Page 1 of Fast Fury

Chapter One

“Can you see anyone behind you?”

At her best friend’s voice coming through the car’s Bluetooth system, Abby McKinley checked her rearview mirror a second before making the left-hand turn onto the street her building was on. It was a beautiful, early June evening, the sun still hours from setting, the trees lining the street all lush and green. “No. I know I sound like a paranoid freak, but I swear someone’s following me.” She’d called Cindy a few blocks from work, wanting to be on the line with someone in case anything happened.

That damn tingling at the back of her neck was still there, so even though Abby didn’t see anyone following her, she continued past the building and through the next light. A black sedan stayed on her bumper to get through the yellow light, then slowed, giving her space. And it didn’t follow her when she turned right at the next corner.

Abby relaxed a little. Maybe she was wrong about the tail. Maybe it was all in her head.

“How about now?” Cindy asked.

“Still no. I’m going to circle the block one more time, just in case.”

Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel. She couldfeelsomeone watching her, dammit. Why couldn’t she see them?

You’re acting crazy. Why would anyone want to follow you?

“How long have you felt this way?” Cindy asked in concern.

“Off and on over the past week or so.” Being a pharmaceutical rep wouldn’t warrant being followed by someone, so this was crazy.

“Has something happened that would make someone follow you?”

“Not that I know of, other than the thing with Kai.” Her Polynesian god of a former neighbor—and also a badass DEA agent of some sort. Kai had been forced to move out of his apartment across the hall from her a few weeks ago. A member of the deadlyVenenodrug cartel had somehow gotten hold of his personal information, including his home address and details about his family. Kai had told her about it the day before moving out.

Scary shit she certainly hadn’t expected to hear. She’d been vague with Cindy on the details, for Kai’s sake. But if the cartel could stoop to kidnapping and threatening to kill the nine-year-old daughter of Kai’s teammate to make a statement, then they were capable of anything.

Including following Abby in hopes of finding a lead on Kai.

“God, that whole thing just freaks me out,” Cindy said.

“Yeah, me too.” She might be making something out of nothing, but since Kai had moved out, Abby wasn’t taking any chances with her safety. For all she knew, the cartel had someone monitoring the building.

It worried her that Kai might have a target on his back. He was more than just a neighbor to her; he’d become a friend. Someone she trusted, who looked out for her and did repairs around her place when the superintendent wasn’t available.

If he hadn’t been unavailable the whole time he’d lived across the hall from her, maybe they could have even been more.

With him totally out of your league and both of you with histories of unhealthy relationships? Yeah, that would’ve worked out well.

Abby shook off the thought and checked her mirror again. She would have talked to him about this situation before now, but he’d been out of town for work until late last night. Maybe now he could put her mind at ease about the cartel casing the building theory, so she could stop looking over her shoulder wherever she went.

She turned right at the next corner. Still nothing behind her that tripped her radar more than it already was. Time to go home. “Okay, I think the coast is clear. I’m heading to my building now.” Except the idea that someone might be following her and know where she lived made her skin crawl.

“I’ll stay on the line with you until you get inside.”

“Thanks. This is why I love you—you care about me even though I’m a paranoid freak.”

“That’s the part I love most about you,” Cindy joked.

Abby laughed. “Thank God for that.”

“Are we still getting together tonight?”

“Definitely.” On most Friday nights they met up with a larger group but it would be nice to spend some time just the two of them. She pulled into her parking spot. “I’m here.” Palming her keys, she grabbed her purse and twisted around to reach into the backseat for her briefcase. “Text you once I’m changed and ready to meet up?”

“Sure. Bye.”

Abby climbed out and shut the door, the sound muted by the noise-dampening material sprayed on the concrete ceiling of the parking garage. She rounded the rear bumper and headed for the elevators, then came to an immediate halt when she saw she wasn’t alone.

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