AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Friday — 1:02pm
The chill of the air practically soaked into Lorena's bones as she stood on the opposite side of the street from Brooklyn Sloane's condominium. The disgusting odor from the winter coat that she had taken from one of the shelters had her gag reflex working overtime. Still, Lorena had no choice but to pull the black faux fur forward to cover her face.
She had spent enough time with Sylvie Deering to know all too well how good Bit Nowacki was at his job. Prying technology was everywhere, which meant that he could monitor her movements. Only he would need to see her face for that to happen, and she was smarter than the cameras.
Lorena couldn't prevent the laugh that bubbled over at how easy it had been to fool Sylvie and her father. The sound had captured the attention of an elderly man walking down the sidewalk, but she didn't care. She was past that point in her life. Her parents would have been bothered by such behavior, but that was one of the reasons why they were dead and she was still free to do as she pleased.
Lorena’s smile slipped as a sharp pain radiated up her side. Her hand instinctively moved to press against the bandage covering the wound on her ribs underneath her coat. It was just a graze, but it was still enough to cause her some irritation.
The blonde bitch had gotten a shot off before Lorena could finish her off. She clenched her teeth together as she remembered the smug look on Sylvie's face when she pulled the trigger, so confident that she had the upper hand.
Well, Lorena had shown her.
She vividly recalled the shock and fear in Sylvie's eyes as the blade of the knife plunged into her stomach again and again. Nothing beat that thrilling sensation of slicing into flesh. The only gratifying sound that had been missing was Sylvie's pleas to stop.
The pain flared again, reminding Lorena that there was still work to be done.
Unfortunately, that lucky shot had allowed Sylvie to survive. It was the only reason Lorena had fled the scene instead of staying behind to witness the light fade from the woman’s eyes.
Lorena should have been more careful.
She should have disarmed Sylvie faster instead of letting her squeeze the trigger. It had been a mistake, and it was one that she wouldn't repeat next time.
Lorena replayed the conversation she had with an orderly outside the hospital. She had made it seem like she was part of the press, wanting an update on Sylvie Deering. Lorena's question about a dark-haired woman being among those waiting for word on Sylvie's condition hadn't gotten Lorena very far, though. The guy kept saying that he had seen someone matching that description last night, but the woman hadn't been around all day.
How could Brooklyn Sloane have vanished into thin air?
Logic dictated that Brook had somehow slipped out of the hospital without Lorena spotting her. Maybe she had gone home for a change of clothes or even back to the office. A delicious shiver ran down Lorena's back at the prospect of torturing information out of Jacob's sister.
Lorena owed Jacob everything.
He had plucked her from destitution. Some might even say they were kindred spirits, but she didn't look at him that way. He certainly hadn't shown an interest in fucking her, either.
By happenstance, Jacob had caught Lorena stealing a woman's purse.
One thing had led to another.
Jacob had shown her another way to survive—his way.
Lorena lacked his patience. He could blend in with society without anyone the wiser. She’d been in awe of his ability to do so. She didn't have that gift or the personality. It was the reason that he had helped her come up with other ways, more that matched her style.
Not wanting to stand outside and catch someone's attention—or worse, a specific someone peering at her through one of the security cameras that lined the busy street—she stepped off the curb and approached the building's vestibule. Keeping her hood close to her cheeks, she opened the glass door and came to a stop in front of a chrome speaker. A doorman addressed her from his place behind a large station inside the lobby.
"May I help you?"
"I'm here to see Brook."
Lorena hadn't wanted to appear as if she was a stranger to one of the tenants, so she had stuck with a first name only.
"Is Ms. Sloane expecting you?"
Lorena sneered at the way the question had come across. It was as if she were some underling or something.
"Is she here or not?"
"I don't believe so, but I'll call up to Ms. Sloane's condo to confirm."
Frustration knotted in Lorena's stomach. Her rage began to simmer just below the surface. She wanted to lash out, to shatter the barrier between them.
