Page 41 of Liam
“Nylah?”
Liam’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts just as the guy turned down an alley up ahead, to the right.
Crap. She’d completely missed everything Liam said. “Sorry, Liam. I missed that.”
“That’s all right.” His words were slow, and there was a short pause. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just saw…” She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing. Nylah, what was it?”
She swallowed. “I saw a guy, and I thought I recognized him from somewhere. He made me feel uneasy. But he was probably just a customer from the coffee shop. Maybe he was rude or something…” She hadn’t had many of those, but there were a few everywhere.
“Turn around.”
She frowned. “What?”
“The guy affected you, I can hear it in your voice. Turn around, go back to The Grind.”
She started to step past the alley. “Liam—”
Suddenly, she was grabbed around the middle, pulled off the street, and shoved against a brick wall. The phone fell from her fingers, and her breath cut off with a gasp.
The man threw a fist toward her face. She ducked just in time.
He howled when his knuckles hit the wall.
When he lifted his untucked shirt and went for a concealed gun, Nylah quickly swung a knee into his balls. He managed to pull the weapon before doubling over in pain, and she kicked at his hand—hard—the gun flying down the alley.
Then Nylah threw a punch of her own, landing it right in his left eye.
The guy cursed, grabbing his eye even as she lunged for the gun. Lifting it, she aimed at the asshole’s chest. “Sorry, buddy, but my brothers taught me how to protect myself.Andhow to shoot.” The second he straightened, she realized where she’d seen him. She gasped. “You were one of the guys who broke into my condo!”
The man scowled, rage transforming his features. “Fuck you.”
If he was scared of getting shot, he didn’t show it. “I’mholding the gun, and Iwillshoot. Tell me why you broke into my place.”
She wasn’t sure how accurate that statement was. She liked tothinkshe would shoot, but she’d only ever shot at targets before. Could she shoot a living, breathing person?
The guy took a step forward, as if he heard her thoughts and was calling her bluff. “How about you tell me why you’re sleeping with one ofthem.”
Her brows slashed together. “Them?”
He took another step.
Her fingers tightened around the grip. “I mean it, I’ll—”
“Nylah?”
Her gaze swung toward the sound of Eleanor’s voice at the mouth of the alley. The moment of distraction gave the asshole time to lunge forward and grab her wrist before twisting.
She cried out and the gun fired, causing a bullet to ricochet off the wall. He ripped the weapon from her grasp. Police sirens sounded down the street, along with Eleanor’s footsteps as she ran toward them.
The guy took off in the opposite direction.
* * *
Liam didn’t usehis car as he ran down the street. He didn’t need to. He was fast enough on his own. And on foot, it would be easier to check every damn alley he passed.
