Page 149 of Unexpected Heroine

We’ve been here for a while now. Not a damn clue what time it is. It’s dark outside.

A shiver of fear creeps up my spine. Without James—I mean Tomer the lyin’ snake—serving as my safety blanket, I’m far twitchier than I’ve been in a few days. I’ve done chewed all my fingernails to the nubs. That’s a fun new habit, courtesy of the time I spent as human cattle. Got it for no extra charge.

On the bright side, there are two Redleg guards on protection duty. One stands outside the apartment door, and another patrols the parking lot. Or so I’ve been told.

When we arrived, Deb, one of my female Redleg guards, was waiting for us. Someone must have called her. I’ll give you two guesses who, but you’ll only need one.

She went inside first and did a sweep of the apartment. Once she gave us the all-clear, Josh walked us to the door, careful to keep a few steps away from me. I bet Tomer told him I’m scared of men when he sent him to follow us. Or maybe Josh has known that all week.

Not that it matters, considering I’m never leaving the apartment again. Better get some cats and order terry cloth robes, fuzzy cat slippers, and hair curlers to complete the cat lady persona I’ll surely adopt soon.

“Give me your phone,” Stella demands out of nowhere.

Blinking, I refocus my eyes and find her standing in front of me, palm extended. The sight catches me off guard, and I have to look around to see where I am.

The living room. On the couch. Freya’s seated to my right, a few feet away.

I’m not alone. It’s okay. I’ll be fine.

Stella huffs, her stare becoming more insistent.

I look around, trying to figure out what she wants, coming up empty. “What?”

She drops her gaze from my face to my lap and back again. “Your phone. Give it.”

My eyes drift to where she was looking, only to find I’ve got a death grip on my phone. Lawd, it’s like I’m trying to get juice out of the damn thing.

I loosen my grip but don’t give it to her. “Why do you want it?”

She rolls her eyes and clicks her tongue. “I’m doing what any good friend would do.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I snap at her, my jaw clenching.

“I’m going to delete him from your phone so you can’t call him.”

“Oh, like I’d call anyone,” I quip, holding the phone to my chest.

“Fine. So you don’t text him. Give it.” She wiggles her fingers at me. “Come on. Now, missy.”

My eyes seek Freya’s, and I lift my brows in silent question.

She wobbles her scrunched mouth from side to side, eyes searching the ceiling. “Wellll...” she drawls, high-pitched and squeaky.

“Well, what?”

In front of her chest, Freya rolls her empty palms upward. “It’s not a terrible idea.”

Incensed, I raise my voice a bit too loudly. “You agree with this mad woman?” I point my thumb at Stella. “You honestly think I should delete him? Already? Boom. Click. Swipe. He’s gone from my life. Like he never existed. Poof.”

Freya does a one-shoulder shrug, slanting her head to the side. “Of course you can’t delete him from your life, honey. That’s not what I mean. I’m only suggesting it’s a good idea to make it a little harder to contact him. You’re going to have lots of ups and downs for a while. If you had to ask one of us for his number, that would give you a little time to think. You can ask yourself if you really want to talk to him or if it’s a moment of weakness.”

A moment of weakness. The working title for my life story.

I keep my lips sealed because if I talk, I’ll cry. And I’m honestly so sick of crying I might commit a crime if I tear up one more freaking time. Haven’t decided which type. Manslaughter? Bank heist? Loitering? It’s all on the table at this point.

Letting my head fall back to the sofa cushion, I toss a bent arm over my face and groan. Yet I don’t hand over my phone.

“I’m not weak,” I protest feebly to no one in particular.

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