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Why do you want to know? she responded, instead.
I need to see you, he typed, almost instantly.
Her heart sang a bit. He needed to see her! Probably just for a quick hookup, that little voice in her head said. And then, another quickly replied, And what’s wrong with that? She felt her thighs tingle. He knew how to satisfy her, that was for sure. The sex would be amazing, even if it was of the wham, bam, thank-you, ma’am variety. She wanted that, but she also wanted to know his full name. And he owed her that much. This time, she wouldn’t let him arrive, seduce her with his amazing charisma and expert hands. No, this time, she’d get what she needed before she saw him.
On one condition, she typed.
Emma, please. Just tell me where you are! That guy—the one who harassed you at the bar the night we met—I know he’s trying to message you. He’s dangerous, so do not meet him anywhere!
Emma read Xavier’s message and frowned. How did he know the man was messaging her? Did he know the Cardinals hat guy? Emma already knew he was dangerous from her run-in with him at the Ritz-Carlton, but what did Xavier mean?
I just saw him but I don’t think he saw me, Emma texted back. How did you know he messaged me?
Turn off your Nost location finder, he told her once more. He could find you.
Emma felt a chill run down her spine. Quickly, she hit “location-off” on her app.
Where are you? Xavier asked once more, ignoring her inquiry.
First you have to tell me your first AND last name. Now let him try to worm his way out of this one. At least she’d make him work for it.
She stared at her phone and saw he was typing. His answer popped up on her screen:
Xavier Pena. Where are you?
She felt a surge of satisfaction. There. She knew his name now, and he wouldn’t be able to disappear so quickly from her life. Not now.
Casey had returned from the bar but she only barely looked up from her phone as she tapped out her response: John Barleycorn.
Stay there, he responded. I’m on my way.
Emma felt a surge of excitement. He was coming out! She was going to see him—the elusive Mr. X. Now she knew his name, as well. Xavier Pena. She itched to Google him, but Casey was in front of her once more.
“So, tell me about you,” Casey said. “I’ve been talking this whole time. What’s a gorgeous girl like you doing on Nost? You could have any guy at this bar with a snap of your fingers.”
She squirmed at the compliment and felt a bit of guilt. After all, she was not going home with Casey tonight, not if Mr. X, Xavier, was on his way. Xavier Pena. The name suited him. And she’d be Googling him at the first available opportunity. She glanced at the door of the bar and saw the revolving doors swing around. Was Xavier here already?
But then, she saw the telltale red baseball brim. Cardinals hat. He was back. Had he found her before she turned off her location finder on Nost?
Emma crouched down, trying to use Casey as a shield. “Everything okay?” he asked her.
“Uh, just someone I don’t want to see,” Emma said. Casey turned to look at the front of the bar. Emma took the opportunity to reach out and grab Sarah’s elbow and tug her close. “Cardinals Hat is here,” Emma whispered in her friend’s ear. Sarah craned her neck and saw the man working his way through the crowd. Suddenly, the man lifted his head and through the crowd, managed to make eye contact with Emma. She wanted to look away, but she found herself frozen, unable to move. The man’s lip curled up in a cruel smile of recognition. Emma knew in that minute that he had been looking for her, and that his intentions were anything but good. She felt a cold chill run down her spine, all of her instincts telling her to get away from that man.
“Who is that guy?” Casey asked.
“An asshole,” Sarah responded. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure he doesn’t come near you.”
Emma was thankful for the offer, and yet, despite her presence and the dozens of other people in the bar, she still felt vulnerable, exposed.
“Want another round?” Casey asked her suddenly, but all Emma wanted to do was to get out of the bar, away from the man who now took up a position leaning against a column in her direct line of sight. He wasn’t coming up to her, and she guessed she ought to be grateful for that, but the way he just stood across the bar, staring at her, made her even more uncomfortable. She just wanted to get out of his line of sight. She couldn’t shake the feeling that in his mind, he was plotting terrible things to do to her. She knew that sounded crazy, but she felt that he might become violent and that if he caught her alone she might be in serious danger.
Then Xavier came through the doors. She saw him first, and then their eyes met. Emma felt relief and more seeing his handsome self, clad in a simple black T-shirt, windbreaker and jeans, looking dark and dangerous as his tall and imposing figure cut through the crowd. Emma nodded to her left, toward her stalker, and Xavier saw him at the same time.
