Page 57 of Hear Me Roar

Just when I thought I saw some sort of light at the end of the tunnel, I received a text from Hazel one afternoon, while finishing up with my last client of the day. We were in the middle of our cool down when the text came in, but I didn’t see it until I made it into the 4 Series and started up theengine.

Kitten:Come home as soon as youcan.

My heart stopped as I read and re-read the message several times to ensure I was reading it correctly. Obviously, my mind went to the worst place possible and, with quick fingers, I typed out a response with my stomach entrenched in mythroat.

Me:Is everythingokay?

Thankfully, her reply was relatively instantaneous, but the message didn’t settle me, not evenremotely.

Kitten:No, but Manny’s here so don’t start freakingout.

Me:I’m on myway.

I peeled out of Mrs. Saunders’ driveway and raced home. And by raced, I mean driving through the streets at over sixty miles per hour, running a handful of red lights, and careening around corners like burning tires was going out of style. What could have happened? Had Dimitri called again? Had he perhaps upped his game to the next level and broken into the house? Had he gotten ahold ofMaya?

Fuck.

I was a mere few blocks away from the condo when I got stuck in traffic. It wasn’t a constant stop and go, but it took me three cycles at the same light before I was able to make the final turn that led to the complex. Then I had to wait at least another three minutes right outside the development, as a funeral procession drove past me at the pace of a turtle. My knuckles were white against the steering wheel as I gritted my teeth impatiently, mentally counting to ten in attempt to keep it together for just a littlelonger.

As the last car in the succession rolled by, I threw myself across the street and jammed my keycard into the reader to access the gates. Apparently, the world was against me, or so it seemed, because the gateway had never opened soslowly.

“Come on, come on,” I gritted out, just barely wedging my way through before they opened in theirentirety.

I zoomed past the buildings and screeched to a halt into my parking spot, noting the blacked-out SUV with Manny’s boys was situated directly behind me. Had to be somewhat of a good sign that they were still at their designated posts, right? I didn’t have time to consider it, though. Killing the engine, I flung myself out onto the pavement, slammed the door, and ran up the stairs to the second floor, two at a time. I rustled with my key ring and hastily jammed the winner into the keyhole, throwing the door open as soon as the locks clicked out ofplace.

Manny, Hazel, and Maya sat in the living room, their heads snapping toward the sound of my entrance with aquickness.

“What the hell happened?” I asked, completely out of breath after my adventurous trek acrosstown.

Kilo bound over to me as Hazel stood to her feet with a small piece of paper in her grasp and made her way over to me. With a shaky hand, she set the paper in mine and waited for me to grasp the gravity of the situation, bending down beside the German Shepherd, who was patiently waiting for me to greethim.

You canrun…

But you can’thide.

Jesus fuckingChrist.

“He was inhere?”

Manny shook his head. “I suspect he knows we have eyes on the building, not to mention Kilo. Hazel found it in your mailbox when we came home from lunch withReyna.”

I stole a glance at my girl and she nodded, leaning into the dog for support, her fingers sifting through his thickcoat.

“How did he clear airportsecurity?”

“Private jet.Unregistered.”

Of course. Should’ve seen thatcoming.

“So, is this message directed at all of us?” I queried, staring at the neat handwriting oncemore.

“No.” That was Maya, who was seated beside Manny. “That’s definitely meant for me. Think about his voicemail. He said he knew I was here. He’s telling me I can run, but he’ll eventually catchup.”

“Like hell he will. I’ll rip his head off with my bare hands,” my girl utteredviciously.

“Trust me,” Manny started, leaving his spot on the couch to stand beside the sliding glass door, “he’ll be swimming in a pool of his own blood before he gets anywhere near youtwo.”

Yes. He.Would.

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