Page 13 of Twisted Lies
What the fuck?
Shaken, I stood frozen. My heart raced.
Oh God, is someone trying to kill me?
Stop it, Sin. You’re just being paranoid.
I straightened my jacket and started to cross the street again, only to snap my head to my left when that same dark car peeled around the corner with its headlights off. It screeched to a stop three cars away from where I stood frozen with one foot on the curb and the other in the street. The driver revved the engine menacingly. I gritted my teeth, stepping fully into the street to square off with the car, trying to see who was inside, but the tinted windows prevented me from seeing the driver’s face.
Fuck this.
I wasn’t going to let some crazy person scare me. I started walking toward the car. The driver revved the engine again and then sped toward me.
Oh, hell no!
I hopped back onto the sidewalk, running in the opposite direction, picking up full speed when I heard the roar of the engine. I looked back, and oddly, it had stopped. My heart leaped into my throat. Not hesitating, I turned back around and ran so hard my chest burned from the effort.
I didn’t stop running until I got to Jade’s building, bypassing the doorman who was talking to a police officer. Huffing and puffing, I stepped into the elevator. I grabbed my knees, trying to catch my breath. The whole ride up, two thoughts raced through my mind—one,Damn! I need to get in fucking shape, andtwo,Someone is definitely stalking me.
Walking out of the elevator, I felt my pulse quicken at the sight of Jade’s neighbors standing and talking in the hallway. When a police officer came out of the penthouse, I ran in with dread pooling in my stomach. I skidded to a stop when I saw Jade looking around the apartment with a frown.
“What the hell happened?” I croaked.
“The strangest shit ever,” she responded, gesturing toward the door. “When I got home, the door was wide open. I know I locked it. I panicked. All I could think about was that all our shit had been stolen.”
I looked around. “What was stolen?”
She frowned. “Not a damn thing. That’s the strange part. I looked around, and nothing was gone or out of place. I called the police just in case. This type of shit doesn’t happen in this neighborhood—let alone this building.” She strolled over to the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water.
Thirsty, I walked over, grabbed one, and drank it. Pulling my hair away from my face, I grimaced at the dampness on my forehead from the sweat. “What about the security cameras?”
She shrugged. “I checked with security. There’s nothing on them.” She stared at me. “This is a new look for you. What’s going on with the grimy, flustered thing you have happening?”
“Some fucker tried to run me the hell down,” I mumbled before taking a large gulp.
Jade choked on her water. “What?”
“Long story, but I think someone is trying to frighten me or, worst-case scenario, kill me.” I nibbled on my bottom lip.
Jade came over and hugged me before stepping back. “Are you sure it wasn’t just some crazy New York driver?”
“Oh, I’m sure. New York drivers tend to leave the scene of an accident. They don’t come back. This car did and fucking terrorized me for blocks.” I leaned my hip against the granite counter.
“I don’t like this,” Jade said.
“You think?” I asked tiredly.
Way too many strange things had happened over the span of a couple of days, and I didn’t believe in coincidences.
Jade’s eyes clouded over with worry. “I decided to change the locks, and the locksmith should be here shortly. You go take a hot bath and relax. I can wait on my own. You have an early morning.”
“Yeah, that’s what I need. My nerves are fried right about now.” I couldn’t even think about working on my sketches.
Walking through the apartment, I started peeling off my jacket. My mind unfocused, I didn’t even realize I was in my bedroom until I stepped over the threshold. As I threw my jacket onto the bed, I nearly fainted when I saw something unthinkable lying there. The pair of pink panties I’d left at Jaxon’s apartment were wrapped around a long-stemmed white rose.
Just like I’d thought, there was no such thing as a coincidence.
4
