Page 55 of Enforcing the Rules

“Don’t think your biker boyfriend can protect you. He won’t always be around.”

I was shaking like a leaf, and I’m sure he felt it. “O-okay. I’ll get it. I swear. Just leave.”

He looked me up and down, and I was terrified he was going to sexually assault me.

He pulled a knife and held it in front of my face, letting me see it. “You call the police, and you, your sister, and your mother are all dead. I’ll carve you like a pumpkin, understand?”

I nodded like a bobble head. I’ve never been so scared in my entire life. But I knew one thing. If Ruiz tried anything, I’d fight. I wouldn’t go meekly.

We stared at each other, and I forced myself to turn that ball of fear in the pit of my stomach to anger.

I think he must have noticed the change flicker in my eyes.

And then I used the only other weapon I could think of to save me.

“If you hurt me, Utah will hunt you down, and when he finds you, you’ll wish you were dead.”

Ruiz grinned, but I saw the doubt flash in his eyes. The man was smart enough to believe me.

He laughed and released me. “See you in four days, Chica.”

And then he was gone and out the door. I slumped against the wall, listening to his feet pound down the long stairwell.

The door downstairs opened and closed. I regained my wits and dashed to the upstairs door, slamming it shut and locking it. I closed the window, then realized he’d used a glass cutter to cut a hole large enough to reach his hand through and unlock the window.

I’d loved my apartment, but I knew I’d never feel safe here again, no matter how many locks I put on the door.

My father was coming in a couple of hours, so I had to stay.

I sat up in a chair all night, wishing I had my taser but too afraid to go to the car to get it.

I thought a hundred times about calling Utah to come over, but then I’d have to explain everything. Besides, how could I ever be a bounty hunter if I had to call him every time I was afraid? Every man I’d met in the business had told me I couldn’t do the job. I couldn’t let my actions now prove them all right.

So, I sat in the dark with every light off and all the curtains drawn, only occasionally peering through a crack in the fabric to watch the street below.

Eventually, I dosed off in the chair.

When I jerked awake and looked at my phone, it was almost five in the morning. I checked my text messages, but there was nothing from my father.

He’d blown me off.

I moved to the window and saw dawn breaking over the horizon.

The street below was quiet.

I yawned and lay down on my bed, pulling the pillow to me and breathing in Utah’s scent.

I wished he were here with me.

As the sun rose and shone through the drapes, lighting the room, I finally slept easy.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Kate—

Because of everything that happened with Bill, Otis decided to close the office for the rest of the week. That gave me time to figure out what to do next.

Good to his word, my landlord showed up with a handyman to change out the door for a thicker one with a deadbolt. I told him about the break-in last night and showed him the damaged window. He agreed to replace it as well, but told me there was really nothing he could do that would prevent someone from trying it again, and suggested I get a security system.

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