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His laughter followed her, but she didn’t look back. He’d like that. It was small of her but depriving him of that small victory gave her some satisfaction. When she hit Fifth Avenue, she glanced over her shoulder. There was no sign of him, but she couldn’t shake the sense of being watched.
If he and Devlin were involved in whatever this scheme was to insinuate themselves into her life, Pietro would be aware of where she lived. He’d admitted to following her. It was likely he’d trailed her from her apartment. This was no random meeting.
Oh, God, her home wasn’t safe. But what was the alternative? There was no family to call or close friends who’d take her in. Even if there was, she wouldn’t want to drag them into this—whatever this was.
Dusk settled over the city. Strung out on nerves and exhaustion, she heaved a sigh of relief when her building came into view. She scanned high and low, seeing neither man. Her skin itched like there were bugs crawling all over her. Giving one final look, she hurried inside and up the stairs.
It was almost a disappointment not to find Devlin waiting impatiently, demanding to know where she’d been. If she was honest, she’d been expecting it.
“Stop it,” she scolded as she opened one deadbolt and then the other. All the evidence was pointing toward him not being a good guy. It didn’t matter that she found him attractive. Plenty of serial killers were handsome. Made it easier to troll for victims.
That was cold logic and hard truth. Her heart disagreed, whispered that Devlin was a good guy. She couldn’t afford to take a chance.
Once inside, she relocked the door and sank down onto the floor. “What am I going to do?” It was time to be smart. So far, it had been nothing more than minor vandalism and scare tactics. It could easily escalate.
“I have to get out of here.” Scrambling over to her closet, she tossed her duffel bag on the bed and began to stuff socks, underwear, and clothes into it, paying little attention to what she jammed inside. Speed was of the essence. Some internal clock was ticking down. She didn’t want to be on the streets after dark.
Her stomach churned. She stopped and placed her hand on it and swallowed hard, praying she wouldn’t lose the pretzel she’d eaten. “Three or four nights should do it.” That would be long enough for them to give up and move on, right? If it wasn’t, she was screwed, in more ways than one.
With that in mind, she pulled a battered knapsack out from under the bed. Everything she’d need for work went inside—laptop, external hard drives, portable speaker, and more. She glanced around the small space. It had been her home for eight years. Her first two years in the city had been spent renting rooms in other people’s spaces. This was the first place that had belonged solely to her.
Heart pounding, she gathered her belongings. “I can start again.” But she didn’t want to. Anger and resentment gave her an adrenaline boost. She wished she was strong enough to kick both their asses. Since she wasn’t, running was the best option.
Purse, knapsack, and duffel loaded onto her body, she listened at the door and peered through the peephole. Assured the hallway was empty, she left and didn’t look back. When she reached the ground floor, she kept going. There was a basement exit that locked from the inside. She doubted many people knew it was there. She’d discovered it by accident one day when she’d been searching for the building super. If anyone was watching the front door, they wouldn’t see her leave.
It was dark in the basement. Not wanting to take the time to find the light switch, she pulled out her phone. She had multiple voicemails. Ignoring them, she pressed the flashlight app. The bolts on the door were rusty and stiff. “Come on.” She pulled and pushed. Setting her phone down, she used both hands.
Squeak.The first one gave. The second bolt slid easily.
Wiping her hands on her pants, she grabbed her phone and eased the door open.
Chapter Seven
Where the hell is she?
Devlin fueled his anger rather than letting fear take control. He’d been searching for hours. He’d been all over the park, catching a faint trace of her on a bench. He’d lost it shortly after. There were too many smells—people, animals, food, pollution, garbage. It messed with his senses. Now he was back where he’d started—her apartment. She’d be safe inside. She had to be. The alternative was unacceptable.
Heading for the stairs, he paused. Her scent was heavier here, as though she’d passed recently. It went up, but it also went down. Curious, he detoured to the basement. With his preternatural vision, the darkness didn’t hinder him. The hint of her floral soap was almost buried by the stench of fear.
She’d bolted.
Furious at himself for assuming she wouldn’t run, he found the exit. It was unlocked. He stepped into a narrow alley that ran behind the building and the one next to it. It exited several doors down. If a regular human had been watching the main doorway, they’d have missed her. But he was anything but human.
He pulled out his phone and called her. Unsurprisingly, it went to voicemail…again. “Call me, damn it.” He swallowed back his growing anger. “I’m worried about you. Just let me know you’re okay.”
Tucking his phone away, he summoned his wolf. It was time to hunt.
He didn’t shift, but all his senses kicked into overdrive. The light was fading, the streetlights flickering to life, and Zoe was out there alone. Letting his wolf take the lead, he followed her trail down the street away from her building, stopping at the intersection. He had three choices—right, left, or straight ahead.
…
Someone was definitely following her.
Weighed down by bags, Zoe broke into a trot. Walking around the city hadn’t prepared her for this. She was panting and sweating. Not a great time to realize she needed more cardio. Not to mention strength training.
She stepped into the shadows of an empty building. There was no welcoming light. No sign of people. Most of the windows were boarded up. There were a few places where the boards had been ripped away. Whether it was about to be rehabbed or demolished, something new would spring up again before long. There was no sign of anyone that she could see. No sound of suspicious footsteps. But her instincts were too sharp for her to ignore.
Traffic on the streets and sidewalks had thinned out to almost nonexistent. This was primarily a residential neighborhood. People were either home for the day or had gone out for the evening. It might have been smarter to head for a busy area, but she’d wanted to do the opposite of what might be expected. Now it was too late.
