Page 53 of Shattering Nash

“A complex downtown.” Oz tapped the ashes from his cigar in the tray then narrowed his gaze. “The old high-rise directly across the street from the Bowery.”

What the fuck?

Every muscle in Nash’s body tightened. What the hell was she doing living in Inez’s building? On rare occasions, Inez would allow random outsiders to live in the apartments. It was all a paper and numbers game. She couldn’t be the only resident. It would’ve drawn red flags. But she was selective. Most of the tenants had been living there for decades. Never once had there been more than a twenty percent capacity. Most floors had ten units, and only three were occupied. On occasion, she’d have people for a short-term lease. But this connection hit too close to home.

Nash straightened in his seat. “When did she move in?”

“According to Elodie, a few days ago. Charley’sfriendknew of the place, and they had a vacancy.”

Nash cupped his mouth, feeling Oz’s stare.

“Who is thisfriend?”

“My guess would be Penny,” Nash said.

Oz’s jaw squared. “How are they connected?”

“I don’t know.”

“Find out.” Oz growled.

“I can ask Inez, but she probably won’t offer anything up. You know how she is with her girls.”

Oz scoffed, shaking his head. “Charley seems to be connected in quite a few ways to our world. I don’t like it.”

Neither do I.

Chapter Ten

Charley was cursing her procrastination as she walked down the desolate road. Streetlights would’ve helped, but every other one wasn’t working. It drowned the sidewalk in darkness. It wasn’t the best section of town. Mostly industrial, and at this time of night, it was empty.

She’d made an early appointment for her car to get serviced the next day. However, they wanted it dropped off the day before the appointment. That wouldn’t have been an issue had Charley not waited until after six to drop it off. It was already closing in on sunset, and without much activity in the area it took on an eerie vibe. She considered calling a car service, but with her finances, she needed to save the money. There was no telling when another crisis would hit.I seem to be chaos’s favorite victim lately.

With only a few blocks ’til her apartment she quickened her steps. She tugged her jacket tighter around her as the breeze sent a shiver through her body. Maybe it was just the cool air, but a sense of urgency struck her out of nowhere.Foreshadowing?

She jumped slightly when her phone vibrated. She let out of soft chuckle recognizing her paranoia for what it was…silly. She reached in her pocket, pulled out the phone, and smiled when she saw the caller. Charley didn’t hesitate answering.

“Hi Elle.”

“Hey Charley, how are you?”

She darted her eyes across the street to the three men gathered on the corner taking a special interest in her sudden appearance. It wasn’t something she’d be sharing with Elodie.Her boss had always been a bit protective over her staff. It was one of many things she loved and respected about Elodie.

“I’m good. How are you? Are you feeling okay?”

She groaned. “I’m at the annoying stage of not being able to fit into my jeans but not quite ready for maternity clothes. I consistently look like I just had a hefty meal.”

“You look beautiful pregnant.”

“Ah, Charley, you’re good for my ego.” Elodie chuckled. “I’m down at the store. The girls and I made good headway, but for some reason, I cannot find the accessories shipment. We looked everywhere, and I’m at a total loss. I’d blame it on baby brain, but I’m the only one pregnant, and none of us could find it. Do you remember if we’d gotten a box in? According to the list, it should be here.”

Charley stopped walking and stared up at the sky. She’d personally signed for it a week before they shut down for renovations. Charley was in charge of the master list of inventory and was diligent about keeping it in order. It had to be there.

“We definitely got it in. How about I swing by and look for it?”

“I don’t want to make you come down here.”

“I don’t mind.”

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