Page 53 of Touch Me

Me:

Have fun, love you.

After finding even more nauseating articles onThe Hangman, I slam the laptop shut and push it away, the weight of a boulder sitting in my stomach. I look back at Jace, and he’s perched on the edge of the couch with his back ramrod straight, brows furrowed.

“Are you trying to count cards?”

He jumps, his foot connecting with the coffee table. “What? No,” he stammers. “I was just watching.”

“You look like you’re concentrating pretty hard.”

Rubbing his toe, he winces and bites his lip. “It’s an intense game.”

I know nothing about cards or poker. They keep tapping on the table, and half of them are wearing sunglasses inside. According to Dean onSupernatural, that’s the definition of a douchebag.

My mind wanders back to Ally, all alone in a new city. I’m sure she doesn’t know her way around yet. And now there’s a killer on the loose. I’ve heard of people watching for a few weeks to scope out victims and learn their schedules and routines. What if they follow her home from work? What if she gets lost and takes a wrong turn down a dead-end and is surrounded by guys wearing black hoods carrying ropes?

“Cassie?”

“Huh?” My head snaps to find Jace leaning close, hand out-stretched and almost touching mine.

“Are you okay?” His head dips down to level his eyes with mine. “I said we could watch something else if you want.”

“Yeah, sure. Sorry.” I rub my hands over my face and through my hair. “Just worried about Ally.”

“What’s wrong with Ally?”

“Nothing, exactly. She’s in a new city all alone. And now there’s some guy running around carving up women and hanging them on doors. She doesn’t even have a stun gun. She lives by herself. What if she gets lost on a dead-end road and they take her and cut her up—”

“Whoa, slow down.” He turns to face me and scoots closer. “No one’s going to take her. What guy? Where did you say she lives?”

“San Jose. She moved a few months ago when she got offered a full-time teaching job. And now she’s all alone, and she’s gonna get cut up into pieces, and no one will even know because my piece of shit mom doesn’t even know where we are.”

“I think Max is near there for his conference.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket. “Do you want me to have him check on her? Or buy her some mace or something?”

“No,” I sigh. “She said she’s fine. And she has a new boyfriend. I’m just overreacting. Probably. Thank you, though.”

“Well, why don’t we find something to watch to take your mind off it?”

“That sounds good.”

“So, what should we try?”

“A girl at work suggested that time-travel show in Scotland?”

“Never heard of it?”

I shrug. “Same.”

“Well, let’s check it out. And don’t worry about Ally, I’m sure she’s fine.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I’m sure sheisfine. She lives in a decent part of town, from what she’s told me. And she has Derek to protect her. I’m just being paranoid. I’m going to pop online real quick and order a couple stun guns. I’ll give her one this weekend when she comes for drinks.

There, all better.

Jace cues up the show, and I grab a blanket and snuggle up in the corner of the couch. Henry saunters over and eyes the space left between Jace and me. Realizing there’s no room for him, he curls up at my feet and tugs the blanket down when he lays with an exaggerated sigh.

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