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“I’m taking care ofthis,” he said over his shoulder.
I wrinkled my nose and held my hand out. “At least let me bring the bag to the trash chute.”
He passed it over. By the time I returned from down the hall, he was almost finished scrubbing the shelf where Haggard had left his latest “gift.”
I glanced back toward the apartment door, my stomach knotting. “I’m surprised Jasper and Niko haven’t gotten back yet. You’d think they’d have headed over as soon as the alert went off. I didn’t think they were going too far.”
Rafael shrugged and gave the shelf a few more swipes along with a squirt of cleaning spray. “They probably realized we’d be closer since we were at the rink and finished up whatever they were doing first.”
After seeing how determined my skater men were to defend me, I wasn’t so sure they’d have taken the development that lightly. Swallowing thickly, I pulled out my phone to try texting them.
Before I’d done more than tap out a few letters, a key clicked in the lock.
I spun around just as Niko and Jasper stepped inside, their gazes searching mine but their mouths set in matching sheepish smiles—and a new face bobbing up to peek over their shoulders.
“Oh em gee!” the slim Japanese woman cried out with a clap of her hands, her voice holding the same light accent Niko’s did. She pushed between the two men with a swish of her sleek black bob. “You must be Lou! I’m so excited to meet you.”
The next thing I knew, she was throwing her arms around me. I hugged her back automatically gaping at Niko.
He let out a rough chuckle. “Ah, we were a little delayed because of a surprise visitor. Emi decided it’d be fun to drop in from Japan.”
“It’s going to besomuch fun,” his sister declared with unshakeable enthusiasm, pulling back to grin at me.
I plastered a smile on my own face, wishing I could mean it more. But any happiness I might have felt at meeting part of Niko’s family was drowned out by the roar of uneasiness reverberating through my head.
Just seconds ago, Rafael had been cleaning animal gore out of the fridge. Just how much more were my two way-too-different worlds going to collide now—and who else might get caught in the crossfire?
THIRTEEN
Luciana
I looked downat my plate of spaghetti as the waitress set it in front of me and suppressed the flash of memory provoked by the bright red sauce. My stomach clenched, but I made myself pick up my fork.
Jasper gave me a glance with a flicker of concern as he leaned over his own plate, but I’d had a chance to talk to him and Niko briefly away from Emi before we’d headed over to her hotel to dine in the lobby-adjacent restaurant. Not wanting them to worry too much, I’d told them that Rafael and I had followed up on the motion detector’s alert and IDed my stalker.
My partner was clearly still in protective mode, but he also knew how well I could take care of myself. Jasper dragged his gaze away and brandished his own fork.
“This looks great. I’m starving, and I’ve got a bunch more work to finish tonight to get those costumes ready to go.”
Emi clapped her hands together eagerly. “Niko said you make your own. I can’t wait to see them!”
I couldn’t suppress a genuine laugh. “Join the club. He’s been keeping them secret even from me, and I’ve got to wear two of them.”
Jasper aimed a teasing kick at me under the table. “Tomorrow we’ll try them on. Promise.”
“I’m sure they’ll only make your performance more spectacular,” Niko said with a grin.
“That’s why I had to fly all the way out here,” Emi declared. “It wouldn’t be the same watching on TV. And it’s been too long since I’ve been able to check up on my big brother.”
Niko pressed his hand to his chest in mock-offense. “It’s my job to check up onyou.”
She giggled. “Well, you can do that better when I’m in the same city as you. But it looks like your friends have been taking good care of you.”
She beamed around the table at us, and I felt a little of my uneasiness subside. It was hard to worry too much about psycho stalkers with a presence as warm and upbeat as Emi right in front of me.
Obviously friendliness and good cheer ran in Niko’s family. And her vibrant chatter helped drown out the questions that’d been whirling in my head since I’d seen my stalker’s face.
I was glad she’d suggested we get out of the apartment to eat, though. We had no idea whether Haggard might come back there… especially now that he’d noticed Rafael and me tailing him.
