Page 59 of The One Who Won’t Get Away
“I’ll come,” I said, “but don’t do anything fancy.I just want to eat and maybe watch garbage TV.”
She made a skeptical sound.“No promises.”
There was a beat, then a shift in her voice, softer but less guarded than before.“Take care of yourself.And if you need me to move back in, just say the word.”
“Thanks.”But there was no way I’d ask her to move back in with me.She had her own life now, and she actually seemed happy with Sean.I wouldn’t be the one to ruin it.
Chapter 25
Nick
MY LEFT ARM WAS GOINGnumb from carrying four canvas bags overloaded with groceries.I told myself it was just normal weight, but the plastic handle had already worked a deep red groove into my fingers.
I paused under the entryway to fish out the spare key Nadya had given me this morning when we had arrived in New York.From what I gathered, it was a lot more meaningful than Nadya let on.She hadn’t trusted any man enough to bring them to her place, and I had access any time I needed it with this key.
The security door was still pathetically easy to open.Honestly, I would’ve been able to get in even without the key, and I absolutely hated it.This was not a safe place to live, even without someone targeting my girl.A child burglar would be able to come inside easily.
I made it all the way to the elevator before disaster struck.
A streak of black and white fur blurred out from behind a radiator and launched itself at the swinging grocery bag, claws out.I jerked sideways, but it was too late.The cat latched onto the bag of meatballs and ran with it dragging on the floor.
Nadya picked that moment to get home.As soon as she opened the security door, the cat burglar darted between her legs and disappeared with its loot.
“Did that cat just mug you?”she asked.
I groaned, my shoulders slumping in defeat.“It got my balls.”
Nadya grinned.“I don’t know why.A cat who’d rob an FBI agent clearly already has balls.”
“Hush, you.Let’s go inside before the rest of the feline gang shows up.”
We went up to her apartment, and I took a moment to inspect her locks.Not completely terrible with the deadbolt, and none of that smart lock crap that might get hacked, but nothing was reinforced, so her door could get kicked in.
As I followed Nadya inside, I noticed an extra latch at the top that probably wouldn’t handle a good kick but could at least slow down anyone exceptionally determined to make it inside.The door itself needed an update.Hopefully, Sean would handle it.Or Ryan, who was supposed to show up tomorrow morning.
We walked straight to the kitchen where Nadya hung her hoodie on the back of a chair and shook her hair out.I set the bags on the counter and started unloading: box of penne, a jar of tomato sauce, garlic, a single zucchini, a bag of romaine, and a loaf of Italian bread.There was also a six-pack of seltzer, a wedge of parmesan, and a bar of fancy milk chocolate.
