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But apologies don’t mean shit to me. It’s the actions behind those words that are important to me, and the jury was still out as far as I was concerned.

I shut off the lamp on the table beside the couch, then went to move into the hallway when I happened to glance outside.

My window hadn’t been open much, but the angle of the blinds with how they came together in the middle of the wall was open just enough, and at just the prefect angle, that I saw it.

Two men.

One black man. One white man.

Both dressed in black.

Both standing close and talking animatedly back and forth.

Then the black man reached his hand up and slapped the white one on the back before he left.

The white man, apparently my neighbor, walked up to the house and opened the door, looking over his shoulder once quickly before closing it securely at his back.

“Weird,” I said. “Why would you come out and have a meeting in twenty-degree weather at three in the morning?”

My question wasn’t answered, and now that I had my heat back, my electric blanket was calling my name.

I’d make sure to ask Drew tomorrow.

My eyes fell closed on that thought, and it never once occurred to me that I was still mad at the asshole.

Not until the next morning, anyway.

***

Sunday

0400

The blankets slowly slid down off my shoulder, and my eyes started to flutter open.

The pull of sleep, however, had me only rolling over and ignoring the cold air that was now touching my upper body, absently searching for the warmth that eluded me.

I found it again, then dove down underneath, only to be pulled up short by a hand around my ankle.

Instinctively, I kicked out in blind panic, but whomever had my ankle was ready for that and caught my foot before I could get any muscle behind it.

“Settle down,” an amused voice growled. “You’re going to take the boys out.”

“What boys?” I gasped, sitting up in the bed in a daze, staring around the barely lit room in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Come on,” Drew pulled me into his arms.

Without thinking I gave him my hand and allowed him to pull me free, only for him to freeze.

“Head to the bathroom and get cleaned up,” he said.

“What?” I asked in confusion. “Why?”

“Just go,” he said. “Hurry.”

I went, shuffling into the bathroom, coming to a stop just inside when I saw all the blood.

“What…” then understanding dawned, and a blush covered my face. “Oh, my God!”