CHAPTER 10
Colson
Ugh.It’s cold tonight. I pull into my parking spot after a longer-than-usual night at Segreto. We had two birthday groups, which kept things exciting and busy, but I’m getting home an hour later than usual.
Before I exit my car, I text Rudy that I’m home, turn on my stun gun, and take a deep, cleansing breath. This is my new routine since the hedgehog showed up. It hasn’t stopped. I get pictures taped to my door, left on my windshield at Segreto, and stuffed under my door at least once a week. But I never see anyone and no one contacts me. Whoever is doing this is enjoying fucking with me.
I’m not as scared as I probably should be, but that’s because I’m not some damsel in distress. I know a decent amount of tae kwon do and I have the stun gun for more aggressive defense. I glance around the parking lot before getting out of the car and walking briskly to my door.
My foot has just hit the bottom step when I’m yanked back by my hair with a force that sends my bag, my phone, and sadly, my stun gun to the ground as I’m dragged backward.
Oh hell no.
Kicking my legs out, I grab the hand twisted in my hair andtry to free myself, but it’s not working, so I focus on creating as much dead weight as I can, and it works. The intruder loses his grip and I scramble away, but he’s fast and grabs me around the waist, tackling me to the hard concrete.
I roll onto my back, ready to claw his eyes out, but he’s wearing a mask and my attempts to get it off are fruitless. His hand comes down hard on my cheek, leaving a stinging pain in its wake and making my vision blur for a second. He starts to drag me towards a waiting van, and I know damn well that if I want out of this situation, I cannot let him get me in the van.
“Fuck off,” I growl, slamming my knee into his balls.
He groans, but barely loosens his grip. Panic surges through me as I try to break free. If I can just make it back to the sidewalk and get my stun gun…
“What the fuck is going on?” A man’s voice breaks the silence. “Shit. I’m calling the cops.”
My assailant wraps his hand around my neck, focusing his dark eyes on me.
Eyes filled with hatred.
“This isn’t over,” he growls before getting to his feet and running for his van. His tires screech as he tears off into the night.
The man who interrupted rushes over to me and helps me off the ground. “Are you okay, man? Do you need an ambulance?”
I shake my head, stunned by what just happened but thankful. “Thanks for stepping up.”
“Yeah, of course. What the fuck. Was he trying to kidnap you?”
Nodding, I brush my hair off my face. “I think he’s been stalking me.”
“You gotta call the cops.”
“What are they gonna do? It was a white van in a city full of them, a man with a mask that I can’t identify. Did you get a license plate? I didn’t.”
The man frowns, shaking his head. “Do you have a friendyou can call? Somewhere safe you can go, at least for tonight?” His brow creases. “Dude, that’s a nasty bruise on your cheek.”
My face is throbbing, so I can’t wait to see how bad it looks. “I’ll be okay now. Thanks again.”
The man watches me as I gather my things from the sidewalk. While I walk up my stairs, I think about my options. I’m not safe here, but where can I go? Rudy has, like, four roommates and I’m not friendly enough with anyone else.
I get to my apartment and stop in my tracks. Taped to it is a picture of me from just a couple of hours ago inside Segreto, a big red X drawn across my face. My heart races as I swallow past the lump in my throat.
What am I gonna do?
Specter.
The name blooms in my mind and spreads through me. Oh fuck. This could be bad, but could it be worse than what I’m already dealing with? If Specter wanted to hurt me, he could’ve done it by now. He hasn’t been at the club since the night he gave me the roses. He stayed away. He respected my boundaries.
Fuck. He might be my only option.
I dig through my tote bag and find his card buried in the bottom next to a pack of gum. My fingers tremble as I read it, and I make a quick decision. There’s no way I’m going into my apartment and staying here alone.
