Page 30 of Virtue & Vengeance

7

EDEN

IT WAS MY DAY OFF, and I was determined not to spend it cooped up in the condo waiting for something terrible to happen. It had been two weeks since I thought I saw Allen and there had been no more reports from anyone at Empire that anyone matching Allen’s description had been back.

I was determined not to spend the rest of my life in fear of that man. I’d already lost too much to him as it was.

Getting ready, I left the condo in search of something to do that didn’t require me to be under the Las Vegas sun for too long. I decided on a movie and took an Uber to the closest movie theater.

I tried not to be anxious as I sat in the back of the Uber car, but with my attention not on driving, all I could do was look around. Everything seemed normal, so I tried to calm myself down and stare straight ahead.

When we got to the movie theater, I paid the driver and walked up to the window to wait in line to get a ticket. I had no idea what I was going to watch, but I planned on being spontaneous and choosing when I got up to the window.

Standing there, I couldn’t hush the nagging little voice that told me to turn around and check out my surroundings. To make sure Allen wasn’t waiting to grab me at any moment. I turned, looking over one shoulder and examining the open plaza around me.

It was a weekday, and there weren’t a lot of people waiting in line, so I was able to see a perfect view of the courtyard. Palm trees lined the space giving you a tropical feel in the center of the desert, and a few people were perched on concrete benches between the palms.

Looking over my other shoulder and doing a quick scan, I told myself I could breathe when I saw no one sketchy. I was just about to turn around when I caught sight of the large black SUV.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about the vehicle, but something about it didn’t sit right with me. The windows were tinted so dark I couldn’t see if there was anyone inside, but still, even though I thought it might be empty, I could feel someone’s eyes on me.

I stared at the tinted windows, chewing on my lip with nerves. Even as I told myself it was okay, my heart sped up, making me feel rushed and ready to escape.

“Excuse me? Do you want to buy a ticket or not?”

The attendant’s question pulled me from my haze, and I forced myself to face forward again and concentrate.

My eyes met a teenage guy with a backward hat on. He had black horns through his ears and a pitchfork in his brow.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Do you want a ticket?” he asked again.

“Yes.” I nodded and moved ahead in line.

It didn’t take me long to get my ticket and pay. As I walked away from the window, I took another peek at the SUV. I could have sworn I felt eyes watching me every step of the way, but I ignored it and moved inside the theater.

I waited in line for popcorn and a soda and then found my theater and took a seat in the top row. I told myself it had nothing to do with the fact that I could watch the entrances best from that vantage point. It had nothing to do with the fact that if Allen was there, he couldn’t get to me without the other moviegoers noticing.

I was only halfway through the movie when I realized why the SUV looked so familiar. My heart thumped as I thought about the cars I saw when I was in the Uber. I was almost a hundred percent positive the exact SUV had been behind us.

I knew there was no way I was going to be able to enjoy the rest of the movie if I didn’t go and check to see if the SUV was still parked there.

I got out of my seat, apologizing to the few that I had to pass to get out of my row, and nearly raced down the stairs. Rushing through the lobby, I stopped at the door that faced the street, and my eyes searched the cars parked on the road.

The SUV was no longer stationed there, and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Pushing open the glass doors, I walked outside and pulled the fresh air into my lungs. I hated that I was driving myself this crazy. Wrapping my arms around my middle, I told myself I needed to get a grip.

And then I saw it.

It was parked a little way down the street now, just out of view from the doors. I looked away quickly, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that I’d spotted them.

Pulling out my phone, I called to have another Uber pick me up. They said five minutes, so I sat on a concrete bench between two large palms and waited for what felt like the longest five minutes in history.

When the white car pulled up in the front of the movie theater, I was quick to jump inside and give the driver my destination.

“Empire Sevens, please.”

I didn’t know why I was running to Zander.

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