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“No.”
“Are your blinds open?”
“In the bedroom, yes. Not the living room.”
“Good. Don’t switch on the lights. We’re going inside fast.”
She frowned but didn’t ask why. We walked in, and I shut the door behind us quickly. “Can you walk me to your room?” I asked.
I was pleased when she didn’t question me, instead taking my hand and heading us down a short hall. In the doorway of her room, I saw the window—the blinds open, but slanted so you couldn’t really see in. I scanned the area, my eyes already used to the darkness. I skirted around the bed and dresser, lowering myself and angling the bottom slat so I had a clear view of the street below. Given the weather, the rain-soaked streets were mostly empty. She lived on a fairly quiet road, the lights along the sidewalk casting pools of illumination on the cement. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary until I focused on the one unlit streetlight across the street from her apartment. The doorway of the building was dark as well, and I narrowed my eyes, studying the black. I watched as the shadows moved a little, indicating the doorway wasn’t as deserted as the person hiding in it believed.
I stood, easing back.
“Stay here,” I instructed. “Wait thirty seconds, then go to the living room and turn on a light, but don’t open the blinds. Do the same in the kitchen. Move around but stay away from the windows.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be right back. Stay here,” I replied. “Do the back stairs lead to an exit?”
“Yes. To the small parking lot and alley.”
“Perfect. Where are they?”
“To the left at the end of the hall.”
“Okay.”
I had to admit she was right. The stairwell was dim, musty, and obviously not well used. I grimaced as I hurried down the steps, opening the door to the back of the building. I rushed along the alley, coming up the side of the building beside hers. I peered around the corner at the doorway in question. I waited a moment until I saw another slight movement.
The bastard was in the doorway, staring up at her apartment. I moved farther down the block, then crossed the street and came up beside the building, startling him when I stepped inside the doorway.
“Looking for someone?” I addressed the hooded figure.
His low curse and the way he backed into the corner let me know he had zero awareness of his surroundings. He had been too focused on trying to catch a glimpse of Raven.
“Fuck off,” he muttered. “None of your business.”
“Oh, but it is. The woman you followed earlier and whom you’re stalking at this moment is very much my business,Andy.”
The use of his name startled him even more and he tried to rush past me, but I blocked him.
“You are going to leave her alone. She’s not interested. She’s been polite about it, but not anymore. You leave her alone, or you’ll answer to me.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” he bluffed. “I was standing here to get out of the rain for a bit. I’m waiting for a friend to pick me up.”
“It’s not raining, and yourfriendis really late. As in, never coming. I suggest you fucking walk away, or you’re going to find yourself in more shit than you can handle.”
I held up my phone, and he cursed, holding up his hands to cover his face from the flashlight I illuminated. I got a decent look at him, committing his features to memory. “That woman you’ve been bothering is under my protection. Leave her alone. I’ll only warn you once. I see you again, I won’t hold back.”
He made a noise between a huff and a snarl. I felt the hate rolling off him. The frustration. “You don’t want to mess with me, asshole,” I added. “Leave and don’t come back. Find another hobby besides bothering women not interested in you.” I paused. “Try bingo. I hear that’s riveting.”
With a curse, he pushed off and rushed away. I stepped away from the building, watching his retreat with narrowed eyes. I wished I had some gadgets with me. A tracker. A Taser. Something useful. I resisted the urge to follow him. I could find out more using my brain, my computer, and my hacking skills.
But first, I had to make sure Raven was okay.
Something crunched under my foot, and I looked down at the glass I had trod on. I crouched, picking up a piece, realizing it was a lightbulb. I checked out the fixture inside the door, not surprised to see the broken bulb. I made a mental note to check the cameras in the area and find out when the streetlight went down as well. I had a feeling it, as well as the light fixture, had had a helping hand in its destruction. Andy had made himself a perfect place to spy on Raven.
I returned to Raven’s building, buzzing her apartment. She let me up and was waiting at her door, looking anxious.
