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The skin at the back of my neck prickles and gooseflesh raises on the backs of my arms. Suddenly I don’t want to stay here a moment longer. I take extra care when I leave the Grande. Instead of walking, I hail a cab and pay for the security of a locked car cabin for the two and a half blocks or so I’d normally walk.
See, William. I listen.
I half expect him to be waiting for me when I unlock the door and walk through into the living room. But the balcony is empty. The sensor light is off and the apartment is cold and dark.
I go through the place, flicking on all the lights, turning up the heater too high and setting the shower to the hottest temperature. Stripping off, I scald my skin under the hot water and step out into a room thick with steam. As I open the bathroom door, the steam escapes in a billow, rushing past me and clouding my vision for a fraction of a moment. Just enough to make me doubt movement by the front door.
“Maurice?” I call out, even though I know my roommate is working late tonight.
There’s no answer.
Did I lock the front door? I was in such a rush to see if William was waiting on the balcony I’m not sure.
The prickling feeling at the back of my neck is back. A horribly familiar voice from my bedroom door makes my stomach drop through the floor.
“You’re mine now, you filthy little slut. Now you’re going to give me what you owe me.”
The security guard from the theater is in my apartment. Only now I realize he’s not a guard at all. And I know where I’ve seen that dimpled chin before.
As he advances, I stumble back against the bed. I can’t believe I let him get me. I’m not going to let this happen without a fight, though.
TWENTY FIVE
William
I shouldn’t be here. I shift from foot to clawed foot as the guy behind the counter takes out a magnifying glass and inspects my coins. He sniffs, flipping one over and pushing it further beneath the spotlight he has on it.
“They’ll be tricky to sell. Takes a real specialist to be interested in stuff like this. They might sit here for years.”
I sigh. It’s more or less the same thing the last three guys told me. None of them gave me a price anywhere near what I’ll need to make any difference to Jessie’s savings. I was hoping I’d at least be able to afford a deposit on an apartment, but I’m at least ten thousand short of what I’d need for even that.
“Well?” He drops the glass onto the counter and looks at me. “What do you wanna do?”
I curl my claws into a fist. This should be simple. It’s not like I have a better choice.
“Let me think about it. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
