I hate asking. “What about the shooter?”
“He won’t be taking shots at anyone anytime soon.”
He leans in and kisses me softly. “But if you’re scared, there are other ways to exercise.”
I lift an eyebrow. “A run would be good.”
“Grand.” He winks at me and my heart leaps in my chest.
Traitorous bitch.
I flop down on the bed, my legs aching in a good way, the burn in my lungs finally subsiding. When Declan said he was going for a run, he meant it. He said he usually takes the dogs but not this time. He pushed the pace until my limbs turned to lead, and if I wasn’t fit, I’d have collapsed long before we got home.
Lola stalks into the room, jumps on the bed next to me, andcurls into my side. A soft purring sound comes from the other side of the bed, and I look down to find Bruiser and Clawzilla. Without waiting for an invitation, they both jump up, too, and I’m suddenly surrounded by cats while I wait for Declan to join us. He said he needed to speak to his brothers once we got back, so I came up here alone.
Not that I was alone for long.
“Maybe I’ll become a mad cat lady since I’m stuck here all the time with you guys,” I say.
Then Arnold trots into the room, Petal racing in beside him.
They settle on the floor, and part of me thinks I should have pet beds in here, even though this is a temporary set up. They’re not even my animals. But all animals like to have their own places to rest. I click from website to website until my eyes get heavy.
I’m half dozing when my phone buzzes.
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, a message from Leon pops up on the screen.
Meet me outside in five.
I shake my head and type a response.
How do you even know where I am?
Three gray dots follow. And then…
Don’t worry about that. We need to talk.
I slip off the bed, quickly pull on jeans and a t-shirt, then shove my feet into my sneakers. A little voice niggles my brain. Leaving this compound by myself after having been shot at probably isn’t my smartest decision, but if it’s about my dad, I need to know what he’s found out.
Besides, Declan wouldn’t have taken me here if he thought there was serious danger lurking.
They’re mafia. There are children in the house. So I should be safe.
And Leon is my friend. He’dnever hurt me.
Although I still have no clue how he found me. Maybe he asked my mother? But how would she have the Murphy home address?
I push back my hair and tiptoe downstairs. Maybe I should find Declan. But when I walk down one of the hallways, I hear tense voices.
Doesn’t sound like I should interrupt.
The alarm is off, so I slip outside quietly. I barely make it to the sidewalk before I hear my name.
“Marlowe.”
I whirl around, almost slamming face-first into Leon.
“Do you have a death wish?” I whisper.
