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Someone else was here, in my apartment, lurking in the darkness. Maybe I’d been wrong about Running Man leaving me alone. Or maybe this intruder was someone altogether new, a fanatic who imagined a relationship after seeing me on TV.
My pulse took off like a Red Bull-fueled hummingbird.
I slowly reached into my pocket and threaded my keys through my knuckles. My fingers were trembling. But, if the intruder was planning on touching me, they’d get their eyes stabbed out.
“Money. Now.”
My heart just about jumped out of my throat.
I recognized that voice. It belonged to Maxim freaking Loughty.
He wasn’t waiting for me in the hall. He was waiting for me here, in my personal space.
He flipped on the little lamp by the stink sofa, where he was making himself at home with his feet on my pillow and his hand shoved deep into my bag of Bugles. This couldn’t be happening.
“What are you doing inside my apartment?” My rough voice sounded strange in my ears, like it belonged to someone else.
“Waiting for my money.” He rose to his feet and stalked toward me.
The room seemed to both sharpen and blur. I needed to get out, to hurry back through the window to freedom. Instead, my whole body felt as slow and heavy as if it were filled with lead.
Head spinning, I backed into the mini fridge, dug my hand through my pocket, and pulled what little cash I had in my wallet and held it out.
Whatever strength I’d felt in the way I’d handled the Maxim situation, whatever bravery I’d summoned, it was gone on an exhale.
Maxim snatched the cash and headed for the door. He left me with an empty wallet, a pounding heart, and a gross feeling of violation. No way would I be able to sleep tonight.
NINE
LAYANA
I woke on the floor with my right arm numb, my neck craned, and my brain flush with fuzzy regret. At some point after I’d barricaded the door with my dresser, I must have dozed off. Fortunately, I’d had the forethought to bring a pillow with me. Unfortunately, I’d apparently kicked it away while I was sleeping.
I’d purposefully left the blackout curtains open for nature to act as my alarm clock. Bright, afternoon-level sunlight poured in through the window, suggesting I’d been asleep for a good while. Retribution required rest, so yay for small victories.
I rolled my shoulders and lifted myself to my feet.
I never should have given Maxim my cash. What kind of monster invaded the private, safe space of a single woman living alone? Waiting in the dark, in what was essentially my bed, eating my Bugles?
Bile rose up my throat.
I didn’t even know how much money I’d given him. Was it enough for my rent? Too much?
There was nothing but my dresser to stop him from trying this stunt again. And I wasn’t sure if the dresser was heavy enough to do the job. Maxim was a big guy.
I quickly showered and dressed, then grabbed an old bran muffin and a Mountain Dew from the fridge. Not even the harsh chemical goodness of my favorite pee-colored soda could make the muffin taste like anything but dirt on my tongue. Still, a girl couldn’t properly reap her revenge on an empty stomach.
I pushed the stink sofa across the small space, wedging it against the dresser, thoroughly blockading the door. Then I checked the alley for creepers before heading out. The last thing I needed was to run into Maxim again before I was ready.
My first stop had to be the hardware store, with home security being my number one priority. I called Morgan on the way. If I didn’t share the implied physical threat I’d faced last night, she’d kill me.
“Heya, bestie,” she answered on the first ring. “How are you feeling after last night? Not too hungover I hope.”
“Hungover? No,” I said. I’d never felt more sober.
“What’s wrong?” Concern raised her voice an octave. “You sound…more murderous than usual.”
“Don’t freak out, but when I got home last night, someone was in my apartment.”
