Page 138 of Prey for You

But I didn’t let them see it. I couldn’t. It wasn’t hard to slump like I was exhausted, because I was. It wasn’t hard to act like I had no energy for anything except to go home and be alone—because I didn’t.

It wasn’t hard to lie.

Because I am a fantastic fucking liar when I want to be.

And that thought started a ticking time bomb in my head that I didn’t even want to look at.

So, I answered all of Gerald’s questions, and kept reassuring Jeremy. And I made them take me home.

I put my phone down on the nightstand in my room and left it on. Even plugged it in to charge. I took a shower because I needed to wash this shit day off, and I needed to wake up.

My hands were shaking.

I left my hair wet because I couldn’t be bothered with anything else, and I sat on my bed naked and waited for the inevitable phone call.

First from Gerald.

No, I hadn’t left. Yes I was in bed. No, I wasn’t hungry. Yes, I’d call him in the morning and go to the office in the afternoon.

Goodnight, Gerald.

Then Jeremy.

Jeremy surprised me. He showed up at the front door. I had to hurriedly pull on pajamas, but luckily they were already used and wrinkled, so I looked like I’d been laying around in them when I opened the door and glared at him.

He immediately relaxed and raised his hands, “I was just checking.”

“You can stop now.”

He wanted to talk more, but I was still reeling and made him leave. That left me shaking even harder, because I hadn’t anticipated him showing up in person.

But an hour after he left it was getting late and there were no more calls or knocks on the door. And I had a plan.

I had an old neighbor six blocks away. She was always in bed by nine, and up at like five in the morning. I knew this because I was awake and going to the gym at all hours of the day and night. And I had once helped her carry groceries into her house when it was a hot day and I was driving past.

Agnes.

Agnes’ life was regular as clockwork.

She had an old car that she parked on the roadside and only drove twice a week.

I hadn’t seen Agnes since before I met Cain. I should have checked in on her. I’d try to remember to do that. To thank her.

Because, she didn’t know it, but she would be my savior tonight.

IknewJeremy would have placed another trace on my car while he was here. So I couldn’t even start the radio without him showing up. And he probably had a perimeter set a block or two out in case I could find it and remove it.

He knew I’d clock guys surveilling me from the street, so he’d have placed them around the neighborhood, probably not in cars. Watching my place. Watching for my car.

It was time for me to use the skills I’d developed as a rebellious teen and get the fuck out of Dodge.

My heart banged in my chest, but I was smiling when I got into my hunting clothes, zipped the burner phone and some cash into the inside pocket, then crawled out my own window and hopped the fence into the back-side neighbor’s yard.

Ten minutes later I successfully hotwired Agnes’s old car.

I stopped at the gas station on my way because I didn’t want Agnes paying for my joyride.

Then I got on the highway, put the pedal down and got the hell out of there.

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