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“It’s all good,” he said, though it didn’t seem like he meant it.
“I’ll walk you out, at least,” Devlin offered as he stood from his stool.
“Sure,” I replied, and we went out into the night.
When we reached my car, I opened the door, and Devlin waited until I was safely in and pulling out of the lot. A quick glance in my rearview showed him standing with his hands in his pockets watching me drive away. Then when I looked forward, I passed the Challenger parked on a side street.
“Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
Already running through my escape plan, I drove straight home. Paranoia made me think every car was following me. Regardless if it was true or not, my gut was telling me something was very wrong.
I got lucky and found a spot on the street in front of the small record shop where I had an efficiency apartment upstairs. All the shops had been remodeled, and the upper levels had been converted to small but sleek apartments.
I took the stairs two at a time.
After locking my door, I opened the closet and pulled out my suitcase. Ripping things off the hangers, I shoved them inside. The bedside table that doubled as an end table when my futon was in couch mode was quickly emptied next.
The few toiletries I had in the bathroom went into a plastic grocery sack and got added to the growing contents. My purse was last. Once I was satisfied I had what I needed, I zipped it shut.
My laptop went into my backpack along with my identification papers and the rest of my equipment before I set it on the futon. The kitchen items I had were cheap and expendable, so I didn’t worry about them.
There was a knock on my door, and my heart jumped into my throat as I froze.
“Laila?” a voice called, and relief made my shoulders sag. “Are you home?”
Looking through the peephole, I verified it was my landlady, Mrs. Aberdeen, from across the hall.
“Hey,” I said, giving her a bright smile but keeping the door closed enough she wouldn’t see my suitcase sitting in the middle of the floor.
“Laila, dear, could I trouble you for one of your little coffee cup things?”
I gave a nervous laugh. “It’s eleven at night. Are you sure you want the caffeine at this time?”
She smiled. “My brother just flew in unexpectedly, and he’s dying for a cup, but I’m out. I planned to go to the store tomorrow morning.”
“Sure. Just a second,” I said as I closed the door most of the way. I quickly grabbed the box of pods, since I wouldn’t be taking them, and brought it to her.
“Oh! I only needed one,” she said as she tried to take one and give me the box back.
“No, you keep them. I’m trying to cut back on my caffeine. I bought some decaf ones, and those were going to go to waste.”
She gave me a hug. “Thank you so much, and good for you. I wish I had that much willpower.”
With a wave, she crossed the hall and went inside. She had the only full-size place of the four apartments in our building. She and her husband had owned the record store downstairs. When he died unexpectedly, their son took over, but she still lived in their two-bedroom apartment.
Once I secured the door, I scratched out a note for her and left it on the counter. I’d miss her, and I felt bad for running out without notice, but she could keep my deposit.
As I glanced at my suitcase and backpack, I had the sad thought that at twenty-nine years old, it was pitiful that my entire life fit in those two bags.
I’d contact Ryan once I was on the road. He messaged earlier to tell me they wanted to assign me a new identity again because of the breach. I told him to do what he had to because I was simply tired. He’d be relieved I was leaving, but I wouldn’t tell him I didn’t plan to go much further than Waterloo. Though I knew it was stupid, the thought of being too far from Lucian made my heart hurt.
Once again, I was starting over.
