Page 57 of Ruined

"I guess you can come on up," she said reluctantly. She didn't seem to want him near her any more than I did.

"Relax," Leon said. "I'll only be here for a couple of hours to put some things in place. Then you can drive me back to the airport."

"Great," she said flatly. "So you won't need a bed then?"

"Just a chair, coffee and Wi-Fi," he said. "As always, you'll be rewarded for your discretion."

"Yeah." Her expression suggested that was what she was worried about. She rattled the keys in her hand and walked over to unlock a door I presumed led up to her apartment. "After you."

Yeah, I wouldn't turn my back on him either. Apparently he had no such reservations where she was concerned. He nodded and headed inside.

Clarissa lingered near the door, her hand on the handle. Eventually, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"Unless that locks automatically…" Gianni started.

"Then it's unlocked," Daze finished for him. "That could make life easier."

I hummed my agreement. "Let's give her a couple of minutes to get him settled, then we'll pay them a visit."

The hairs on the back of my neck rose. My skin prickled. Someone else was here. I hadn't heard them, but my instincts were screaming at me that we weren't alone.

I'd considered the possibility this was a trap, but until now I hadn't seen any sign to back that up. Of course, they'd wait until Leon was safely inside before converging on our position.

"I feel that too," Daze whispered. She must have felt me stiffen. "Behind us. On the corner. I saw a movement."

"There might be people in front of us too, trying to pin us in," I said. "We need to get out of here before that happens."

I cast a long look at Clarissa's apartment. Shadows moved past the blinds. Her and Leon. If he knew where to find Kurt, I couldn't let him slip away. But if this was a trap, I had no choice.

Fuck. I didn't like being pushed into corners.

"I'll lead them away from you," Daze said. "I'll try to give you enough time to confront Leon."

"Me too," Gianni agreed. "We can hold them off."

I wanted to tell them no, but I saw no other way. I could handle Clarissa and Leon by myself if I had to. If she wasn't on our side, it would be more difficult, but not impossible.

I sighed softly, but nodded. "Stay safe." I reached out to find Gianni’s face and kissed him quickly.

"You too, sweetheart." He crept away, moving at right angles to whoever was at the corner.

Daze was right on his tail.

I waited until they were a few metres away, before I slipped through the shadows toward Clarissa's door.

As I'd hoped, it was unlocked. I winced at the slight creak of the hinges as I eased it open. It was only audible this close, but it sounded as loud as a gunshot to me.

Calm your tits, I told myself. No one heard it but you.

Lips pressed tight together, I slipped inside and closed the door behind me without making another sound.

The stairs were in near total darkness, broken only by a light that peeked under the door, at the very top. I paused to listen.

When I decided no one was waiting to ambush me, I headed up the steps, one at a time.

"The best thing about Dusk Bay is the fast Wi-Fi," Clarissa was saying. "One of the fastest in the world. Of course, the city is also a beautiful place to live, but the Wi-Fi is a bonus. I've lived in some places where it was barely better than dial-up. It's ridiculous, I know. In this day and age, we should all have decent Internet. But here we are."

Leon's response was mumbled, something along the lines of, "Good to know."

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