Page 37 of Bad Enough

So, he’d made sure he’d provided the initial aftercare she’d needed. Then he left her with Tripoli in the Resting Room, letting Tabitha know where she was.

Then, like a coward, he’d run. Metaphorically, anyway.

So, here he sat in his apartment, at quarter to ten, logged into the private chat where he waited.

Ten o’clock.

Five minutes after ten.

Eight minutes after ten.

Ten minutes after ten.

By ten thirty, he realized how badly he’d screwed up. She wasn’t ever coming back. Now, there was no choice for him to make because his actions had made it for him.

Self-sabotage much, idiot?

He decided to leave her a message through email. His heart pounded loud and hard with each word he typed.

Flame -

I owe you an explanation for not showing up for our chats this past week. The truth is, there really isn’t one.

I’m going out of the country tomorrow, and I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I do think it’s safe to say that I’ve given you everything I can give you. I hope it was enough for what you need. Be well, princess.

Lobo

He shut down his computer, locked it in his personal safe, and trudged downstairs to the armory. There was no way he was going to sleep tonight, so he might as well do something useful before they left.

I’ll sleep when I’m truly dead.

12

JUNE 15TH

Sylvan

Sylvan unlocked the door and opened it to slide her hand into the mailbox to collect the envelopes inside. Walking away from the door, she sorted through the mail. In the middle of the bills and junk mail was a plain lavender padded envelope that was the size to hold a 5×7 photograph. Her name was front and center in calligraphy. No address. No stamp. No return address. She frowned. Squeezing it, it was clear that there was something solid, something squarish inside. Stopping in her confusion, she put the other mail under her arm and opened the envelope.

Her stomach dropped as she took stock of the contents, and she broke into an instant cold sweat, stumbling into the wall next to the stairs and sliding down onto the floor.

No, please, no! How? Why?

Perhaps she’d known it was just a matter of time before he’d find her at her home. Wasn’t that how it happened on all of those crime shows?

Sylvan fumbled for her pocket and pulled out her phone. Her hands shook as she tried to pull up her best friend’s number.

“Hello?”

“Kai?” Sylvan whispered.

“Syl? What’s wrong?”

Sylvan was so petrified she couldn’t get words out. Eyes wide, all the blood drained from her face, a death grip on the mail in her hand. Even if the lavender envelope had been on fire, she couldn’t have let go of it. She just sat there and shook.

“Syl?! Syl! Answer me!”

“Kai,” Sylvan wailed. “He found me.”

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