Page 35 of Just One More Moment

His gut told him it was time for Lance to make a move. The bastard had broken in through her bedroom window, and had obviously been tailing her as she went to dinner with Caleb, and then at the last poetry slam. Lance would be dying to step things up again, scare her and receive an adrenaline rush-filled jolt of satisfaction, knowing he’d gotten to her.

“You made it!” Raven exclaimed, relief filling her eyes.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” a young girl with long blonde hair said as she rushed over. She pulled a hat off her head and tucked it into a worn tote bag. “My train stopped and I had to wait until it got moving again.” She panted, out of breath.

“Relax,” Raven said, touching Angel’s shoulder. “It hasn’t even started yet.”

Nodding, she rubbed her obviously cold hands together. After a few minutes, she removed her jacket and placed it on a chair near where Raven and Remy had put theirs.

The owner, who Remy recognized, stepped up to the mike and the night began. He listened to the poems with half an ear and kept an eye on the door at the same time.

“I’m ready. I can do this,” Angel said to Raven, who still stood beside her.

Raven smiled wide. “You can. Now go knock ’em dead.”

“Come with me!” The young girl grabbed her hand and pulled.

Raven’s gaze shot from Angel to Remy. “Please? I’ll just be near the stage and you can watch me the entire time.”

He groaned. The fact was, he had a view of the entrance and the stage was nearby. “Fine, but do not go out of my sight. No bathroom, nothing.”

“Yes, sir.” With a cheeky grin, she saluted him.

He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Do that again and I’ll be more than happy to kiss that smile off your face.”

Cheeks pink, she turned and followed Angel.

The young girl’s turn came soon and she clomped onstage in her heavy boots. Angel’s words came from both the heart and experience about her time on the street, her feelings of solitude, and was filled with enough emotion to give Remy a lump in his throat. She ended to a standing ovation and ran off the stage, giving Raven a hug.

Afterward, Raven started to walk back toward him. Without warning, her expression morphed into one of horror and fear. Her eyes grew wide, mouth parted in shock. She glanced from him to the side door and pointed, gesturing wildly.

Remy turned his head but all he saw was an entrance to the hallway leading to the bathrooms. And the fire exit.

“Why didn’t you go after him?” she asked, slamming into Remy and wrapping herself around him. He loved when she did it with exuberance. Not so much now when she was afraid.

“I didn’t see him,” he said, anger at himself for somehow missing the bastard settling like lead in Remy’s stomach.

“I saw Lance. I swear!”

He moved her away from him, keeping his hands on her shoulders. “Shh. I believe you.”

But Lance was smart. He was following her, and even Remy, for all his experience, hadn’t seen a tail. Lance had picked a hidden exit that Remy scoped out last time but the door had been permanently locked, according to the manager. Remy had asked.

No doubt Lance had gotten in by charming a female employee. It didn’t matter enough for Remy to bother asking around. Raven wouldn’t be coming back here.

“Let’s go home.” He grasped her hand, intending to keep her tight against him until they were in an Uber.

“What if he’s outside when we leave?”

Remy groaned. “He won’t be. He accomplished his main goal tonight. He rattled you. Now you’ll be looking over your shoulder everywhere you go.”

“How can you be so sure you’re right?”

“Experience,” he said grimly. His time as a detective and later, looking for missing women, had taught him more than he wanted to know about the mind of a sociopath. “As for Lance, knowing you’re wound up tight and thinking about him will keep him satisfied until… I mean, for a while.”

Thankfully she didn’t askuntil what. And Remy didn’t let himself think about the answer. Because, he thought, as he pulled out his cell to arrange for a ride, they wouldn’t be in the city when Lance was ready to make his move.

Chapter Thirteen

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