Page 67 of Ugly Beautiful Scars

I want to see more of it.

And fuck, I want to kiss her.

The memory of the hallway makes my hands clench. If Mike hadn't interrupted, I'd have pressed her against that wall and explored every inch of that beautiful mouth. I need to learn the sounds she makes when pleasure takes over. Feel her fingers dig into my shoulders as I lift her, wrapping those long legs around my waist…

Jesus. I suck in air, forcing my attention back to the street.

"Seen anyone suspicious?" Mike's voice crackles through my earpiece.

I take another deep breath and drink some damn tea. "Nothing yet." I scan everything in my field of vision. "She's still browsing books."

"Good. Keep looking around."

My jaw clenches. I don't need Mike babysitting me.

To add insult to injury, Mickey's face surfaces in my mind. Those smokey eyes are so wide that the delicate skin around them threatens to rip.

She's there in my memories, frantically clawing at my clothes, trying to tear them off. "Where is she, Sean? Where's my Wunmi? WEREN'T YOU WATCHING HER?"

I blink hard, forcing the image away. Willing my heart rate to steady, I remind myself where I am. What I'm doing.

I won't fail again. Personal feelings won't interfere with keeping Londyn safe.

She's too important to me.

Movement across the street grabs my focus.There he is.Five-foot-ten. Round face. Bulging neck muscles. Navy baseball cap.

Every nerve in my body snaps to high-alert.

"Mike. Navy Cap is back. East side of the street, twenty yards behind Londyn."

"Copy that," Mike responds, immediately all business. "Can you confirm it's the same guy?"

I study him from behind my tea cup. Same height, same build, same distinctive hunching of the shoulders. His face is shadowed but I'm certain it's him. "Same guy. He's maintaining distance but definitely following her pattern."

Londyn exits the bookstore with a small paper bag clutched to her chest and heads toward a boutique three doors down. Navy Cap pauses, checking his phone. When she disappears inside, he lingers near a food truck, occasionally glancing toward the boutique entrance.

"He's stopping when she stops," I tell Mike, already standing. "Following when she moves."

"Think it's time for a closer look?"

I cross the street at the next corner, keeping my movements casual despite the adrenaline pounding through my limbs. "Yeah. Bump into him. Distract him after Londyn leaves the shop. I want to see if he picks up her trail again."

When Londyn emerges from the boutique, Navy Cap straightens and follows. Mike strolls directly into his path and collides with him. Mike has a soda in his hand and 'accidentally' spills it on our target. I watch as Mike tries to pat him off and apologizes profusely, making a show of helping straighten the guy's shirt, patting his shoulder, grabbing napkins from the food truck counter.

It's enough time for Londyn to turn a corner, disappearing from Navy Cap's line of sight.

Mike keeps him busy a bit longer and then disengages, walking away with purpose like he has places to be. Navy Cap glances around, visibly searching. For a moment, I'm certain we have our answer.

He changes direction, heading down a side street completely opposite from Londyn's route.

I grind my teeth because I thought we had him. Now I'm again wondering if he's just someone who lives in the area and I'm seeing a threat that's not there. I've noticed other regulars—the woman with the yappy Chihuahua who's always out at 6 PM, the old man who buys a bottle of Pepsi from the same store every afternoon, the jogger with the neon shoes who never seems to break a sweat.

I quicken my pace to move closer to Londyn as she starts browsing another window display.

"Still have sight of him?" I ask Mike.

"I followed, but he got on a bus. He's heading away now."

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