“Okay. Have fun at Realm headquarters and I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” Grace ended the call. She reached for the manila folder on the adjacent seat and flipped through the police report of the night seven years ago when she was injured by a burglar who’d broken into her home. Though Realm soldiers were satisfied that the burglar had since been caught, it didn’t feel right to her. According to the report, the neighbor had heard the sounds of a struggle and pounded on the door. The guy had taken off out the back door, and she had been found injured inside. Yet Grace remembered none of it.
She took a sip of her strawberry milkshake and dropped the file. The contents were memorized by now.
Okay. She could do this. Taking in a deep breath, she opened her window and tossed her phone out into the park garbage can. Though it was Realm-issued and couldn’t be hacked, she was sure the Realm soldiers could trace her through it.
Rolling up the window, she headed back onto the main road for a six or seven hour drive. She had to do this.
Finally, after too many mental debates to count, she reached the outskirts of Denver. Her heart rate picked up, and she practiced her breathing exercises, trying to ignore the constant headache. She turned the car’s ancient navigation back on and drove through the quiet streets, maneuvering between neighborhoods with stately brick homes to an area of apartment buildings surrounded by mature trees.
Her temples ached and her stomach clenched.
She looked around, but nothing seemed familiar. Finally, she drove up to her previous apartment building and parked in front of Unit L, staring at the blue doorway on the first floor. The walk had been shoveled, and hints of greenery poked out through the snow on either side.
Breathing in through her nose, she counted and then breathed out through her mouth, calming herself. The area was quiet with the snow falling, and a couple of apartments still had Christmas lights twinkling.
She took another deep breath and forced herself to cut the engine and step out of the car. It would be dark soon, and she wanted to do this while it was still light outside. For some reason, that felt safer. The sun shone down, not really warm but making everything look bright and alive. She shut the door and stood there, taking in the deep red brick, wrought iron railings, and tall trees that combined into an aesthetically pleasing picture of peace and calm.
How many times had she sat on that porch during the spring or summer, sipping her tea and looking for the perfect camera angle? How many pictures had she taken of this neighborhood?
Why couldn’t she remember that night?
The wind picked up, scattering the snow, and she shivered, her feet going numb. Enough with the procrastinating. Throwing her shoulders back, she strode along the walkway to the door, stepping over a couple of small sleds that looked as if they’d been dropped on the way to the door. Hopefully the residents would allow her inside to look around.
Right. Who wouldn’t welcome a stranger who claimed she’d been so viciously attacked there that she’d fallen into a coma? She lifted her hand but hesitated before knocking. This was crazy.
She knocked anyway.
A sound came from inside, then the thumping of something rolling across the floor and a soft curse, before the door was opened. A man stood there, tall with light brown hair and glasses showcasing brown eyes. He hopped on one foot with a child’s toy right behind him, spinning wildly as if he’d tripped over it. “Sorry about that. I—” His eyes widened and he reached for her. “Grace!”
Chapter 13
Grace froze as the stranger embraced her and then let go, the force of his hug pushing them both out onto the porch.
He leaned back, his eyes wide. The sun shone down on them, highlighting streaks of natural blond in his hair and showing freckles across his face. “I don’t know what to say,” he said, rubbing her arm. “You’re alive. You’re awake and here.” He smiled and then started. “Crap. Sorry. Come inside where it’s warm. I’m just completely taken off guard.”
“Ditto,” Grace said, tripping over her own feet as she followed him inside. Who was this nice guy?
“Oh, watch out.” He kicked a couple of toy trains out of the way and led her to a faux leather sofa. “Here. Sit down. Um, would you like a drink?”
“No, thanks.” She looked around the small unit that contained a living room, cute breakfast nook, and open kitchen separated by a granite island covered with what looked like Legos. Colored pictures of puppies had been proudly taped to the refrigerator, the crayon lines more like scribbles. “So. Um, you know me?”
He frowned and slowly lowered himself to a chair facing the sofa across from a coffee table that held a couple of magazines. “You don’t remember.” He said the words slowly, as if realizing her situation. “Oh. Okay.”
Vulnerable and feeling unsure, she nodded. “Yeah. Who are you?”
He took a deep breath, his gaze wandering the apartment and then coming back to her. “Brian. I’m Brian.” He ran a hand through his thick hair, which was cut short and stylish. “Okay. This is so strange. I’m Brian, and we dated for about three months before, um, the attack.”
She blinked. He was cute and tall, and she could see herself dating him. Well, before she’d met someone like Adare. “My sister didn’t like the guy I was dating.” In fact, Faith had moved Grace to a hospital across town and hadn’t allowed anybody to visit her until they found the criminal who’d hurt her.
Brian winced. “Yeah. Your sister couldn’t stand me.” His grin was rueful. “I don’t blame her, not completely. Seven years ago I was a struggling musician and not really worth much. I also partied a lot and could have been considered an asshole, and she was this famous neurosurgeon and you were getting really successful with your photos.” He looked around at the assorted toys. “I grew up, I guess.”
It looked like it. “We dated?”
“Yeah.” His voice softened. “I really liked you, and I tried to visit you in the hospital, but your sister nixed that idea. Then you disappeared, and I never found out what happened.”
“I’m sorry.” That had to be so weird. “So, you rented my apartment?” That was kind of strange.
