Page 29 of While You Sleep

I didn’t even have my phone. Fiona had to be wondering where I was. Then something occurred to me that should have already. Steve, he was friends with Brian…Paolo. They met through me and Fi, but was that what really happened? Steve could be in on this whole thing. I needed to warn Fiona. I reached into the back of the drawer. Bingo. Keys. Snatching them up, I peeked through the peephole.

I didn’t see anyone.

But I couldn’t just walk out. Cillian might think I’d run away, and I wouldn’t risk Tommy like that. I quickly scribbled a note, telling Cillian I’d be back in a couple of hours.

That should at least stop him from doing anything rash, and he hadn’t actually said I couldn’t leave the house. I wasn’t going to give him the chance to tell me no, though, either.

Grabbing my wallet, I slipped down the stairs that I hoped led to a garage below and opened the door. Score. There were five cars lined up. Was this a stupid thing to do? Yes, without doubt. But I had to warn my friend and let her know I was okay.

I hit the button on the fob and a sporty little black car on the other side of the garage lit up. I rushed over and jumped in. The engine roared to life a moment later. No one came running, and I wasn’t going to wait around until someone did. The garage doors opened automatically as I approached, and I sped out.

The engine revved as I drove down the expressway heading toward the city. Cillian lived a little ways out, but time seemed to rush by while I battled the nerves in my stomach. If Fiona got hurt because of me, because of my messed-up family—fear sliced through me and I glanced in the rearview mirror again to check if I was being followed. I didn’t think so.

I drove straight to her work, and the perfume of a multitude of different flowers hit me as I walked into the shop. She wasn’t at the counter where she usually created her stunning bouquets. She had to be out the back. “Fi! You back there?”

She rushed out. “Soph! Are you okay? You haven’t been at your place, and you haven’t answered any of my calls for two days.” She searched me from head to toe.

Maybe that wouldn’t sound like a long time without contact to some, but Fi and I talked several times a day, every day. “I’m okay, but we need to talk.”

Concern filled her eyes. “What’s going on?”

I did a quick scan of the shop to make sure it was empty. “Have you seen Steve the last couple days?”

Her expression shifted, hurt filling her eyes. “I tried to call him, but his number was disconnected. I couldn’t get hold of Brian either.” She shook her head. “Do you know what’s going on? Have you seen them?”

That answered my questions about Steve. There was no way he would have ignored Fi before. He was in on it. “No. And if you do see either of them, you need to stay away. I can’t explain, but…they’re not who they tried to make us believe they were. They’re not…good, Fi. They’re dangerous.”

“You’re not making any sense.” Color stained her cheeks. “You know something, don’t you? Is he seeing someone else?”

“No, not that I know of, but that’s not it and I wish I could tell you more…just, please, I need you to trust me, okay? If either of them contact you, or come by your apartment, don’t let them in and don’t talk to them.”

I could see her frustration growing. She hated secrets and she wasn’t a fan of people giving her only half the story, and I was doing both. Her gaze slid over my shoulder and her spine stiffened, her eyes kind of widening.

Panic welled, knotting in my throat because I knew exactly who had set off my best friend’s flight instincts without even looking.

I made myself turn, standing in front of Fiona, like I had any hope of protecting her. Cillian was in a dark suit, the jacket undone and the white shirt beneath it fitting snugly against his chest and tight stomach. That impenetrable gaze was locked on me.

“You found my note?” I said as he reached me.

“I found it,” he said, accent thick, then looked at Fi. “Whatever she shared with you, I’d advise you keep it to yourself. I’ll be taking my wife home now.”

Her mouth fell open. “Wife? What the hell’s he talking about, Soph?”

Goddammit. “It was…sudden.”

“Time to go,” Cillian said to me.

“You’re that guy.” Fi frowned. “The one from the bar.”

“Yeah, it was a bit of a whirlwind,” I said and looked up at Cillian when his hand clamped on mine. “I seemed to have lost my phone. If I knew where it was, I wouldn’t have had to leave the house at all, I could have just called,” I bit out, my rising temper stifling my fear.

The muscle in his jaw jumped, and he slid my phone from his pocket, handing it to me. “All you had to do was ask, Soph,” he said.

I blinked up at him, at the sudden change in his voice. He curled his arm around my shoulders and tucked me in close. “Sorry I acted like a dick,” he said to Fi. “I didn’t know where she was and I overreacted.” A self-deprecating half smile actually curled his lips.

Fi studied him, then me. “You’re really married? You hardly know each other.”

He chuckled like he was freaking possessed. “I’m actually a friend of the family. I’ve had a thing for Sophia for a while now. I guess, she finally saw me.”

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