Jesse’s visit was just the thing I needed when it felt like my world wasn’t my own. Over the next couple of days, we spent our time getting coffee, popping into the local bookstore, and secretly signing copies of my books that they had on the shelves, which Jesse found amusing, and telling old stories. We decided to watchThe Strangersmovie because we’ve always loved horror movies. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to watch since I was already freaked out about my stalker, but we enjoyed it anyway.
Jesse didn’t love the fact that King was nearby at every turn but was also grateful that I had someone looking out for me. He was skeptical of King, especially knowing that we hooked uprandomly in my time of need. But what were friends for if not to be cynical of rando guys? I appreciated him and his concern.
Sunday came, and Jesse packed up his things to leave. I said, “Ah! I wish you lived here! Why don’t you live here?”
He laughed, “Youneedto get out of Cupid City now and then to visitme. You’ll love the woods.”
Laughing, I said, “Doubtful. I really hope this mystery woman loves camping, hiking, and all the things that you enjoy, becausethisfriend, ain’t getting bit by mosquitos!”
We laughed, hugged, and then I walked him to the door. “Be careful, with your mission to save everyone, Jesse. We all need you.”
Jesse opened the door, and King stood on the other side of the hall behind him. “You know I will, Rayah!” He looked out in the hall at King and then back at me. “Yoube careful. Come here.” He hooked his arm around my neck and pulled me in for a hug. “Alright. I’ll see you later.”
“See you later.” I waved bye to Jesse until he was out of sight, and then looked at King, with his crazy eyes, and thought,Mmm hmm.Jealous. I shut the door on him and went back inside.
Chapter 12
Serayah
A noise startled me from my sleep. I grabbed my phone and checked the time.Three a.m.Then I heard the noise again. It sounded like a shove and a scrape. In my half-asleep daze, I thought it might be King at first. Then I thought,Why would he come in and not tell me?Maybe he needs to use the bathroom.I shot a text off to him.
Me: You know, a little warning if you’re going to come in here. Just text me next time.
Waiting for him to reply, I got up, grabbed my pink, furry, robe and put it on as I walked out into the kitchen. It was colder than normal. I could almost see my breath. The temperature in my room was normal, but it was chilly in the main part of my apartment. It was strange. My phone vibrated.
King: I’m not in your apartment…
Reading his text made me gasp. Then, I saw the shadow of a man sprinting at me in the dark.I ran behind my kitchen island and screamed, “KING!”
“Stay away from me!” I yelled at the intruder. Looking behind him, I saw the open fire-escape window. That’s why it was so cold. That’s how he got in, somehow. His creepy, familiar voice taunted me, “It’s me, Serayah, your biggest fan. You know this. He doesn’t love you the way I do.”
Suddenly, King kicked the door in, gripping a pistol, and aimed it at the guy, yelling, “Get on the ground! Do it now!” The guy froze for a moment but then moved towards the open window. King got on his microphone and said, “Mack, get up the fire escape. An intruder is trying to flee. Chase, I need backup in the apartment.”
“Serayah, Get in the hallway.”
I did exactly as King told me but watched from the doorway. I could hear Mack running up the metal fire escape, two steps at a time. A few seconds later, Chase ran past me into the apartment withhispistol drawn.
As the intruder tried to run for the window, Mack had already made it up the fire escape and was waiting for him. He said, “Nowhere to go, asshole,” from the fire-escape through the open window.
As the man turned back to face me, Chase tackled him, landing on top of the coffee table and breaking it. The guy tried hard to fight back, but it was already over. Chase handcuffed his hands behind his back and held him while Mack pulled his hood off and searched him for weapons.
I saw his spikey hair and a twisted, unforgettable face. All I could get out was,“You…” I recognized him from my book signing. Itwasthe same crazy man who went off about being my biggest fan when I signed his book. “It’shim, King. The guy from the book signing in New York.”
King turned to me, cradling my face. “Well, now he’s going to prison. Are you okay?”
I nodded yes, even if Iwasa little shaky.
“It’s okay, Serayah. You're safe, now.” My eyes were filling up, and I was struggling because all I wanted to do was collapse into his arms and fall apart, but not with the guys there. They finally got him, and it felt like weeks of looking over my shoulder were finally over. I brought my hand up over his. His skin was so warm, and mine was burning just from his touch. A touch I’ve thought about every day that he’d been my bodyguard. I think he forgot Chase and Mack were there. He stared at me for what felt like hours. Nodding, I said, “I’m okay. Yeah, it’s okay. Can I go to my bedroom and get changed?”
“Of course. I’ll shut the window.” He made his way over to the window and shut it while I walked to the bedroom.
The way he looked at me made my body tingle. I told myself,Stress. It’s the stress.I wanted King to pick me up, carry me to my bedroom, and do filthy things to me until I was calm again. Fuck, he was hot.Then the realization hit me. My stalker was captured, and my time with King was coming to an end soon.
I got changed and stepped into the kitchen where King was standing guard. Chase came walking back over to us and said, “He’s in the hallway. The police are here, too. Mack and I can take him downstairs and hand him over when you’re ready.”
King asked Chase, “How did he say he got in?”
Chase shook his head and told us, “You won’t believe it. Mack was parked at the bottom of the fire escape, guarding the back entrance, as usual. So, he couldn’t get up the fire escape. Instead, he climbed a rain gutter pipe in the alley, where it’s dark, up to a tiny ledge that runs below the windows. He threw something he had on him from the ledge down to a dumpster where Mack was parked. While Mack was investigating what caused the noise, he shimmied along the ledge until he reached Ms. Flores’ fire escape window. He dropped down from there to the window and opened it up.”
