Go, Angie!
With a sob, she took off, leaving her best friend behind.
Angie was pretty surethis motel room was infested with fleas.
Because she was covered in itchy bites.
God. She was so miserable.
She was trying to make her money last because she had no ID, no job experience, and very few belongings. She’d had to buy a few things to get by, but they could all fit in a shopping bag.
This sucked.
She’d managed to get a job under the table cleaning a bar at night, but it was awful.
This wasn’t the life she’d thought she would live.
A knock on the door startled her. Who would knock on her door? No one knew where she was.
Unless . . . had Jared found her?
Moving over to the door, she tried to check through the peephole, but the person was standing in the shadows.
She knew she shouldn’t open the door. But for some reason she did it anyway.
The man didn’t move. She still couldn’t see his face, but she could feel the weight of his gaze.
“Well. You look like you’re having fun,” he drawled.
“I think you’re at the wrong door.”
“Oh no, I’m not. I’m never wrong. You’re Angie Bartolli.”
Her heart pounded. This was it. She’d been found. “Jared sent you?”
“Jared? Nope. I don’t work for him. I work for someone else. And, believe it or not, I’m here to help you.”
She shook her head. “No one ever helps me.” She was starting to wonder if the man who’d helped her escape had actually been helping her. Or if he’d just wanted her gone.
“Well, today is the day that changes. So, Angie Bartolli, how would you like to come with me? I’ll set you up in a nice house, give you plenty of money, and keep you safe.”
“Hard pass,” she said.
“You know you won’t last long on your own, right? Even if Jared Bartolli isn’t looking for you, the rest of the family might be. And what have you got? A few hundred dollars to your name?”
“Who are you?”
“A friend who wants to help.”
She shook her head. “I’ve got options. Plans.”
None. She had none.
“Yes? Do they involve going to your sister?” the man asked smoothly.
How did he know about her sister?
Was he trying to find Keira? Did he want to harm her?
