She wrapped her coat around her and let out a laugh. “You’re ridiculous. He’s at the gym. He won’t even know we’re here.”
We crept around the side of the building, staying close to the wall. At least I could be comforted by the fact that it was dark outside.
The apartment complex was one of those boxy new builds—glass, steel, sharp angles, and absolutely zero charm. It stood five stories tall, but apparently Paul’s apartment was on the ground level. Assuming he’d left his blinds open, we’d have a clear view inside. Could we possibly be that lucky? Part of me hoped no, but it was about time something finally went our way. We needed answers.
In a minute, we could solve this mystery. In a minute, Hazel’s life could turn into something a hell of a lot better than its current state. I wanted that for her.Badly. She had been dealt a shitty hand of cards. She deserved more. And we were getting down to the wire. There were fewer than ten days left until the winnings hit her bank account and she’d be forced to make a decision.
Unfortunately for us, the predator knew exactly when that money would arrive, because Hazel had been forthcoming about it. I knew I was beating a dead horse, but I still felt the need to give her another little lecture on privacy. She’d already given me access to her computer the other day and let me set up some more secure passwords.
The girl stressed me out.
Not in a way that weighed me down, but in a way that told me I cared a hell of a lot more than I probably should.
At this point, Hazel had not just entered my life, but settled right into the center of it. I couldn’t ignore the starkfact that I had been happier since she’d come around. I’d been spending less time online, which I did feel bad about. I’d have to write a killer blog post for the guys next week to make up for my shortcomings.
In my defense, I had a lot on my mind. Time was of the essence, and failing Hazel was not an option I wanted to consider.
Hazel came to an abrupt halt. A small jolt surged through me—possibly excitement, likely panic—as she silently pointed to the next window and mouthed, “This is it.”
We jerked our heads, looking up and down the dark street. Empty.
“Cover me,” Hazel said, crouching down and bracing herself to hop into the ground-level patio.
“Absolutely the fuck not.” I grabbed her arm and stopped her mid-pounce.
Lines creased her forehead like she was oblivious as to why I wouldn’t want her to go down there first. “What? This is his unit.”
I sighed. “Let me look. If he’s in there, I don’t want to risk him seeing you.”
“He’s at the gym.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Hazel, stay here.”
She stood up and crossed her arms. Her hair was tucked under a knit beanie that was borderline threadbare. Would it be weird if I bought her a new one?
Forcing any anxiety from my system, I hopped down onto the patio. It was just a three by seven slab of concrete with a sliding glass door. Paul hadn’t done much to make the space homey. There was a dirty folding chair, and some crunched-up energy drink cans littering the floor. Classy guy.
The curtain had been pulled partially closed, but there was at least a foot-wide gap I could see through. The apartment looked exactly what you’d expect a guy like Paul’s apartment to look like. Beat-up gray couch in the corner, clothes strewn about. A sad bachelor’s pad. I squinted and scannedthe place. It wasn’t big. Thankfully, he’d left the light on so I could see most of the living room and kitchen area.
No sign of movement.
There was another, smaller window at the edge of the patio with the blinds wide open. I sidestepped over to it to peek through. It was his empty bedroom, devoid of anything except a sad looking gray comforter and a plywood dresser. A walk-in closet opened off the room, its door half-ajar. From this angle, I could see only part of the closet and a narrow glimpse of the bathroom beyond it.
Everything looked still. Empty.
“I don’t see anything,” I said.
“Let me look.” A hand pressed against my arm, and I jumped.
“Hazel—what the hell? I told you to keep watch.”
“Oops, I forgot.” She blinked up at me, a coy smile on her lips. “Now let me see.”
I sighed and shook my head, stepping aside to let her take a look for herself. I edged toward the corner of the patio, scanning the quiet residential street, but it was empty. No movement, no sign of anyone. Just stillness. It was the kind of cold November evening that chilled your bones. The kind that kept people indoors unless they had absolutely no choice.
“Hurry,” I said as Hazel scanned the place.
She narrowed her eyes and pressed her face even closer to the glass. “Hey, look at this.”
