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The click of my heels against the lobby floor echoed louder than it should have at seven-twenty, but it made sense that everything sounded hollow because once again, I was leaving long after everyone had gone home. I said a silent prayer that D.C. traffic wouldn’t be as bad this evening because I needed to get home with enough time to decompress and be ready to chat with Cassie.

I adjusted my laptop bag on my shoulder and nodded to the night security guard as I passed his desk. He looked up from whatever he was watching on his phone and offered a tired smile that I returned without another thought. I quickly made my way to my car in the garage and once I was safely locked inside, I pulled my phone from my purse to check for any urgent messages. Seeing nothing, I couldn’t fight the sigh of relief that fell from my lips if I tried.

The silence in my car was more than welcomed after being nervous all day. I let my head fall back against the headrest for just a moment, allowing myself to just breathe before I needed to pull out of the garage and head home.

My nerves had been on edge since returning from New York City. Every shadow, every unexpected sound, every person who looked at me a second too long sent my heart racing. I kept expecting to see Bradley’s face in the crowd or Cain appearing suddenly beside me, but neither happened. That didn’t stop the constant feeling I had that the other shoe was going to drop at any moment. And that wasn’t even including the news that Dana Liu dropped in my lap just minutes ago.

I started the car and started heading toward Dupont Circle, checking my rearview mirror more times than necessary. The familiar prickling sensation crept up my spine again and I hated that I couldn’t stop feeling as if I was being watched. I told myself it was just the trauma of what I’d witnessed, what I’d participated in, but my body refused to believe the lie.

As I drove through D.C., I caught myself scanning the sidewalks, the cars around me, looking for any sign that I was being followed. Was that black sedan behind me at the last two lights? Was the person standing at the corner watching me?

“Stop it,” I muttered to myself. “You’re being paranoid.”

But was I? Cain had made it clear that we were connected now, bound by what had happened in that alley. Based on what I knew about him, I wouldn’t put it past him. Those thoughts remained with me as I turned onto my street. Relief flooded my veins at the sight of my building. I was home and I was safe… or at least I had the illusion of it.

I unlocked the door leading directly into my condo and quickly turned on the lights. Everything looked exactly as I’d left it this morning. Yet I still did a quick visual sweep in order to double-check that everything was in its place. When I was satisfied, I set my things on my kitchen counter and took a moment to stretch. My shoulders ached slightly and when I rolled my neck, I winced at the audible pop that seemed to bounce off every wall in my home.

I grabbed a bottle of water from my fridge and downed half of it in one go because apparently suddenly being thirsty was something I also needed to deal with. I set the water bottle down with more force than necessary, sending tiny droplets across my countertop. With a deep sigh, I left the small mess for future me to clean up and decided changing out of my suit and picking out a bottle of wine and food for Cassie and me were more important.

As I changed into a loungewear set, I figured pizza would be the quickest option. I quickly placed the order before heading to the living room to find a bottle of wine for the night. The urge to open the bottle before Cassie arrived was strong given the day I had had, but I resisted. She’d be here within the next few minutes anyway.

I’d just settled on a bottle of pinot noir when the doorbell rang. With a quick glance at my watch, I realized Cassie was early and I knew it was probably because she wanted the gossip about NYC and knew I needed her. Maybe not in that order, but that didn’t matter.

“Coming!” I called, setting the wine on the counter before heading to the door.

When I opened it, Cassie stood there with not one but two bottles of wine and a concerned expression that softened as soon as she saw me.

“You look like hell,” she announced, stepping past me into the apartment.

“Hello to you too,” I replied, closing the door behind her.

Cassie gestured to the bottles of wine in her hands before she said, “Okay, spill. And I don’t mean the wine.”

“Let me at least open a bottle first. I’m too sober for this conversation and pizza will hopefully be here soon.”

She followed me to the kitchen, leaning against the counter as I worked the corkscrew into the bottle I’d selected. Hell, we might end up opening one of hers too. “That bad, huh?”

“Worse,” I admitted, not meeting her eyes.

The cork came free with a satisfying pop, and I poured us each a generous glass. Cassie watched me carefully as I took my first sip, letting the rich flavor coat my tongue before I swallowed.

“Did something happen with Cain?” she asked.

I nearly choked on my wine. “What makes you say that?”

“Because you’ve been acting weird since before you left for New York, and now you look like someone who’s seen a ghost.” She took a sip of her wine. “Plus, you’ve checked your phone three times since I walked in.”

I hadn’t even realized I was doing it. I grabbed both my phone and my wine glass before I led Cassie to the couch and sank into the cushions.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” I said, staring into my wine.

“The beginning is usually good.”

I laughed, but this was anything but humorous. “The beginning might be further back than I realized.”

Cassie’s eyebrows rose. “What does that mean?”

The doorbell rang again, making me nearly jump out of my skin. “That’s just the pizza,” I said, more so to myself.