Page 50 of Instinct & New Identity

“Shocker.Wonderwho those are from.”Vallaughed because she likely suspected they were fromVince. “Oooh, there’s a card.Openit.Whatdid he write?”

She was jumping up and down in place with excitement, and even thoughI’drather keep that note to myself,Iknew she would never in a million years let me walk upstairs with those chocolates without her seeing the card.

I took the card out from underneath the ribbon, opened it up, and started to read.

Hide all you want, but he can’t protect you.Yourdays are numbered.

My heart stopped.Itwas suddenly hard to breathe, andIcouldn’t get enough air into my lungs.

“Cat, what is it?”Valasked, likely seeing the look on my face and sensing something was wrong.

“They found us,”Iwhispered to her, handing her the card.

She ripped the card from my hand, andIheard her swear beside me as she read it aloud.

Hide all you want, but he can’t protect you.Yourdays are numbered.

That was all the card said.

Two sentences.Butthat was enough to break every bit of securityI’dbuilt up in the weeks since we’d arrived here.JustwhenIhad finally started to feel like this was over and we could live our lives like normal people,ValandIwould have to move all over again.

I vaguely heardValtalking next to me, butIcouldn’t concentrate on anything but what we needed to do next.

Pack.

We needed to pack up tonight and get on the road.Ihad a pre-made listI’dhad for two years with places ready to go thatIhad already scoped out as safe towns and cities to live in.Wewould grab our stuff,Harry, and get on our way tonight.I’dleaveVincea note letting him know so we could at least keep in touch.Butwe couldn’t stay here.Icouldn’t risk putting him in danger any more thanIalready had.

21

VINCE

I was wrapping up a few things at the office beforeIleft for my date withCat.Ifelt kind of like a teenager again with the strange level of excitementIhad for this dinner.Maybeit’s becauseI’dgotten laid for the first time in more than six months.

My phone rang beside me, andIsaw it was the number at the front desk of my apartment building.Sandididn’t usually call unless it was important, andIwondered if the girls might have forgotten their key or something.Iswiped the phone to answer it.

“Hey,Sandi,”Ianswered.

“Vince,I’mnot sure what to do, but chocolates were delivered forCatandVal, andIaccepted them, but when they got here, they opened the card and freaked out,”Sandisaid rapidly without taking a breath and sounding frantic.

My senses went on alert as she continued talking.

“They mumbled something together and took off for the elevator quickly, leaving the chocolates and the card here.Ipicked it up and read it, and it was some kind of threat.Doyou want me to call the cops?”

I was up and moving quickly from my office and down the hall toArcher’s, where he in a meeting withJackandAxel.Atthe same time,Iwas askingSandifor more details.

“Repeat that,”Isaid toSandi, not quite sureIhad heard her correctly, and placed my phone on speaker just asIopened the door toArcher’soffice.

“There was a card that came with the chocolates.Itsaid tohide all you want, but he can’t protect you.Yourdays are numbered,” she responded through the speaker.Inoticed the other heads in the room now looked at me. “Whatdo you want me to do?”

“Call the cops,Sandi.I’llbe there in five,”Itold her asIbolted back out the door to head to my car, sensingArcherand the others on my heels. “Sandi, do not let anyone upstairs who doesn’t live there, even if they say they’re visiting a friend.Notuntil the cops get there.”

She agreed, andIhung up the phone.

“Get us up to speed.What’sgoing on?”Jackwas behind me as we cleared the stairs into the parking lot.

I started to tell them whatIknew, butAxelinterrupted.

“My car is closer.Everyoneget in,” he said, beeping his locks next to us, and we all piled in.Ijust wanted to get there as soon as possible.

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