Page 76 of Prey

And it just so happened that the first night I spent with Roman was the night I was nearly assaulted in an alleyway by my neighbor one floor above me, who had been flirting with Trinity when I first saw them.

Roman had beat the crap out of the man. He saved me, and I thought that was it.

But now the man had disappeared?

I licked my suddenly dry lips.

It was a coincidence, right?

I never really did believe in coincidences.

I walked out of the apartment building, squinting at the blinding sun, unsure of what to think.

I knew Roman was a dangerous man. I knew it.

He had even admitted to hurting people because they had gotten in the way.

I blinked.

What was I supposed to do now?

* * *

Perhaps it wasbecause of all that I learned, making my senses heightened, but it felt like there were eyes on me the whole time I was out.

I couldn’t tell if it was just my imagination, or perhaps the police had gotten a clue, connected me with Roman and were now following me, or something else, but I was jumpy and paranoid. I fucking hated that.

I got back to my apartment after going to the store in a sort of daze.

I did everything in a sort of daze.

I barely remembered when the sun started to set, but by the time the lock clicked on my door and Roman entered, the whole place was encased in darkness.

“Baby?” he called out.

His hand fumbled with the light switched, and he turned it on, coming to a stop when he found me sitting on the couch in the living room.

“Hey,” he said, his eyes set with caution. He stepped closer to me, and closer and closer, until he was sitting down on the coffee table in front of me.

He grabbed my hands with his and looked me over. “Everything okay?”

I blinked at him before looking down at the hands that encased mine.

Like always, they were warm and dry and brought on a sense of safety within me.

I tried to imagine them covered with blood.

Blood of men who had gotten in his way to get to me.

I couldn’t.

But I knew they had been.

He must have known the cops had come to the apartment building, and an open investigation was taking place into the disappearance of Dylan Brown.

I had finally learned the name of the man who had assaulted me. Residents in the building were encouraged to come forward with any information regarding Mr. Brown.

I didn’t go to them at all, but yeah. I saw his picture while carrying my groceries back to the apartment.

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