“We might be.” Although Zara was beginning to doubt since he’d abandoned her at this party he knew she didn’t really want to come to.

Megan came across the room and joined them. “Zara, thanks for coming.”

She smiled. “The cake was amazing.” What a stupid thing to say. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you. At least Wesson didn’t get this one.”

Megan and Jenna both laughed.

“There’s a story in that, isn’t there?”

They both nodded. Megan said, “Last year, Jenna brought me a cake and set it on the kitchen counter. We turned our backs for like two minutes, and it was gone. The entire thing. The bakery box barely survived the mauling.”

Jenna added, “It was all over his face, but he was like ‘What? The cake attacked me.’ He tried to look so innocent.”

Zara laughed at the mental image with the German shepherd covered in cake and icing.

Someone across the room called Jenna away. Zara was tempted to ask Megan about her and Brennan but was terrified of putting her foot in her mouth again, so she left it.

Instead, she asked, “Have you had a good birthday?”

“I have. Not looking forward to four more days of work, but at least it’s days this time.”

“Megan,” someone called from the karaoke stage.

She groaned. “Time to get embarrassed. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Sure.” Zara gave an awkward wave. Now she knew she wanted to leave. Not that she didn’t enjoy talking to Jenna or Megan—she really liked both of them—but she was done.

Zara slipped out of the pub as a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” began.

Will’s truck was gone. She wasn’t surprised, considering how long the guys had been gone, but part of her had hoped they were still close by.

She climbed into her car and texted Will.

I’m leaving the party. Where are you?

She didn’t wait for a reply; she pulled out and headed home.

The sun was low in the summer sky. When she’d left her apartment earlier, she’d thought Will would come home with her and check the apartment before she went inside.

She pulled into the driveway. A light was on in AJ’s grandmother’s upstairs bedroom. She was already heading to bed.

The shadows of the large oak trees cast an eerie darkness across the backyard.

Zara parked in her spot and turned the car off, but she didn’t get out. Maybe sleeping in the car would be fine. The thought of walking up those stairs and going into a supposedly empty apartment left her unable to breathe.

Creak. She jumped. Probably just a tree branch, but this wasn’t going to work either.

She grabbed her purse and draped it across her body before hopping out of the car. After locking her car, she reached into the concealed compartment of her purse and wrapped her hand around her gun.

She dashed to the stairs and climbed them as fast as she could, letting go of her gun only long enough to unlock and open the door and go inside. She drew her gun out.

Paranoid much? She wanted to laugh at herself, but she didn’t feel it. Her whole body shook.