Page 58 of Seducer

But I’d felt it deep within my bones.

I’d kept the creepy-crawlies since two nights before, still positive someone had been in the apartment. Nothing else had occurred. No weirdness at work or odd phone calls. The threat Jerry had mentioned lingered in my mind, but he hadn’t shown up at the club the night after the incident. I’d been determined to corner the man if he had.

I’d thought about calling Gina, but it had been painfully obvious she hadn’t wanted to talk to me. What if she’d been hurt? It was more likely she’d tripped given her inebriated condition. Still, my mind was working overtime.

The entire situation was odd, so much so that when I’d pulled into the police station, I’d finally felt a sense of relief.

Until I embraced why I’d been forced to drive there in the middle of the night in the first place.

My brother.

I could kill the kid. Maybe I would, but after I got him home.

Even though I’d wanted to allow him to stay in jail at least for one night. With his one phone call, he’d acted as if he was already being bullied. How the hell was that possible? My brother stood at over six foot three and almost two hundred pounds. I’d bought it, taking the last of my savings to bail his ass out of jail.

As I parked near the apartment building, I glanced into the rearview mirror once again.

No one was following us. But goddamn I could feel his presence, the masked man. Just like the Phantom. Only they couldn’t be the same person. Zach was far too important of a man to engage in playing an early game. Maybe. Being uncertain added to my anxiousness. I couldn’t just go up to the man and ask him if he’d broken into my apartment. Whoever had, his scent had lingered on my skin for hours. Either that or I was having some kind of psychotic break.

Maybe I was just on edge because of the night’s festivities. Ha. If this was what was considered fun, I didn’t think I could handle anything else. Tom had already stripped the schedule down, which meant at least four hundred dollars less a week. At this rate, I’d sink into oblivion within a month.

“Are you going to talk to me?” Kyle whined.

“Nope.” I popped the P on purpose.

I almost ripped the keys from the ignition, ignoring Kyle altogether as I headed into the building, immediately taking the steps two at a time.

There was enough pent-up anger I could float at his point.

He trudged up the stairs behind me, constantly grumbling under his breath.

“You’re fucking good at the silent treatment.” Kyle was sullen, his usual temperament. He was lucky I’d bailed him out in the first place instead of leaving his ass in jail so hopefully he could learn a lesson.

“Watch your language,” I barked in return just before I climbed from the car. I’d gotten the call around midnight. Now it was after nine and I’d yet to take a shower, already considered late for work. And dear God, nights like I’d just experienced had reminded me why I needed to keep both jobs at all costs.

“You’re not my mother.”

“It’s a damn good thing. And don’t you dare mention her. Not once. We talked about that.” I tromped up the stairs to my third-floor apartment, so exhausted from the horrible experience I could barely get the key into the lock. He was hovering right behind me, shifting from foot to foot. When he was off his ADHD meds, which he frequently was since he’d declared they made him more nervous, not less, he was always antsy with far too much energy.

That’s why he’d gotten himself into trouble.

He’d done so before only this time, his prank had gone against the University president and he and his buddy had been caught,the man not taking too kindly to finding a pig left unattended in his office.

I’d seen the pictures, the destruction horrific.

“She’s my mother too.” His tone had taken on a sad quality and I felt like an uncaring ass. “Or was.”

“I know. It’s just… Just don’t right now. Okay?”

“Sure.”

I adored my brother. He was all I had as far as family was concerned. It had been just the kid and the witchy witch as he’d like to call me against the world after our parents’ deaths. He was bright, so very intelligent that there was little that truly held his interest. Sadly, his antics usually hid his brilliance.

He took over unlocking the door, grumbling under his breath as he did. He thought I was overreacting. I knew he could receive some serious jail time since the prank had been labeled a felony.

“Why are you so bent out of shape?” he asked after tossing my keys carelessly onto the small foyer table before immediately heading into the kitchen.

I trailed behind him. I’d been so furious that I’d fumed the entire time I’d been sitting at the precinct. I’d never been pulled over for a traffic ticket, for God’s sake. I’d seen more assholes parading by me the night before than I ever wanted to see again.

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