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I sent a text to Mom, checking in and asking if she needed anything, but she told me the same thing Dad did.
I knew they were protecting me. They probably didn’t want me at home, thinking I was safer that way.
By the time I reached the cafe, a small line had formed out the door, curving around the block. I settled in to wait.
As the line inched along, I considered abandoning the plan in favor of McDonald’s coffee and grocery store bagels. Then a hand settled at the small of my back and a broad, firm chest brushed against my shoulder.
“Don’t turn around.”
For a split second, I stiffened. Then recognition drifted through my initial shock.
“Crow?” I whispered in disbelief. I shifted just enough to look at him…and he was so close, I could see a thin white scar trailing down his neck, nestled behind his ear. I could smell the leather of his vest and the sharpness of coffee lingering on his clothes.
“Ever since you left the apartment building,” he said, “a black Sedan has been following you.”
I froze. All I wanted to do was crane my neck and take a look but the pressure of Crow’s hand on my back kept me facing forward.
“Have you talked to your dad today?” he asked.
I nodded. “He told me about the vandalism on our house last night.”
“Good. Then you know he doesn’t want you at home right now. He asked me to keep an eye on you, just in case.”
The thought of Crow watching my every move made my stomach flutter. Crow hadn’t removed his hand from my lower back either. He didn’t need to keep touching me now that I knew he was there.
“Why would anyone target me?” I asked.
“No idea,” Crow replied. His gaze never stopped scanning our surroundings as surreptitiously as possible. “But I’d rather be safe than sorry. So let’s get your coffee and head back to the apartment, all right? And no more late night visits to The Honey Pot, okay? Watch some movies. Order pizza. Stay inside.”
I huffed a dry laugh.
“What?” Crow asked, finally looking at me for the first time since he’d shown up. The lines around his mouth grew deeper with stress. But there were faint lines around his eyes too, indicating he’d laughed a few times in his life. He looked so stoic and serious now, like a guard dog on alert. I wondered what he would look like when he smiled…
“My dad said practically the same thing when I was in high school,” I said. “A boy expressed interest in me for the first time in my life and my dad was ready to put me into lockdown.”
“Yeah, well, if someone is following you, it’s a little more serious than a high school kid with a crush.”
I clamped my mouth shut, shame burning my cheeks. That was the second time I’d felt childish and stupid around Crow.
As the line filtered into the cafe, I said nothing more. The weight of Crow’s hand on my back finally vanished, but the heat of his presence just behind me made it hard to focus. When I finally retrieved my order, Crow stayed perfectly in step with me like a shadow as I headed out the door again.
Neither of us spoke for a minute or two as I made my way back to my apartment. I felt like a naive fool around him and I’d already stuck my foot in my mouth enough already.
Finally, Crow broke the silence.
“Do you have any ex-boyfriends who might be holding a grudge?”
I glanced at him in surprise.
“No. I mean, I went on a few dates in college but nothing serious ever came of it. Certainly no one who would want to hurt me.”
Crow merely gave a non-committal hum in response. His lips were pressed tight and a muscle in his jaw twitched. His gaze never stopped assessing his surroundings like a hawk on the hunt for prey.
“You think something else is going on here,” I said. “Besides the vandalism.”
He shrugged. “Can’t say for sure yet. I don’t like to jump to conclusions. But it’s usually not a good sign when someone is followed in a car with no license plate and tinted windows.”
That sobered me up instantly. Now I was the one scanning my surroundings.
