Page 29 of Keep Me

I jump, twisting around with a scowl. For such a giant of a man, he sure knows how to sneak up on people. I probably didn’t hear him over my own distracting thoughts. I shake my head. “What?”

“That’s why Finn got the plane.”

“He bought a plane because he was bored?”

He walks past me, and I catch up to him. His lip twitches, and Roan drags his hand over his mouth like he’s coolly trying to hide a smile. He peers down at me from the corner of his eye and shrugs with a scoffing laugh. “Cash once bought a whole island because he was bored.”

I slump in the passenger seat of Roan’s car as we head back to the city, gazing bitterly out of the window at the passing scenery. “I can’t believe we got nothing from the phone.”

“He probably picked a box number at random.” Roan keeps his typical flinty attitude, but I can tell he’s more peeved than he’s letting on by the way he keeps running his hand over his hair and pressing his lips into a firm line.

“Why would he do that? There has to be a reason he picked that one.”

“To lead us on a wild goose chase. We’ve wasted three days chasing down this lead, and it’s only gotten us further from the truth.”

“Joder.”

Without the anticipation of hacking the phone, the return drive feels quicker. What a bust. By the time we get back to my apartment, I go straight to my room, wanting only to lay in bed and pout. Opening my door—

I clutch my chest and stumble back, a scream drying up in my throat.

A man dressed all in black with a matching balaclava is hunched in a defensive position in the middle of my room. My feet are cement blocks. I’m unable to move as he brings a glove-clad finger to where his lips would be.

“Roan!” To his surprise and my own, I find my voice and scream. The man’s dark eyes, the only visible part of him, shoot wide, and he races for the window as Roan’s thudding footsteps barrel toward the room. He charges through the doorway just as the man is lunging onto the fire escape.

He sprints to the window ledge and leans out. He pushes off and stomps toward me, shoving his gun into his waistband. “Bastard.”

“Who was—” I’m embarrassed by the weak shake in my voice.

“Pack a bag.” He barely spares me a glance before slamming a fist into the door. “Damn it!” he roars, and I flinch.

I speak cautiously, like I’m talking to a wild horse. “Roan—”

“We’re not staying here.”

He turns to leave, but I shout after him, “Wait—”

He spins on me, eyes nothing but the black steel of a soldier. “Be ready in two minutes.”

“Pendejo,” I curse under my breath as he stalks down the hall.

My blood feels electrified as I begin to haphazardly toss clothes and necessities into a bag. My eyes keep darting to the window, expecting the man to climb back through, even though I’ve double- and triple-checked the lock.

He found me at work. He knew where to find my car. And now, he’s been inside my home. My skin vibrates with anxiety. I get that chill on the back of my neck like someone is watching me.

I startle when Roan knocks on my open door. He slides his hands into his pockets and grimaces. “Are you okay?” He almost barks it, as if getting the question out is physically uncomfortable.

I snort, because this must be a joke. “No, I’m not fucking okay. And you acting like I did something wrong doesn’t help.”

“I should have cleared every room.” His tone is angry and bitter as he looks off to the side, but I realize it’s not directed at me.

“Fine. Be mad at yourself for that, but don’t take it out on me.” I pick up a sweatshirt from my bed and try to force it into my already-full bag. “You fucked up, not me.” His nostrils flare and his jaw clenches, but he doesn’t say anything. He nods slowly and looks like he’s about to leave when his eyes catch on the floor by the window.

“What’s that?” He rushes over and picks a small, plastic card off the ground. “A hotel key.”

“He must have dropped it.” We both pause in silence, realizing the giant fucking opportunity that just landed in our laps. But then, my stomach sinks as I read the hotel name. “That’s the hotel where my father is staying.”

Roan

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