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“I think I saw Haggard passing by outside. He had his head down low, but I’d swear— Wait here. If it’s him, I’ve got to run him down.”
He dashed to the door without waiting for my response. The jingle of the overhead bell melded with the thumping of his feet, and then he was gone.
I took a step after him with an instinctive urge to join the chase. The rustling of plastic bags being filled held me back.
Someone did need to stay for the food. And it wasn’t as if Rafael couldn’t handle one guy on his own. I didn’t even know which direction he’d ended up heading in.
If he’d been sure it was my psycho stalker, I’d have followed him in an instant, no matter what he’d said. But maybe I should go along with his instructions just this once… to make up for all the times I undoubtedly wouldn’t in the future when it mattered more.
When I turned back toward the counter, the older lady on the other side gave me a wary glance. Maybe wondering why my companion had taken off in such a furor. I offered her a smile I hoped was reassuring, and she dipped her head toward me.
“Just waiting on the pork belly,” she said. “A few more minutes.”
“That’s fine.” Hopefully Rafael would have finished his chase by then.
No, hopefully he’d actually caught Haggard and was ending that asshole’s reign of terror right now by whatever means necessary. I still hadn’t decided how much I wanted to be involved in delivering the well-deserved consequences, but if staying out of it right now meant I never had to worry about the psycho and his gory gifts again, I’d be okay with that.
My phone pinged in my hand. A text lit up the screen from Emi, packed with exclamation points and emojis in her usual way.
Hey! Can’t wait for those Finals coming so soon! It looks like I can’t get the time off, so you HAVE to send me all the vids!!!
I grinned. Emi, like her brother, seemed to know just when I needed a smile, even from all the way across the world. I hit the reply button and started typing out a response, but before I could, another text buzzed my way.
Especially some videos of that new lift and throw combo you told me about!! It’s going be STUNNING!!
I promise I’ll send you a video of our next attempt, I wrote back.It’s coming along really well.
I had to admit that talking with Niko’s sister was like a breath of fresh air after the wary and distant interactions I’d had with the women in my past life. Since we’d left, I’d found myself swapping stories about our interests and pasts with her.
I just wished I didn’t have to deal with the twinge of guilt about how much of my past I was hiding from her. But I never wanted to be dragged into that world again. If I didn’t have to worry Emi with all that garbage, then I wouldn’t. I wanted her to see me as a normal person, not a former criminal or a charity case.
The woman behind the counter hooked a finger at me and set two bags down on the surface between us. “Your food is ready, miss.”
“Thank you!” I pocketed my phone and grabbed both bags, one in each hand. The heat and the delicious scents wafting off them made my stomach gurgle again.
I considered the closed door that Rafael hadn’t yet returned through and decided to wait outside. Maybe I’d see him already on his way back and I could meet him halfway.
As I stepped onto the sidewalk, the chilly fall breeze wrapped around me. The restaurant stood on a quiet side-street, just a few buildings down from a busy thoroughfare but with only the occasional passing pedestrian and car right in front of it at this time in the late evening.
No sign of Rafael in either direction yet. Frowning, I ambled a little farther down the street and decided to text him to see if he was finished checking up on his suspicion. If he didn’t answer, I’d head back to the apartment on my own. It was only a couple of blocks.
I didn’t even have time to reach for my phone before several figures burst from an alley across the street, charging straight toward me.
Sheeran’s goons, I thought in the split-second it took to register the attack, and then I was whipping into action.
The thugs swarmed around me, throwing punches and ramming knees from all sides. I spun around, making use of everything I had in reach.
One takeout bag bashed into a prick’s face, spurting hot sauce into his eyes. The other thumped a second attacker in the gut. I kicked it to send spicy noodles straight into a third jerk’s mug, mourning the loss of our tasty dinner.
The second my hands were free, I lashed out with my ringed fists as well. The metal ridges carved lines through a goon’s cheek, and I clocked another in the nose hard enough that he reeled backward.
It wasn’t enough. There were too many of them, and they weren’t holding back to deliver a warning this time. They wanted a total beatdown.
I whipped this way and that, stomping and jabbing, but there always seemed to be another fist to dodge. My breath turned ragged in my throat.
I fumbled in my pocket for the knife I kept on me, but the second I yanked it free, another thug caught my wrist. He twisted it so hard the bones creaked and the blade fell from my hand with a spasm of pain.
Shit, shit, shit.
