Need help? This poor guy has no idea.
His radio goes off, and a dispatcher says something. He responds, “10-4.” Turning his attention back to me, he says with an apologetic look, “I have to go.”
“Sure, I’ll talk to you later.” I hurry to my car, trying not to look suspect.
Ethan takes off in his patrol car, and I turn in the opposite direction, driving until I find a parking lot to pull over. Searching for the nearest storage unit company on my phone, I make the short drive and enter the office.
I fill out the paperwork and pay for a small rental unit. No way Darius is going to let me have access to the emergency bag, so I’m creating my own. Besides, Harrison is dead, so it’s not like he can take it with him. Harrison is dead because my husband killed him; having something to do with the mob money I just stole.
My wings are feeling pretty damn dirty.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Lily
Answering the final question on the very last exam of my undergrad career, I walk out in the hall with a big smile on my face.
Everyone’s excited, milling about. “Hey, Lily. We’re going to grab a drink. You want to join us?” A friend from class asks me.
No is on the tip of my tongue, but then I think, why not? Iris is in school; I no longer have to rush to the club to make the lunch shift; and I’m avoiding Darius. “Sure, sounds like fun.”
I meet up with the group at a popular bar I’ve never been to—my college experience hasn’t exactly been the typical one—and I take a seat at the table. A tray of shots is presented, but I decline, instead ordering a beer. Spotting a familiar face being seated by a hostess, I say to everyone, “Excuse me for just a minute.”
Walking across the bar, I approach Ethan. “This is a surprise,” I tell him.
“Big surprise. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you drink,” he teases, eyeing the beer in my hand.
“I just finished my last final,” I say with a huge smile. “I’m out celebrating with friends from class.”
“Congrats!” He gestures for me to sit across from him, and I do so. “That’s really awesome, Lily,” he tells me. “I would say the next round’s on me, but I’m just here for lunch; I have a shift this evening.”
“Quite alright,” I tell him. “One drink is my limit. I have to meet with my lawyer this afternoon about the probate stuff.”
“Good. Glad you’re getting that taken care of. How about we plan to meet up for coffee, and I can bring you the paperwork for Iris’ benefits I was telling you about.”
“Sure. Now that I’m finished for the summer, my schedule is pretty flexible. Just text me when you have some free time.”
“Will do,” he tells me.
“I’d better get back. I’ll talk to you later.”
I return to the table, and my friend announces, “Oooh, I forgot to tell everybody the news. Guess who I ran into at the physical therapy office my mom manages? Professor Miller. The man had a really bad cycling accident—that’s why he took off the rest of the semester,” she reports.
Too bad he survived the accident, I think, and then mentally cringe. God, when did I become this person?
We finish our drinks, and everyone decides to bar hop. “This is where my hop ends,” I say with a smile. “But have fun.”
Saying our goodbyes, I make a quick pit stop at the bathroom. Stepping inside the one-staller, I go to close the door when a large foot wearing a trainer I know all too well blocks it.
Darius flings the door open and stalks inside. I back up, immediately on high alert, as he has the crazy Diávolos look about him.
He closes and locks the door before stalking over to me. There’s nowhere for me to go in this tiny bathroom, and soon, my back’s against the wall.
“Be careful, little angel,” he says in an eerily calm tone. “Smile like that at Ethan one more time, and I’ll cut out his eyes; make sure he never has the pleasure of seeing your pretty face again.”
“You’re crazy,” I say, crossing my arms, pretending my heart isn’t beating like a jackhammer.
“You know it.” He cages me in with his arms, his hard dick pressed against my stomach.